I have two cats, a male about 6 years old and fixed since he was about 4 months, and a female about 18m old who got fixed as early as we could after we found her.
Boy cat used to be outside part time before we moved to my new apartment about a year and a half ago.
We got girl cat shortly after that and it was a while before they took to each other but they get along fine now.
No major changes in behavior when we moved or when we got girl cat.
One thing he’s had a problem with is food.
We free feed the dry food and give canned food twice a day.
He’s often the first to the bowls and usually i have to shoo him away so he doesn’t eat girl cat’s bowl as well.
Eventually she’ll come by and eat some and if she leaves any he’ll finish it off which I’m fine with.
In the past week or two I’ve noticed a smell and just the other day i caught him actually spraying, which he’s never done before.
He sprayed on the fridge which is near their food bowls and he also did it on the couch where I usually sit.
If it’s related to the food issue I’m not sure what to do.
I can’t have him eating all the wet food and girl cat doesn’t eat when he’s around as he’s bullied her in the past.
I do know they both like looking out the back glass door, which is also near the food, and i know there’s been a cat coming near our back porch and that could also be stressing him out.
Just kind of at a loss and any advice would be helpful.
Brief Answer:
Your male cat’s sudden spraying near the food bowls and on the couch is a clear, escalating sign of territorial anxiety and resource guarding, triggered primarily by the presence of the outdoor cat visible through the back door.
The food bowls and the fridge (a vertical surface near the perceived threat) are critical resources and boundary markers in his territory.
The spraying is his attempt to fortify these high-value areas and communicate his stress to the visible intruder.
Since he is neutered and has been stable for a long time, the outdoor cat is the likely catalyst.
The simultaneous food guarding and spraying suggest a deep-seated insecurity over resources.
The most effective, cost-effective solution is to eliminate the source of the anxiety (the visible outdoor cat) and implement a secure feeding system.
I strongly recommend using microchip or selective feeders for both cats to completely separate their wet food resources, which will immediately reduce the source of indoor competition and anxiety.
This must be coupled with the behavioral modification plan in Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse to address the territorial anxiety caused by the outdoor cat.
Detailed Answer:
Your analysis is accurate: the combination of food tension and the new outdoor cat is creating a perfect storm of territorial stress for your male cat.
The spraying near the food bowls and the fridge is a classic example of resource guarding and boundary marking.
The fridge, being a large, vertical object near the highly visible back door, is a prime target for marking the boundary against the outdoor cat.
The couch, a high-value resting spot, is being marked to assert his presence and claim to a core resource in the center of your apartment.
The first critical, and most cost-saving, step is to eliminate the visual trigger of the outdoor cat.
Since the back glass door is near the food area, temporarily cover the lower half of the door with frosted film or a solid curtain so your cat cannot see the intruder.
If he cannot see the threat, his stress levels will drastically decrease, which should rapidly reduce the spraying frequency.
Second, you must completely resolve the food anxiety and bullying that is occurring at the wet food bowls.
Simply shooing him away is not enough and may contribute to his underlying insecurity.
The best and most cost-effective long-term solution is to invest in microchip feeders (e.g., SureFeed).
These feeders only open for the cat whose microchip is programmed to them.
This allows the girl cat to eat her wet food entirely without competition or fear of it being stolen, and it eliminates the male cat’s opportunity to guard or overeat her portion.
This is a one-time cost that solves a major source of stress for both cats.
You must also separate the dry food and water stations into distinct areas of the apartment.
Finally, to address the spraying habit that has now begun, you need a structured behavioral plan.
The comprehensive guidance in Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse is highly effective here.
Specifically, the “Touch and Smell” portions of the guide will help you create better, acceptable scent communication areas within his territory.
For instance, increasing vertical space (cat trees near the back door but away from the line of sight) allows him to patrol his territory from a high, secure vantage point, fulfilling his need to monitor boundaries without resorting to spraying urine.
You must also clean all sprayed areas (fridge, couch) immediately and thoroughly with a high-quality enzyme cleaner to prevent remarking and cement the effectiveness of these behavioral changes.
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