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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU about male cats spraying

40 replies

TattyDevine · 14/02/2016 19:00

I'm getting a couple of kittens from a breeder at around 13 weeks of age, a boy and a girl.

A friend of mine was all doom and gloom saying the male will spray everywhere and it will stink Grin

Fair enough but I've googled it and it says they don't spray until they are sexually mature and Im planning on getting him neutered at 4 months.

Has anyone had a male cat who has sprayed at such a young age?

AIBU to think she is crackers? Bearing in mind spraying is something sexually mature male cats do to mark their territory...

OP posts:
Greyhorses · 14/02/2016 19:02

Both of mine have never sprayed and were castrated at 5 months...I wouldn't worry Smile

chemenger · 14/02/2016 19:04

Never had a male cat who has sprayed after neutering. Have had unneutered male stray "visitors" who have spayed and it is horrible.

ActivelyAnxious · 14/02/2016 19:06

Had two male kittens, spayed around six months... never remember them spraying anywhere.

Now, leaving a few less-than-pleaant messes of other kinds to clean up from time to time, yes. Grin

ActivelyAnxious · 14/02/2016 19:07

Sorry, neutered! Spaying is for dogs...

Original poster
TattyDevine · 14/02/2016 19:08

I've never smelled it but apparently it's like nothing else.

Its funny how people always try and piss on your cornflakes though. "Yay Im' getting 2 kittens" "ooh he'll spray and ruin your house" Hmm

DH was telling the inlaws about our kitchen renovations. "Ooh all that time without an oven, what are you going to DOOOOO?" Err, go to the pub, it'll be fun?

Bringers of doom, bores me to tears.

OP posts:
Oldraver · 14/02/2016 19:09

Not long had Ernie cat neutered at 5 months luckily before he started to spray. If you get him dont as soon as you can then it shouldn't be a problem

Oldraver · 14/02/2016 19:10

Oh and you know its the law to show us photos of new kitties

I8toys · 14/02/2016 19:19

Just had Oreo neutered he's around 5 months - never sprayed.

limitedperiodonly · 14/02/2016 19:20

He won't if you're getting him neutered. It'll be easier on him and you than the girl cat. She'll feel sorry for herself but will soon pick up.

Agree with OldRaver about pix Smile

hiddenhome2 · 14/02/2016 19:21

None of mine ever sprayed.

Original poster
TattyDevine · 14/02/2016 19:27

Ah well if it'd be rude not to...

The first one is a girl, a blue golden persian

The second one is a boy, a golden persian

They are 2 weeks old in this picture so haven't developed much fluff yet or the classic flat persian frying-pan face and googly eyes Grin

Can't wait.

AIBU about male cats spraying
AIBU about male cats spraying
OP posts:
JeremyZackHunt · 14/02/2016 19:29

Both mine sprayed after neutering and it was done at a suitable age!Confused

CalleighDoodle · 14/02/2016 19:32

My male cat never did. My female cat sprays occasiobakly when she is stessed. She dislikes other cats, dogs, change...

limitedperiodonly · 14/02/2016 19:33

Lovely

limitedperiodonly · 14/02/2016 19:34

I like the way she's holding her paw in front of the camera like a celebrity saying 'No pictures!'

StarlingMurmuration · 14/02/2016 19:37

Had my boy cat neutered at 4 months and he has never sprayed. HOWEVER, we had our family male cat neutered at the same age when I was child, and he did used to spray outside, I saw him do it many times. Never indoors though. He used to jump things too so I suspect they didn't quite do the snip right!

StarlingMurmuration · 14/02/2016 19:38

*hump, not jump.

mamacasshadahairyass · 14/02/2016 19:39

Our two,current ones are both neutered and dont spray. Our last cat was neutered and had a habit of spraying the living room curtains and my husband when stressed but it didnt smell.

We get a tom coming into our house regularly through the catflap that stinks the house out though. And he bloody miaows his head offf at 3 am to announce what he's doing Hmm

Any ideas how to keep the tom out but let ours come and go freely?

Lamaitresse · 14/02/2016 19:39

They are very cute Smile

I have two boy cats - we had them castrated at 5 1/2 months, and never had any problems with spraying. Enjoy your kittens!!

Lamaitresse · 14/02/2016 19:41

Mama could you get a catflap that you can program with your cats microchips? I looked into that for ours as we have pine martens in the attic garden and I didn't want them in the house!

ghostyslovesheep · 14/02/2016 19:55

I have 2 boys aged 18 mths - neutered at 5mths - never sprayed

mamacasshadahairyass · 14/02/2016 20:00

Ooh I didnt know about newfangled microchip catflaps. We'd have to get the oldest one chipped though. We inherited him from MIL and she didn't hold with such witchcraft

TheFuckitBuckit · 14/02/2016 20:01

You do know that female cats can and do spray as well, not just males.
I have five cats. One of the males and one of the females spray both indoors and out. (Usually when stressed)
One male only sprays outside and the other two females I have never seen spray ever. All were spayed/neutered at the appropriate age so this doesn't guarantee that they won't spray.
Both my next door neighbours cats spray outside as well, she has one male one female and again both neutered/spayed.

I have owned several cats over the years and it's basically luck of the draw some will some won't.

But your kittens are absolutely gorgeous so don't let your friend put a dampener on your enjoyment of them. If you happen to develop a sprayer then you deal with it at the time. That way if they never develop the habit then you will have worried for nothing. 🙂

TheFuckitBuckit · 14/02/2016 20:12

Forgot to add, you can definitely tell the difference between a neutered and un-neutered cat spray smell. Un-neutered males smell like nothing on earth.

I don't always know when mine have done it indoors sometimes until i see the puddle, it really doesn't smell that bad.

Original poster
TattyDevine · 14/02/2016 20:12

I realise cats in general can spray, male or female, but I was under the impression that generally they don't if they have been neutered.

I lost my Persian Chinchilla on Boxing Day (she died suddenly in the night) and she never sprayed, then again she was neutered at about 6 months.

It was more of a "the boy one will spray everywhere and it will stink" type thing that made me a bit "eh?" because I was under the impression it was something that sexually mature cats did. (She knows I plan to have him neutered as soon as possible, mainly so he won't shag his sister and then we'll have to go on Jeremy Kyle Grin )

Ah I'm sure he'll be fine, I cant wait to have little fluffy bastids prancing round the house bringing smiles back on faces Grin

OP posts: