Spraying in cats

Re: Spraying in cats

Kate Richardson — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:30:04 GMT

I've had cats react negatively to the spray but not the plug in. But whether it is due to spraying being done right in front of them and its the spray not the smell that bothers them, I'm not sure. If its a really really sensitive cat, then maybe its the fact that its something new in the house, or maybe the furniture has been moved a bit to make the plug in in more of an open space? Would be worth ringing the manufacturers to see what they say regarding a negative response to the plug in.

Re: Spraying in cats

pjmontgo — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:23:14 GMT

I have had good experience with feliway in some cases but i recommended it to a client the other day for a cat with ideopathic cystits and all the cat has done since he plugged it in is sit and growl and then hiss at it!! has anyone else heard of a cat responding in this way?

Re: Spraying in cats

Kate Richardson — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 17:22:50 GMT

[quote user="Matthew Scotter"]a bit off topic but I have tried feliway in many cats, cystitis, blockages, spraying etc but never had any positive feedback - has anyone had good results with it?[/quote]

Yes I have had success with Feliway but usually in combination with environmental changes and medications in some cases. The plug ins are better, but make sure not stuck behind a sofa etc! But important to ensure owners are aware it is not a miracle cure, but a background thing that will help the problems in conjunction with other approaches. I've used it myself in my own house and definitely noticed a reduction in stress in one of my cats.

Re: Spraying in cats

Rob Loxley — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:17:10 GMT

Yes, in some cases of feline idiopathic cystitis, but statistical evidence is lacking - see Danielle Gunn-Moore's 2004 paper. But then it is equally the case for lots of what we do for cystitis.

Re: Spraying in cats

ms1083 — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:18:32 GMT

a bit off topic but I have tried feliway in many cats, cystitis, blockages, spraying etc but never had any positive feedback - has anyone had good results with it?

Re: Spraying in cats

Malcolm Ness — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:14:39 GMT

I can't be certain about compliance but as I said, it is a treatment of last resort and the cats I have operated (approx 6 over 25 years) have all been through the whole gamut of advice and treatments as were currently fashionable and were still causing the owners significant problems. Following surgery I have been consistently impressed that problem has been solved from the owners' perspective AND that the cat appears happier and more laid back. It still seems like an option to consider discuss when everything (or at least as much as the owner is willing to try) has been attempted and failed.

Re: Spraying in cats

Kate Richardson — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:54:40 GMT

Malcolm, I didn't mean to imply that you wouldn't have considered all the factors prior to performing such a surgery, so sorry if it came across that way.

Just to play devils advocate a little more, I cannot disagree with Gillian regarding them being treated better by their owners thus making them happier etc and thus improving their welfare, but if the owners are not treating them as their much loved pet because of the spraying, excluding them from the house and shouting at the f***ing pissing cat, how can you be sure they would have complied with the behavioural advice and medications prescribed prior to performing such a last resort surgery? Or have you only done surgery in selected cases where you and the behaviourists are as certain as you can be that compliance has been good?

Re: Spraying in cats

Gillian Mostyn — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:55:45 GMT

We do an awful lot of thinks to animals which are more about making them into good pets than about the pet's welfare. However, by virtue of the fact that the owner treats them better (or even allows them into the house) afterwards - is that not improving welfare??

Re: Spraying in cats

Malcolm Ness — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:55:44 GMT

As I wrote initially, this is a treatment of last resort. It certainly would not be appropriate in physiologic and non-problematic spraying so this theoretical argument is not merely theoretical, it is esoteric.

Behaviourists uncomfortable with the concept for all the reasons discussed - surprisingly enough these are factors that I had considered as well.

Again, as I wrote, the cats appear to be less anxious after the procedure - that is reported and subjective evidence but it is the same evidence unpon which the diagnosis of anxiety/behavioural problem was made in the first instance and the same evidence upon which sucess following feliway/clomicalm/rehoming etc would be based. Interestingly, all of the few cases I have operated have subsequently been taken off the various mind-altering drugs that had been being used (unsuccessfully)to treat their condition.

The surgical option was reported because I believed that many might not be familiar with the procedure and I know of a number of clients (and perhaps their cats) which have benefitted from it.

Re: Spraying in cats

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 18:20:59 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]

But how do you measure success in these cases? Does success= cat not spraying? Do you or the behaviourists have any facts or experience of negative results following this surgery? As I said, I have personally never heard of it, so my concerns are only theoretical, but a question that is worth asking IMO, given that spraying to cat is perfectly normal behaviour.

[/quote]

That is speculative and prejudicial Kate

Re: Spraying in cats

Kate Richardson — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:47:48 GMT

[quote user="Malcolm Ness"]The behaviourists don't like this option for obvious reasons but I have used it as a treatment of last resort in several cases with good sucess. The cat typically appears less stressed as a result of surgery presumably because he becomes again the much loved pet and no longer "that f###ing cat that pisses everywhere"[/quote]

Re: Spraying in cats

Emma Hasleton — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:21:58 GMT

@Martin re felliway - use both diffuser and spray. The cat refused to go anywhere near where the spray had been used!

Re: Spraying in cats

Emma Hasleton — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:20:42 GMT

Thanks everyone for your help, I thinks I have some more choices now to discuss with my client.

I'll update progress (hopefully) in time.

Re: Spraying in cats

Malcolm Ness — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:00:47 GMT

I love the propensity for vets never to let facts and experience get in the way of speculation and prejudice.

Re: Spraying in cats

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:01:20 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]

The surgery that Malcolm describes I have not heard of but I would not be keen as you are not fixing the underlying problem, and the cat may become even more stressed and develop other behavioural problems if he cannot 'express his stress' in the manner he feels is 'normal' for him.

[/quote]

I had the same thoughts plus its a bit too much like de-clawing in the mutilation league IMO, also sounds like risks of post-surgical complications even if it works consistently which is doubtful. All this is for the owner not the cat (which should be our over-riding consideration) and he will be much happier appropriately re-homed.

Re: Spraying in cats

Kate Richardson — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:48:45 GMT

Have they had a veterinary behaviourist out to do a home visit? Sounds as though you have done all the right things so far, but sometimes having someone qualified in behavioural problems actually visit and observe the cat at home and how the owners react to the cat etc etc can lead to them finding extra things than can make a difference to the environment, rather than just sending owners home to plug in a feliway (am not suggesting that you just gave them the box and sent them on their way without any further advice! by the way). Otherwise I would agree that if the cats 'issues' cannot be resolved, then rehoming is probably the kindest option. The surgery that Malcolm describes I have not heard of but I would not be keen as you are not fixing the underlying problem, and the cat may become even more stressed and develop other behavioural problems if he cannot 'express his stress' in the manner he feels is 'normal' for him.

Re: Spraying in cats

Gina Dungworth — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:20:29 GMT

In further support of rehoming: I took on a cat some years ago that was supposedly spraying everywhere (amongst other problems). He'd been kept with two big GSDs, whereas we had one other cat and the 'wee stripey dog' (some strange staffie/JRT/collie mix at aguess). The cat sized up the dog (not much bigger than him), sprayed the dog's bed, and never sprayed in the house again. Meanwhile the dog refused to go up the stairs without me to protect him if the cat was sitting on the middle step.

Re: Spraying in cats

Martin Atkinson — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:13:11 GMT

+1 for Clomicalm at 1/2 - 1 x 5mg tablet once daily. Have you used the Feliway diffuser or spray or both and if the former are they placing the Feliway diffuser(s) in the most appropriate place(s)? Does sound like the line of least resistance is to re-home.

Re: Spraying in cats

Malcolm Ness — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:47:37 GMT

There is a surgical treatment that can be considered as a last resort - Bilateral Isciocavernosus myectomy. The procedure is relatively minor but fiddly and best left to someone with good experience of feline perineal surgery.

The idea is that cats point their penis upwards when spraying and in doing so use the ischiocavernosus muscles. If they can't point Percy properly then they don't spray. (Surgical alliteration - you don't see that very often!)

The behaviourists don't like this option for obvious reasons but I have used it as a treatment of last resort in several cases with good sucess. The cat typically appears less stressed as a result of surgery presumably because he becomes again the much loved pet and no longer "that f###ing cat that pisses everywhere"

Re: Spraying in cats

ilanit — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:24:15 GMT

I've used clomicalm once with success in a spraying cat where also everything else had been tried. It took about 4 weeks before it worked, but then the cat stopped spraying.

Re: Spraying in cats

Gina Dungworth — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 10:49:35 GMT

Ah, that makes sense. Cat politics can be dificult to predict, as I've been finding since one of my two lost a fight with a car.

Re: Spraying in cats

Emma Hasleton — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 10:43:51 GMT

Gina - I think the other two cats were new to the house and it didn't work so that's why they went.

Re: Spraying in cats

Gina Dungworth — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 09:31:34 GMT

I'd say the poor cat needs rehoming for the sake of his sanity!

Why did they rehome the other two rather than him when the bullying was going on??

Re: Spraying in cats

Laurence Webb — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 08:54:05 GMT

Rehome the baby too?