My fiancƩ and I recently combined our two households moving my 6 y/o male dog and 13 y/o male cat into the house with his 6 y/o and 1 y/o male cats.
Itās been about two and a half months now and we have noticed the 6 y/o cat spraying on the walls throughout the house (I have seen him do it multiple times so I know who the culprit is).
Weāve been using the Feliway diffusers from the beginning and when we noticed the spraying added another one and moved them to opposite ends of the house where it seemed to be happening most but Iām not sure thatās helping.
He isnāt showing any signs of other issues eating, drinking, or using the litter box itās just small amounts of pee on the walls.
This cat in particular really dislikes dogs which I think is causing the distress as he seems to get along with the older cat okay.
Does anyone have advice for how to help calm him down and stop spraying all over our walls?
We clean it up with Natureās Miracle every time to get rid of the smell but itās exhausting.
Brief Answer:
The 6-year-old male cat’s spraying is classic territorial marking, severely intensified by the stress of combining two households, introducing two new cats, and, most critically, the presence of your dog whom he dislikes.
The 13-year-old cat’s spraying is also a potential contributing factor to overall feline tension.
Since the Feliway diffusers are not fully effective after two and a half months, a more comprehensive, multi-modal strategy is immediately required.
First, a non-negotiable veterinary visit is essential to rule out medical issues such as kidney, bladder, or prostate problems, or even hyperthyroidism, which can mimic or exacerbate spraying behavior, despite his normal appetite.
Second, you must drastically increase territorial security and manage the dog-cat conflict.
Implement strategies from Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse, focusing on creating safe, dog-free vertical and hiding spaces accessible only to the cats.
Consider switching your Feliway product; if you are using Classic, switch to MultiCat, or consider using a combination of both.
Crucially, the current cleaning protocol with Nature’s Miracle is good but must be rigorous to eliminate all marking scents to break the cycle.
Detailed Answer:
Your situation involves a significant environmental upheaval – the combination of four pets (three male cats and one dog) from two separate households into a single, shared territory.
The six-year-old male cat’s marking behavior is a direct communication of intense distress, insecurity, and territorial concern, particularly due to his established aversion to dogs.
Even though he is eating and drinking normally, a veterinary consultation is the most cost-effective and responsible first step.
Spraying is sometimes the only sign of an underlying medical issue in an otherwise healthy-looking cat.
Ruling out medical causes provides peace of mind and ensures that the behavioral modifications you undertake will be successful, saving you potentially thousands of dollars in prolonged behavioral training and future complex vet bills.
Since Feliway is currently not resolving the issue, we need to adjust the approach to pheromone therapy and behavioral modifications.
If you are using Feliway Classic, I strongly advise switching to Feliway MultiCat, which uses the feline appeasing pheromone specifically designed to reduce conflict and tension between cohabiting cats.
If you are already using MultiCat, consider adding a Feliway Classic diffuser near the spraying areas to address the general environmental stress simultaneously.
The core of the problem lies in the dog-cat conflict and the perceived lack of secure territory.
To address this, immediately apply the principles of environmental enrichment, central to the Cat Spray Stop guide.
This means creating “dog-proofed” territory: install multiple high-up perches, cat shelves, and vertical climbing paths that the dog cannot access.
The cats must be able to move and rest safely above the dog’s level.
Use baby gates that the dog cannot jump over but that allow the cats to easily slip under or through to designate “cat-only” safe rooms.
This reduces the daily, underlying stress of forced proximity and minimizes the cat’s need to assert territory through spraying.
Finally, your cleaning protocol must be flawless.
While Nature’s Miracle is excellent, ensure you are cleaning the entire marked area, often beyond the visible spray, to break down all the odor-causing proteins.
If the walls are porous, you may need to clean with an enzymatic cleaner, let it air dry completely, and potentially follow up with a sealant or primer before repainting to completely eradicate the scent, which is the chemical trigger for re-marking.
This diligent cleaning, combined with reduced stress through pheromones and safe spaces, will stop the cycle of spraying and save you significant money on long-term wall repair.
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