Behaviour

How do I discourage my cat from spraying in the house?

Firstly you must distinguish between spraying and urinating. Spraying is a deliberate act of communication, which will be done on a vertical surface such as a wall. Urinating is the normal passing of urine onto a horizontal surface such as the floor. Spraying can be a sign of a quite serious upset but is usually a normal marking behaviour in entire males (un-neutured) and in most animals out of the house. Some of these apparent toileting problems can have a medical basis so if you are unsure always get a vet to check your cat.
For any kind of spraying/urination, cleaning the area properly is very important to prevent recurrence, try the following procedure:
1. Clean the area with a 10% solution of a biological or enzymatic washing powder / liquid.
2. Wipe area down with cool clean water and dry.
3. Spray area with a low-grade alcohol such as surgical spirit through a plant mister.
Remember to check for colourfastness first.
As with many problems it is a wise to have a vet check up first in case it is related to a medical problem. Subtle changes can cause stress and spraying, and sometimes you may not even know of any changes. If there is a cat flap this can lead to insecurity even if your cat has been fine in the past, so it may help if it is blocked initially. Basis of treatment involves reassuring your cat that it's territory is safe and not under threat, giving lots of attention and feeding tasty foods. Pheromone sprays can be obtained from a vet to make your cat feel more settled but the area must be properly cleaned first. The longer this problem continues the more difficult it is to stop.

Why does my cat scratch?
Scratching is a perfectly normal behaviour that has a number of very important benefits. These benefits include:
1. Sloughing off of dead nail sheath
2. Visual marker for other cats to see
3. Scent markers, glands in the pads deposit scent as the cat scratches
4. Conditioning of the muscles required for the retraction of the nail
For cats that spend a great deal of the day outside, scratching in the home is rarely a problem as tree trunks provide a perfect surface for scratching. Cats will generally not scratch in the home if a suitable site for this behaviour is provided.
Encouraging the use of a scratching post.
Some cats do not like the sisal that is wrapped around many commercial scratching posts. Try covering it with carpet (comb first to ensure that there are no tight loops that your cat claws can get caught in) or come other material that your cat may prefer. It should be in a prominent position in the room near to areas that are already preferred for scratching. Once your cat uses it reliably you can begin to more it into a more suitable position in the room, but hiding it out of the way may just mean your cat will revert back to previous scratching positions. Place a scratching post close to sleeping quarters as well. Consider the surface that your cat is currently scratching. Some cats would rather use a horizontal rather than vertical surface and vice versa. Cats often have more interest in a scratching area if it is more of an activity centre, with places to climb up and different levels and perhaps a cubbyhole and appropriate toys. These can be shop brought or made at home.
If your cat is responsive to catnip you can try sprinkling a little of this herb over the post to attract your cat. If not a small amount of oil from a tin of tuna can be rubber into the post. As long as your cat is not anxious try rubbing its paws gentle over the surface of the post.
Stopping your cat using your furniture for scratching.
Generally cats have a preferred surface for scratching, usually surfaces that the cat can really get their claws into and drag them along. You can cover these surfaces with a loose fitting material or tinfoil that will be ineffective for scratching or using sticky tape that will feel unpleasant under their paws.
Prevent your cat having access to preferred areas when you are not there to correct it.
The use of citronella or eucalyptus type scents is very unpleasant to cats. Your cat will be reluctant to approach these scents. But this does have its drawbacks, as cats have every sensitive noses this can have a profound effect on your cat. If the scent fills the whole room the cat may be unhappy about going in there at all.
Punishment will not stop scratching and often will only mean your cat will just scratch when you are not there. A sound deterrent can be used to interrupt your cat but should not be seen to come from you.
Attention seeking?
If your cat is scratching to attract your attention then it is very important that you ignore it. Any attention directly from you even shouting is likely to be seen as reward for this behaviour. Some cats use this behaviour to get their owners undivided attention. If your cat only scratches when you are in the room (some even give a cheeky glance towards you to make sure that you are watching) your cat may be trying to initiate some kind of desirable response from you. Do not give your cat any attention when it does this including eye contact, talking too or touching your cat. If your cat has been doing this for a while it may try harder initially to get your attention. If you give in then your cat will have learnt to try harder to get what it wants.