A cat can be driven to mark his territory by a variety of influences, ranging from something as simple as a dominance dispute with another feline member of the household, to catching sight of a threatening neighborhood cat outside the window. Spaying and neutering greatly reduce the incidences of spraying, as does playing peacemaker with a pair of feuding felines. Lots of petting, reassurance and treats will go a long way towards helping the two get along together, though they may need to be separated temporarily until you get it worked out. As a last resort, you may need to get a mild tranquilizer from the veterinarian to ease the sprayer's anxiety. Once you ve established that your cat isn t simply marking territory, the next step is discovering the cause of the inappropriate behavior.
Cats are creatures of habit, and some cats are much more resistant to change than others.
A cat that is used to a coarse litter may not like the feel of a sandy, scoopable litter, and one that is used to the fine textured scoopable may turn up his nose at that bargain brand clay litter you just put in his box. In this case, simply refill the litterbox with the kind of litter the cat is used to. If you ve decided that you d rather use the type of litter that the cat has rejected, simply begin mixing the new litter in with the old. Over the course of a few scoopings, the old litter will gradually be replaced with the new litter, and by the time you need to completely change the litter, the cat should be quite comfortable with the new kind. If your cat is using the floor where his litterbox used to be, it s obviously not a medical problem.