We just adopted a 2nd cat.
Since bringing him home about six hours ago, he has sprayed over 14 times when he was at the shelter they did not report this behav
I’m not sure what to do.
Does anyone have any advice?
Thank you.
I added extra info in the comments – i’ve tried posting elsewhere and got rejected.
I didn’t want to type everything out again lol
Brief Answer:
The sudden, intense spraying (over 14 times in six hours) in a newly adopted cat is an acute, high-stress, behavioral response known as panic marking.
This is a frantic attempt by your new cat to establish a scent baseline and create a sense of security in a terrifyingly unfamiliar environment, especially since he is aware of the scent of your existing cat.
The shelter would not have observed this as the cat was already acclimated to his enclosure there.
Your immediate priority is to stop this panic and prevent the behavior from becoming a habit.
The single most crucial step is to confine the new cat to a small, private, safe “sanctuary room” (like a bathroom) where the spraying can be contained and he can decompress.
Immediately plug in a Feliway Classic diffuser in this room to flood the area with calming pheromones.
Start following the Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse guide, focusing specifically on the slow, controlled introduction principles and using enzymatic cleaner on all 14 marked spots to eliminate the spray odor entirely and prevent relapse in the primary living areas.
Detailed Answer:
Your new cat is not being malicious; he is terrified and overwhelmed.
The intensity and frequency of the spraying are a direct physiological reaction to the extreme stress of relocation and the presence of unfamiliar scents, particularly those of your existing cat.
This is an entirely expected but severe form of territorial and anxiety-driven marking.
Your previous attempts to post likely failed because of the need for a thorough, structured, and immediate plan, which I will now provide, emphasizing cost-effective, proven methods.
The immediate, non-negotiable step is containment and decompression.
The cat must be immediately confined to one small room that is easily cleanable (ideally a bathroom or laundry room with tile/hard flooring).
This drastically reduces the overwhelming territory he feels compelled to mark and contains the damage, saving you money on widespread cleaning.
This room should contain his food, water, a comfortable bed, toys, and a litter box.
Next, you must address the chemical panic signal.
Plug a Feliway Classic diffuser (or Comfort Zone) into the wall outlet in this room.
Feliway is a synthetic copy of the feline facial pheromone used by cats to signal that an area is safe and secure.
Flooding his safe room with this calming scent will dramatically lower his anxiety levels within hours and is the most cost-effective way to chemically counteract his panic.
You must then begin a highly structured introduction process, the principles of which are thoroughly covered in the Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse guide.
The core message here is to go slow.
Do not let the cats see each other yet.
Start with scent swapping: taking a clean cloth, rubbing your established cat’s cheek, and putting it in the new cat’s room, and vice-versa.
This allows them to familiarize themselves with each other’s scent without the stress of visual confrontation, which is critical to avoid escalating the new cat’s territorial stress.
Finally, the cleaning protocol is vital to prevent future spraying in the main apartment area.
You must use an enzyme cleaner (like Anti-Icky Poo or Nature’s Miracle) to clean all 14 spots.
These cleaners contain special enzymes that break down the protein components of the urine/spray, which are otherwise undetectable by the human nose but act as powerful signals for the cat to re-mark.
Thorough, deep cleaning with an enzymatic product is essential to chemically erase his panic signals from your home and is far cheaper than replacing soiled items.
Do not use bleach, pine-scented cleaners, or ammonia, as these can actually encourage more marking.
You need to keep the new cat isolated and utilize pheromones and the enzymatic cleaning until his anxiety level has stabilized and the behavioral modification (slow introduction) is underway.
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