My 13 month old male cat is neutered.
He was neutered when he was 6 months old, and he never sprayed then.
But recently, I found him standing with his back to my bed, and his tail quivered.
I’ve caught him doing it a few times since then.
But I can’t find or see any pee.
Do they spray such miniscule amounts that it’s not noticeable?
Why would he suddenly start it?
Am I mistinterpreting it, and it’s not spraying at all?
I can’t smell cat pee, but my nose has been off after COVID.
Brief Answer:
The behavior you are describing – standing with his back to a vertical surface (your bed) and a quivering tail held straight up – is the classic, textbook posture for cat urine spraying (marking).
Even though your cat is neutered, approximately 10 percent of neutered males will continue to spray, especially in response to stress or perceived threats to their territory, like changes in the environment.
The reason you can’t easily see or smell the urine is that spraying involves depositing a very small, concentrated amount of urine specifically for pheromonal communication, not for full bladder elimination.
It is a potent, chemical message, not a large puddle.
The sudden onset in your 13-month-old, a time when sexual maturity is fully established, points to an anxiety-based territorial reaction, possibly triggered by something new inside or an outdoor cat visible through a window.
The first essential step is to use a UV Blacklight flashlight to confirm the urine location, which will appear as a glowing spot.
Once confirmed, a strict enzymatic cleaning protocol and environmental stress reduction with Feliway Multicat are required.
Detailed Answer:
You are not misinterpreting the behavior; the posture your cat is adopting is the primary diagnostic indicator of spraying.
A cat typically adopts this stance – back turned to the object, tail straight up and quivering, often treading with the hind feet – to deposit a communication mark, unlike normal urination where the cat squats to void the bladder onto a horizontal surface.
This is a deliberate territorial communication, not a lack of litter box training.
It is common for the sprayed urine to be nearly invisible, making it difficult to detect visually or by scent, especially if your sense of smell is compromised.
The small volume is all that is necessary to leave a powerful scent message (pheromones) for your cat, which encourages him to remark the area continually.
This cycle of remarking is what causes the smell to build up over time and ruin items like furniture.
The sudden onset at 13 months, even with neutering at 6 months, is likely due to him reaching full social maturity.
While neutering significantly reduces the hormonal drive to spray, behavioral spraying due to stress or perceived threat can still emerge.
Since he is neutered, the cause is behavioral and stems from anxiety over his territory.
The stressor could be subtle – a new piece of furniture, a change in your routine, or most commonly, seeing or smelling an outdoor “intruder” cat near a door or window.
The fact that the target is your bed is significant, as a cat’s primary resting spot is a core part of its claimed territory, and marking it is a profound declaration of insecurity.
To effectively address this and save yourself from expensive replacement costs for your mattress and bedding, you need to first confirm the exact locations of the spray.
Purchase a UV Blacklight flashlight.
Darken the room and shine the light over your bed, walls, and all vertical surfaces in that room.
Dried cat urine will fluoresce, typically a yellowish-green color.
Once the spots are identified, you must saturate them with a high-quality enzymatic cleaner to completely break down the urine proteins, thereby erasing the scent marker.
Simple soap or disinfectants will not work and may actually fix the odor, making it harder to remove.
Concurrent with cleaning, you must manage his anxiety.
I recommend placing a Feliway Multicat diffuser in the room where the spraying occurs.
This diffuser releases a synthetic copy of the Cat Appeasing Pheromone (CAP), which is powerfully calming and helps reduce tension and conflict-related marking.
This low-cost intervention is a proactive step to make him feel secure in his territory, which is the root cause of his need to mark.
You should also consider enriching his environment with vertical space near the windows he may be looking out of, giving him an elevated “safe zone” that reinforces his security.
Finally, a structured plan like Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse can provide the comprehensive, step-by-step guidance you need to adjust his environment and routine to eliminate the underlying stress.
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