Any seasoned cat owner can tell you the frustration of urine spraying. When a sexually mature tomcat wants to lure in nearby females, he does so by attracting them with his urine scent -- oftentimes on the walls of your residence. Thankfully, however, neutering usually eliminates the icky behavior.
Reproductive Maturity
Male cats typically reach full reproductive maturity at roughly 5 to 6 months in age, though it can be sooner or later. At this point they are ready to mate and father a litter of kittens, if you don't neuter them first. Although tomcats don't have heat cycles, their desire to breed is usually very apparent. Mating behaviors include urine spraying, restlessness, persistent loud vocalization and attempts to wander off in search of nearby female cats.
Neutering
Once you neuter your boy, he stops being hormonally-driven, and you almost instantly gain a loving pet who is much more focused, calm and attentive than before. Your cat will stop being distracted by his mating desires, and therefore will probably stop urine marking. In rare cases, however, some felines may continue the spraying as a learned habit.
Medical Conditions
If your neutered pet continues with the unpleasant spraying habit, the behavior also could point to an underlying health condition. Check with the veterinarian to make sure your little guy is OK. The urine problem could be totally unrelated to any mating behaviors, and could actually be a symptom of a medical bladder issue. The sooner you learn what is going on with your fluff ball, the sooner you can help him solve it.
Territorial Urine Marking
Urine spraying isn't exclusive to mating in the cat world. It also is a territorial behavior. Neutered cats often "mark" their turf by spraying, especially when they're feeling threatened by outsiders. If you brought a new pet into your household, for example, your fixed male cat may start spraying to show the newbie exactly who is boss. By spraying urine, your pet is utilizing his odor to communicate a message, which is essentially "Back off! This is my territory, and don't you forget it."
Neutering Benefits
Apart from reducing sticky, pungent and lingering urine spraying, neutering your male cat offers a variety of other benefits -- mainly keeping cat overpopulation in your neighborhood under control. No matter what, you can't lose. You probably will stop having to scrub persistent urine off your drapes, and you won't contribute to another litter of homeless and helpless kittens.
Always check with your veterinarian before changing your pet’s diet, medication, or physical activity routines. This information is not a substitute for a vet’s opinion.