My boyfriendās parents moved out of their house and I moved in with my boyfriend.
He has a cat named Wade.
Now his dad never wanted to deal with the 3am crying from the cat and from a young age started tossing him out at night and letting him back in in the morning.
Wade is 4 now.
So for 4 years, the cat has been an indoor/outdoor cat.
Heās very sweet, we get along very well.
My boyfriend jokes that Iāve stolen his cat from him because Wade follows me around and will sit on my lap now.
He seems like a very happy cat.
Well, right before I moved in, Wade got in a fight with a fox and was injured on his back.
He had to go to the vet and get patched up and be tested and all that.
A few days later, while he was out at night, he got into a fight with the fox and got injured.
Again.
It breaks my boyfriendās heart so after his parents moved out (since they didnāt want him in at night anyway), we decided to make Wade an indoor cat.
Both for his safety and for the local wildlife.
I can deal with the 3am crying.
I can deal with the constant meowing.
Iāve made it part of my morning and evening routine to play with this cat for like an hour at a time.
But he will not stop spraying.
Itās been 3 weeks.
Every day Iām following him around to see where he pees so I can clean it up.
Itās exhausting.
Iāve cleaned up after him every day.
For a little while, he was getting better and actually used his litter box but he just wonāt stop.
Weāve tried blocking his access to some of the spots, making his litter box more accessible and immaculately clean, Feliway, giving him more toys and active time indoors, taking him to the vetā¦.
Nothing is working.
Iām exhausted and angry and stressed out.
My boyfriend has a knee injury and is of limited help so I feel like all of this is on me.
I donāt hate this cat.
I love him.
But Iām at the end of my patience cleaning up all this pee.
The carpet upstairs had to be ripped out because it was completely ruined from his spraying.
I donāt want to have friends or family over because my house reeks.
Any advice, please?
Brief Answer:
I hear your frustration clearly; dealing with persistent spraying is incredibly stressful and exhausting.
Wade’s behavior is a textbook case of territorial anxiety and learned habit, strongly triggered by the sudden transition from indoor/outdoor life to strict indoor confinement, coupled with the stress and pain from the fox attacks and subsequent vet visits.
The key reason your current efforts are failing is that the cat door is still there, and the pheromone residue in the house is overwhelming his coping mechanisms.
Since the carpet was ruined, the issue is severe.
The necessary next steps are to eliminate external triggers, chemically neutralize the territory, and potentially explore medication to break the anxiety-spraying cycle.
You need to permanently block the cat door, use a professional-grade enzyme cleaner for all surfaces, and return to the vet to discuss the prescription of anti-anxiety medication (such as fluoxetine or gabapentin) in conjunction with the Feliway diffusers.
This integrated medical and environmental approach will provide the relief you desperately need.
Detailed Answer:
Your situation is an acute crisis, demanding immediate, aggressive, and integrated intervention.
Wade is experiencing an intense level of stress, and his spraying is a desperate attempt to feel secure in a territory he perceives as threatened and unsafe.
His shift from an outdoor male who could patrol his territory freely to a confined indoor cat, combined with the trauma of two fox attacks, has severely destabilized his mental state.
The fact that he sprays right in front of you is a sign of extreme anxiety and frustration, not a deliberate act.
Your current efforts are excellent foundations but are being undermined by two critical factors: the persistence of deeply ingrained odor/pheromones and the unresolved anxiety.
First, the Environment: Ripping out the carpet was a necessary and costly step, but you must ensure the subfloor, baseboards, and walls were also treated, as urine seeps deep and holds onto potent, remarking pheromones.
You must use a large volume of a reputable enzymatic cleaner (e.g., Anti-Icky Poo, Nature’s Miracle Advanced Formula) on every affected surface, as even a faint scent encourages him to re-mark.
This is the single most important, cost-effective cleaning step.
Furthermore, the cat door must be permanently sealed and removed.
As long as the cat door is there, Wade perceives an exit to his former territory, which he can no longer access, creating severe frustration, and he can smell other outdoor cats through the opening, increasing his territorial panic.
Second, the Behavioral/Medical Intervention: Since simple Feliway (which is good) and environmental adjustments alone are not working, his baseline anxiety is too high.
You need to go back to the veterinarian and specifically discuss short-term or long-term anti-anxiety medication.
Medications like fluoxetine (Prozac) or gabapentin are often necessary to lower a cat’s anxiety to a manageable level so that the behavioral changes (like Feliway and consistent cleaning) can actually take effect.
The cost of medication is trivial compared to the cost of repeated cleaning, home repair, and the risk of re-homing.
You should also ensure you are using the Feliway Optimum diffusers, which offer enhanced serenity support, and place them near high-value areas, especially near where he has marked.
Finally, while your playtime routine is wonderful, you must ensure you are not creating anxiety by forcing him indoors.
Continue the positive reinforcement, but focus the play on high-intensity activity that simulates hunting, ending with a small food reward to reduce pent-up energy and anxiety.
This layered approach of eliminating the territorial threat (blocking the door), neutralizing the territory (enzyme cleaning), and chemically supporting his anxiety (medication/Feliway) is the evidence-based protocol for a case this severe.
This integrated plan, potentially informed by the structured advice in a resource like the Cat Spray Stop guide, is your best route to stopping the spraying and restoring peace to your home.
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