Is Your Cat Spraying On Your Furniture? It's Time To Get Him Neutered
When a cat reaches a certain age of maturity, it will begin trying to attract a mate. Just like dogs will pee on a bush to attract other dogs or mark its territory, a cat will spray on your furniture, on your bed, on your pillow, or anywhere else it wants to. This is disgusting. Not only does it leave your furniture and your house smelling like urine mixed with semen, gross, it's just not a type of behavior that you want around your house. So how do you get your cat to stop spraying? It's time to get him neutered.
Around Six Months
The best time to get your cat neutered is around the six month mark. If your cat still has his equipment after six months, he may begin spraying. Cats spray as a part of their instinctual mating habits and this can be very hard to break. Therefore, if your cat is older than six months and you haven't had him neutered, getting him fixed may not curb the cat spraying. You can only hope that it does. If your cat is over the six month mark and he's started spraying, get him to the vet immediately and get him fixed.
What You Can Expect
When you take your cat into the vet's office, tell the vet that your cat has been spraying. Your vet will weigh the cat, will take him usually overnight and then you can pick him up in the morning. The reason they weigh your cat is so they know how much anesthesia to use. This will knock the cat out so that there isn't any pain. However, your cat will still be in pain when the anesthesia wears off so you will be given medicine to give your cat when you bring him home. You must watch your cat, however, after you get him home so that he doesn't take out his stitches, infect the area where the cuts were made, and to make sure he doesn't react badly to his medicine.
Your Cat May Still Spray
Realize that if your cat was older than six months when you brought him to the vet, he may still spray. Cat spraying may not stop immediately after the neutering procedure has been completed. That's because the hormones that cause the cat to spray are still in his system. Give it a few weeks and you'll hopefully see the cat spraying cease. Talk to your vet if the behavior doesn't stop, however, as this may be caused by something more serious than overactive hormones.
