Whether you have a small kitten or an older cat, it is always distressing when your cat starts urinating randomly in places outside of the litter box. If this is something that you are encountering, it is very important that you do not get angry and try to punish your cat. A cat is usually a fairly fastidious and particular creature, and if he or she is urinating in a place where they should not, there is very likely an something going on behind it. If you are looking for reasons why your cat might be spraying, consider the following reasons.

1. Inexperience

When you are bringing your cat home for the first time, or you're moving to a new place, your cat may be confused to where it is OK to do their business. There is a quick fix. Put your cat in the litter box a few times, just so they know where it is and that it has litter they can dig and bury their business in. Then, leave them in the room with their litter box alone. Close the door behind you. Their instincts will kick in, and if that's the only place available to them they will have no choice. Little by little let them roam further out of the room. This way they don't get overwhelmed with too much space, losing where their litter box is.

2. Aggression or Territorial Marking

This is most likely if your cat is an unaltered male. Male cats declare their territory and mark it through strong-smelling urine, and if your cat has not been neutered, this could very well be the case. If your cat has not been neutered and is expressing this problem, neutering might be the most important thing for you to think about when it comes to making sure that this problem stops. You may also find that closing the windows so that he cannot see other cats can also help halt this problem.

3. Illness

Spraying or not using the litter box can be because of an illness. If your cat is experiencing pain while using the litter box, they associate the pain with the litter box. Making them not want to use it anymore. Then, they have to find an alternative around your house. The pain could be caused by a urinary infection, or maybe your cat is so ill they are too weak to go and find the litter box. Either way when your cat has stopped using their litter box it is crucial that you take them to a vet to rule out an illnesses first. You don't want the illness to spread or for the problem to become a habit.

4. Fear

If you have recently moved or changed your house's orientation, you might find that one of the most important things that you need to consider is that your cat is stressed out and afraid. Cats are creatures of habit, and they might need time to really adjust to their new environment. It might be a good idea to give them something that they are familiar with in their area, and you might find that it is very important to let them adjust at their own rate?