If a (spayed) female cat is spraying, what does it smell like?

[MrsLettuce]

We are having a problem with a very odd smell appearing in random places and on random things, it's not massively unpleasant and clearly 'catty' (like male spraying) but it certainly not a pleasant smell. It's very localized when it appears and it's driving me stir crazy. I know female cats can spray and although I've never seen her doing it I'm beginning to suspect she might be the root of the problem.

She seems perfectly happy in herself but she is a siamese, which may or may not be relevant.

So, can anyone describe the smell of female spraying to me

Oh, probably irrelevant but she's 8 and was spayed at the age the vet recommended, I can't remember exactly how old that was. Maybe 6 months?

Bump, on the off chance.

Sorry Ive never had a female cat spray but will bump for you, hope you get the problem sorted.

Thanks Elbow

Is she a singleton cat? And does she go out at all?

PS - and have you ever seen this sort of thing?

I have two spayed female cats and when they spray it's almost a sickly sweet smell, almost like urine but not quite, so hard to describe. They do it mainly on the doorstep or the driveway in front of the house although after my ds was born the oldest one started doing it indoors and it was all I could smell

She has a lifelong companion and dear friend, yes. A neutered male, more about him in a minute. She has free access to outside and happily does as she pleases. Is a hunter. Neither are 'spooked' Siamese, IYSWIM. They're both quite grounded.

Our dear male (who was also neutered in a timely fashion) is a long time chronic springtime sprayer. It's been a nightmare but he's a lovely person. He's confined unless under close-ish supervision ATM

x posts

Thanks for the smell description. That does sound kind of like it. It's quite an indescribable smell we're getting maybe a bit like essence of never washed bedding, indeed a bit sweet, slightly chemically to DP's nose.

I'd not though of a black light, as always been more than obvious with the male

....They're both quite grounded......

It's my experience that the apparently grounded ones are just more covert about their neuroses.

I'd get a black light and see what you can track down. Maybe, in the first instance, check close to her tray(s) to see if it's a protest?

I'll get a black light for sure, but TBH finding the areas isn't the problem. Neither is getting them clean - our boy would spray anywhere at all. With no preference or pattern. It seems to be the same with her too, whilst it's infuriating it does (wrongly?) re-enforce my impression that I'm fully removing all residue.

It may be that girl cat has been spraying all along and it was overpowered by boy cat's efforts. I don't know. It certainly is a new smell.

But, I need this to stop. This is the first year we've resorted to confining our boy, in previous years I have quite literally spent hours each day cleaning to deal with the problem. To the point that it began to have a strong negative influence on my mental health, I can't have that happening again.

Using feliway has never helped before, if it did anything it stimulated things.

I fear I may have to confine girl cat too - up to now she's been allowed in with him whenever either / both of them seemed to have the need. Confining cats, outdoor cats at that, is obviously far from ideal for them. While our boy seems, if anything, more relaxed confined it can't be good for him and isn't a long term solution.

I'm totally at the end of my tether with it all.

yy to covert neurosis

(me and the cats)

I suspect that they don't actually like each other very much and that what you're getting is some protest spraying from each of them. (You may think that they're dear friends but it ain't necessarily so. (I've never known a Siamese who wasn't happy as anything to be the only cat if it came upon them.))

Is he confined for any particular reason?

He's confined for pissing all over the place at the first hint of spring

I do think they like each other. If one is off at the vets, or just stays out slightly longer than usual in the evening the other appears to become uneasy. Searching about hte place, shouting (natch), looking up at any small sound - that sort or thing - until the other is back. Then, they nest down together, clean one another and go to sleep. I'd be hard pressed to say which seems most distressed at the absence of the other.

What would be signs of secretly hating each other?

Protest spraying!

Oh, they aren't siblings by the way. Boy cat came +/- 3 months after girl cat. We was getting to be in a sad state before he arrived and cheered right up within 24 hours. Both left their mothers at either 12 or 16 weeks (I forget which, whatever the breed organization advised).

x post!

argh. I'm at such a loss. What would you sugget that I DO?

Thank you for all your time, by the way

(we was = she was)

Sorry - I couldn't resist that.

Maybe it's just an experience thing. I've not found Siamese to get on well with other cats so myself, I'd never get two together these days. In fact if you look at the main Siamese rescue site over an extended period, you'd be staggered at the number of cats who are 'needs to be only cat', 'must be single cat', 'prefers to be only cat in house'......... and so on.

They're also extremely ritualistic in my experience so if you've had a change in routine, that might have been a trigger for her to set off spraying. Not necessarily because she doesn't actually like the new routine but because the change was sufficient to alter her world and give a vent to bring out all those hidden feelings.

It's a difficult one.

What can I say? Two cats spraying merrily is enough to affect anyone and my own experience is that there's nothing you can do while they're still together - other than keeping them properly physically separate. (And even that isn't 100% effective.)

I know that even Seniorboy did some protest spraying while The Lodger was here (although The Lodger wasn't a Siamese Thank Goodness so took it all with great equanimity) and although I'm not lacking in willpower myself, I considered myself outclassed on that occasion.

He stopped the day that The Lodger left the house - after going downstairs for a complete check of the premises and one last, long, luxurious Ya Boo Sucks pee over where The Lodger's tray had been.

Could you live with only one of them? They might be happier as singletons.

YOu've been so very kind! There isn't really a solution, short of something very radical, I should know that by now. I go through the whole gambit each year, vet, google, MN, Expensive Stuff That Will Solve All.

TBH by now I'd happily rehome either or both of them. In a flash. DP (who has never had to deal with any of their drama) and the DC would be distraught at the very idea, I suspect.

It's just a thought - although I know many of the people at the main Siamese rescues and they're good folks who are always up for a chat if you have a welfare problem. (And Siamese don't come without their little ......issues.)

Here's the link to the main breed rescue page if you need to contact them. I don't know where you live, so am assuming it's in the UK - and if so, there are other links in the pages for North of England and Scotland also.

Thanks again! I've spoken to the national breed association and boy cat's breeder each year too...

Apart from the spraying they are a genuinely delight

I wanted rescue moggies. I wish I'd pushed harder for that. Ho Hum.

(am non-UK)