Although spraying is a common behavior for unneutered young male cats, female spraying may take owners by surprise. Here's a list of facts that can help you understand spraying behavior in male and female felines.
Attracting a mating partner
Tomcats start spraying when they reach 6-7 months of age because they want to mark their territory and advertise their availability. Kittens spray for the same reason, but they do it in order to attract male partners in the mating season (when they are in heat).
You shouldn't worry if you find your cat spraying, especially if it's a young neutered cat. A veterinarian should be able to rule out any medical issues and suggest the best solution to the problem.
Do male cats and female cats spray differently?
There is an entire ritual around spraying that is typical to male cats. The approach a vertical surface such as a curtain, lift their tail and start spraying small amounts of urine. Females however are more likely to have other types of urination problems when in heat: they tend to forget about the litter box and pick another place for elimination.
Inappropriate urination issues are essentially different from spraying and mating behavior is only one of the causes. You should study your cat's rituals in order to understand what is causing inappropriate urination.
Neutering
Spraying is caused by hormonal causes, both in female and males. It is recommended to neuter a male cat as soon as it reaches maturity, or even before, because otherwise it will be difficult to make it stop spraying once it has formed a habit. Females however can wait longer and even have one set of babies before being spayed.
If you are sure that your cat spraying problem is caused by hormonal changes, then the only way to make it stop forever is having it neutered.
What if my cat is already neutered?
Typically only entire tomcats display such behavior. Sometimes unneutered female cats spray as well. In some cases, a neutered tomcat might keep spraying even if it reached a certain age because it gets aroused (by neighboring cats or female cats in the household). A neutered female cat that suddenly starts spraying is very rare. You should look for causes of this behavior, other than hormonal.
How can I make spraying stop?
The easiest and most efficient way of stopping your cat from spraying is having it neutered. This is applicable both in male and female cats. If your cat is already neutered, try to think about the other issues that can cause such a behavior and pick up the correct solution. Sometimes it's the litter box, sometimes it's the neighbor's cat. Most often than not, once you identify the cause, the solution is the same for both male and female cats.
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