Cat people, I need your advice.
I’ve had two cats: Spoons (10 years old, spayed DSH female) and Henry (10.5 years old, neutered DSH male).
They have both handled moving/traveling pretty well.
A few months ago, we introduced a new cat, Beans, to the family.
We did the slow intro/quarantine thing, and it was smooth.
Vet estimates that she’s about 2 years old.
She is still intact, and will be getting spayed next month; we had to put some weight on her before they would operate.
However, now that she is free-roaming the house, we are having problems.
Spoons gets hissy, which is whatever, but Henry, who is normally chill, is starting to spray.
I’ve tried Feliway, spraying deterrent sprays, amitriptyline (per vet Rx) for about a month, moving litter boxes, providing more hideouts… nothing.
I notice a potential decrease in frequency, but I still find spray spots.
Is there anything else I can do to fix this problem, or something I can suggest to the vet to help?
Will getting Beans, the new cat, spayed help this problem?
I don’t want to rehome anyone, but I’m at my breaking point.
Species: cat Age: 10.5 Sex/neuter status: Neutered male.
Breed: DSH Body weight: 11 pounds History: Heart murmur (he takes Benazepril 2.5mg PO daily), Clinical signs: Spraying vertical surfaces, mostly doors and dressers Duration: 3 months General location: Southern United States Labs/x-rays: None.
The vet did not feel that a urinalysis would be needed.
Brief Answer:
Your 10.5-year-old neutered male cat, Henry, is exhibiting a severe case of territorial stress-marking, which was directly triggered by the arrival of the new, intact female cat, Beans.
The critical factor here is that Beans is intact and nearing heat, causing a massive disruption in the household’s scent and social hierarchy.
Her intact status releases strong hormonal signals that your neutered male (Henry) and spayed female (Spoons) perceive as a major territorial and social threat, regardless of how smooth the initial introduction was.
Yes, getting Beans spayed next month is absolutely essential and will likely eliminate the primary hormonal trigger causing Henry’s anxiety.
However, since the spraying habit is now ingrained after three months, you must immediately implement an aggressive, structured behavioral plan, such as the natural-instinct approach in Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse, combined with changing your pheromone strategy, to stop the habit permanently and avoid further appliance damage.
Detailed Answer:
You are dealing with a textbook case of multi-cat household stress and territorial disruption.
Henry’s spraying is not random urination; it’s a frantic attempt to secure his territory against the threat presented by the new cat, Beans, particularly because she is an intact female.
Even though Henry is neutered, he can still detect and react to the hormonal scent markers of an intact female.
This is highly destabilizing to the existing social structure and is the likely source of his intense anxiety, which is manifesting as marking on vertical surfaces like doors and dressers (prime boundary markers).
You are correct that the immediate goal is Beans’ spaying.
This procedure will remove the hormonal signals that are escalating the territorial anxiety in both Henry and Spoons.
While this should stop the hormonal trigger, the three months of habitual spraying mean the behavior may persist due to ingrained anxiety.
Since the single Feliway plug-in and initial medication have not resolved the problem, your next steps must be more targeted and intensive.
First, you need to switch your pheromone product.
If you are using Feliway Classic, you must switch to Feliway MultiCat (formerly Feliway Friends).
This formula uses the Cat Appeasing Pheromone, which is specifically clinically proven to reduce tension and conflict in multi-cat homes, a much better fit for your current situation.
Place these diffusers in the rooms where Henry sprays and where the cats spend the most time, including near the doors he marks.
Second, the most cost-effective and personalized intervention is a structured behavioral plan.
I strongly recommend the program in Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse.
This guide will help you manage the cats’ territorial boundaries through their “Taste, Touch, Smell” method.
For Henry, this means increasing environmental enrichment (vertical space, toys) that allows him to feel secure and dominant without spraying, and managing the routes and times of day that Beans and Spoons interact to reduce Henry’s need to “police” the territory with urine.
Third, while the vet cleared him of a standard UTI, given his history of a heart murmur and the difficulty of administering the Amitriptyline, I would suggest requesting a full senior panel on Henry, including a thyroid check and a more thorough urinalysis (with culture) once Beans is spayed.
The heart medication (Benazepril) is for his heart condition, but stress can exacerbate pre-existing conditions.
An untreated health issue in an older cat can increase vulnerability to stress and reduce the efficacy of behavioral treatments.
For now, focus on the spaying, the Feliway MultiCat, and the comprehensive behavioral change from the Cat Spray Stop guide to reverse this stressful and expensive cycle.
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