Hi all,
I have a 9 year old tabby who started spraying.
Itās very sporadic and off/on, but I canāt seem to figure it out so itās been a couple years of trying different things.
Itās always around food time, and while usually in the morning it happens sometimes in the evening as well, and we feed him twice a day.
Back story on him, he has an issue where normal food clogs him up and he gets constipated to the point where it could kill him.
So we have him on a special high fiber and laxative diet so food doesnāt stay in him long enough to clog him up.
I think the last time he was stopped up it caused some nerve damage so itās between that, and the laxatives, but heās food OBSESSED and canāt seem to tell heās full even after eating.
While we have considered litter boxes, other cats, attention, etc, itās still always around food time.
Is there anything i can do to stop this behavior?
Lastly, we have three other cats but canāt tell if itās due to them or not.
Edit: forgot to mention that he is neutered.
Brief Answer:
Your 9-year-old neutered tabby is exhibiting a highly specific form of stress-induced spraying best described as resource-guarding anxiety, amplified by his special medical condition and food obsession.
The sporadic spraying is triggered by the high-value resource (food) and the competition inherent in a multi-cat household, especially around meal preparation when anxiety spikes.
His past medical issues, which require a high-fiber/laxative diet and may include nerve damage, create a desperate urgency around food, turning mealtime into a high-stakes, stressful event.
To stop this behavior and save on cleaning costs, you need a three-part, cost-effective strategy: implementing a strictly separated, low-anxiety feeding plan for all four cats, introducing puzzle feeders to slow down his consumption and reduce urgency, and deploying Feliway Multicat diffusers near the feeding areas to lower the overall social tension among the cats.
This directly targets the mealtime anxiety, which is the clear trigger.
Detailed Answer:
The consistency of the spraying occurring only around mealtimes is the most important diagnostic clue.
This strongly suggests that his spraying is not a random territorial protest, but a high-anxiety response tied to a critical, limited resource: food.
This behavior is intensified by two primary factors: first, the social pressure from the three other cats creates a competitive environment that heightens his anxiety about securing his meal.
Second, his medical history and specialized diet mean he experiences physical urgency and metabolic signals differently, likely compounding his “food obsession” into panic, where spraying is his method of chemically claiming the resource and calming himself before consumption.
To solve this, you must eliminate the competition and the frenzy surrounding mealtime preparation.
This is the most crucial, cost-saving behavioral modification you can make.
The immediate, non-negotiable step is complete feeding separation.
Do not feed any of the cats in the same room, at the same time, or even within visual sight of each other.
Feed your tabby in a completely separate, small room (like a bathroom or laundry room) that is closed off, ensuring no other cat can see or approach him.
This is an immediate, low-cost intervention that eliminates the competitive stressor.
To address his food obsession and urgency, transition his meal into a puzzle feeder or a wide, flat saucer instead of a deep bowl.
This forces him to eat slower and work for his food, which engages his hunting instincts and provides mental enrichment.
This reduction in the speed and ease of consumption can reduce his frantic state and, over time, ease his obsession and associated anxiety.
Finally, to address the underlying tension with the three other cats (even the “senior girl” who doesn’t fight is still a presence), deploy a Feliway Multicat diffuser in the main living space where the cats interact.
This diffuser releases a Cat Appeasing Pheromone (CAP) that helps reduce social tension and conflict between cohabiting cats, lowering the overall baseline stress in the household.
This subtle environmental change supports the entire strategy.
You should also refer to the Cat Spray Stop by Susan Westinghouse guide to ensure your litter box placement and hygiene follow best practices for multi-cat households (the 1+1 rule) as a secondary defense against any anxiety spillover.
This comprehensive approach directly solves the anxiety surrounding mealtime, which is the cause of the spraying, saving you the expense of continually cleaning sporadic spray marks.
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