In addition to urinating out of physiological necessity, many cats
use their urine to mark their territory. This behavior is called
urine spraying. Instead of squatting and urinating in a big puddle,
the cat will raise his tail and squirt the urine backwards towards
the object that it is trying to mark. Both males and females spray
urine although the behavior is much more common in tomcats. The
easiest form of treatment is to castrate the cat. In 90% of all
tomcats this procedure is effective.
As a rule, cats will only start to exhibit this type of behavior
when they feel their territory is threatened, such as bringing a
newcomer onto the scene. Some indoor cats may feel threatened if an
outdoor cat starts making himself present at the window. In this
case you can and should intervene by trying to encourage the outdoor cat to find some other type of hangout. Mothballs can be placed outside your door as a form of deterrent, but use caution when
handling these because they can be harmful if eaten (children and
puppies may not know any better).
Consult with your veterinarian about possible health problems which
may be causing this behavior. Veterinarians have had success
treating cats with drug therapy to help reduce their anxiety.
There is no particular food that all cats like. This is
why cat foods are available in a variety of flavors and textures. Once you find nutritionally complete and balanced cat food your cat enjoys, stay with it. Frequent diet changes may create a finicky eater and cause diges- tive upsets. Be certain the package label states that the product has undergone feeding trials in accordance with the Association of American Feed Control officials (AAFCO) protocol.
