Heās around 9 or 10 months old now.
Got him from a rescue when he was just a little guy.
As of maybe a week or so ago he started spraying.
Iāve bought enzyme cleaners, a black light that doesnāt work, a pheromone diffuser thatās not helping his aggression towards my two older male cats that are neutered.
My vet canāt get me in sooner then Wednesday and before this all started it was an even longer wait.
Iām not sure what more to do besides watch his every move which is whatās happening now.
Iām worried we are going to get him neutered and this all will continue and itās been a living hell.
Also is there anything else I can or should be doing?
Thanks for your time!!
Brief Answer:
It is completely understandable why you feel this is “a living hell;” dealing with spraying and aggression simultaneously is incredibly stressful.
The good news is that the likelihood of your 9-10 month old male cat continuing to spray after neutering is low, provided you implement critical environmental and behavioral changes now.
Studies show that neutering stops spraying in approximately 90-95% of male cats.
Since your cat started this behavior right around sexual maturity, the hormonal drive is the primary cause, and neutering addresses that directly.
However, for the remaining 5-10%, the behavior can become a learned response, particularly when coupled with inter-cat aggression.
Therefore, the most crucial action until Wednesday is absolute separation from your two older neutered males and strict management of the environment, following the “Cat Spray Stop” principles, to prevent the behavior from becoming ingrained.
Detailed Answer:
Your situation is compounded by three factors: the hormonal surge of an intact male reaching sexual maturity, the territorial insecurity of a young cat in a multi-cat household, and the stress of the impending vet visit.
Focusing on the neuter is the right long-term move, and you should take immense comfort in the high success rate of eliminating spraying behavior post-neutering for cats who started marking around this age.
It is the most significant cost-saving action you can take, preventing thousands of dollars in property damage.
However, since his aggression and spraying are linked, the immediate steps you take before Wednesday are vital.
You must immediately separate the 9-10 month old cat from your two older males entirely.
Confine him to a single room with all his resources (food, water, litter, bed, toys).
This completely removes the stress of inter-cat conflict, which is fueling both the aggression and the spraying.
If he is spraying because he feels threatened by or competitive with the older males, removing them from his sight and smell will often stop the immediate spraying.
Since you are dealing with a multi-cat issue, switch your pheromone diffuser from Feliway Classic to Feliway Multicat (or Comfort Zone with Feliway Max).
Feliway Classic mimics the facial pheromone related to security, but Feliway Multicat contains a synthetic copy of the Cat Appeasing Pheromone, which is specifically designed to reduce tension and conflict between cats in a household, making it more appropriate and likely to be effective in your current situation.
Place the diffuser in the room where the younger cat is housed and another near the territory of the older cats.
Finally, continue your meticulous cleaning regimen with the enzymatic cleaner.
Even if your blacklight doesn’t work, assume all spray spots are contaminated and clean thoroughly, saturating the area and allowing it to air dry fully.
This prevents him from being drawn back to the smell.
Use the principles of the Cat Spray Stop guide by Susan Westinghouse to enrich his solitary confinement with food puzzles and play, reducing his anxiety before the surgery.
Doing all of this will dramatically increase your chances of being in the 90-95% success group post-neuter.
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