What Does It Smell Like When A Cat Sprays?

Have you ever come home to a foul smell in your house? Maybe you thought it was the trash, or your cat doing some smelly business. But what do you do when the smell doesn’t go away? Could it be someone leaving surprises in your home?

If you think your cat has been leaving an unpleasant smell in your house, then it’s time to investigate. Without knowing for sure it’s your cat making the smell, the last thing you want to do is punish your feline friend.

But what does it smell like when a cat sprays?

Well, as you probably know, it’s relatively hard to describe a smell that you haven’t smelled before. Nevertheless, we’re still going to give it our best shot at describing the unique and recognizable smell.

However, before we dive into what cat spray smells like, let’s first start by examining what it looks like. Not only will this give you an idea of what to look out for, but examining cat spray it can also help you imagine the smell.

What Does Cat Spray Look Like on Walls?

Cat spray comes in many shapes and forms depending on the surface it was sprayed on and the cat itself. Some sprays can be very faint lines that look like they’re from a water bottle or water pistol. Some are a bit more obvious and look like a complete mess!

To give you an idea of what cat spray looks like on walls, here are some pictures for you to look at.

Notice in the picture above it has a slightly reddish color. This is because in this case, the spray contains a bit of blood to add to the smell. Cat’s do this when they feel extra threatened and want to increase the intensity of the smell even more. The chances are if the smell is extremely powerful then you’re more likely to find a huge mess like above. However, some sprays can cause a colossal stench without any real visual indication.

In this example, the spray isn’t as reddish or noticeable, but if you switch to infrared light, it’s clear to see the mess! Most of the time this is what a typical spray will look like, unless it’s on a fabric surface. A spray on furniture can often be absorbed quickly leaving almost no trace to the visual eye. If you can smell something foul but can’t actually see it, then its best to inspect your furniture for the source of the smell. Your cat could be spraying on your furniture without you even noticing!

What Does it Smell Like When a Male Cat Sprays?

Now you’ve got a good idea of what cat spray looks like, what does it smell like when a cat sprays?

Our best description of cat spray would be a strong musky urine smell that lingers in the same area for a long time. It can often be smelled from up to 10 feet away and can last several hours.

Unlike natural pee smell you’d find in your cat’s litter tray, cat spray is a much stronger smell that doesn’t go away so easily. No matter how much Febreze or deodorant you try to cover it up with, it always comes back. To get rid of the smell you need to find the source and give it a good deep clean. But before you do that, you’ll want to make sure your cat won’t leave you any other little surprises once you’ve finished cleaning.

For those of you that don’t know, male cats spray far more often compared to female cats. This is because male cats are trying to make their territory and attract a mate all by spraying. Basically, they have all the same reasons as female cats to spray, and more!

As mentioned before, a male cat’s spray often smells of urine, but they can also mix it up and release blood in their spray as well. This gives the spray a much more distinctive smell, and once you’ve smelt it, you’ll always be able to recognize it.

To find out more about why a male cat sprays, be sure to read our post on male cat spraying.

What Does it Smell Like When a Female Cat Sprays?

If you’re still wondering what does it smell like when a cat sprays, then you’ll want to put your face in your cat’s litter tray and multiply the smell by 10. If that doesn’t give you an idea of what cat spray smells like, then you’ll just have to wait until they do the real deal.

When it comes to female cats and spraying, the story is a little different compared to males. Surprisingly enough, a female cat’s spray smells very similar to a male cats. Although less than 5% of female cats spray indoors, it’s not impossible for them to do so.

Most female cats start to spray due to changes in their environment, medical problems, and increased stress levels. Their spray is often not as frequent or as intense as male cats, but they still leave behind a considerable pong.

The smell is almost identical to that of a male cat with a strong musky urine smell.

To read more about why female cats spray, check out our post on do female cats spray?

How to Stop a Neutered Cat From Spraying

If you’ve found cat spray in your home, then it’s time to do something about it. The last thing you want to do is ignore it and hope your cat stops. The chances are that without the proper training, it will just get worse and more frequent. However, with the proper techniques and strategies, you can stop your cat from spraying in as little as 7 days.

Using the unique T.T.S (touch, taste, smell) method, you can stop your cat from spraying without any expensive or painful medical procedures. To learn more about how you can stop your cat from spraying the easy way, click the button below to find out more.