Will a male cat start urinating around the house if there are new animals in the neighborhood?

: Will a male cat start urinating around the house if there are new animals in the neighborhood?
I have a male cat, about two years old. He’s been spayed since he was little, and we’ve never had a problem with this before. Recently, there has been a big raccoon running around our apartment complex , and my cat has seen it many times from our balcony. There also seems to be a lot of new stray cats around. Is he marking his territory, or could he be sick?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Kathleen
He could be sick, that would be my first guess. Any time your pet’s behaviour, habits, or energy level changes suddenly you should suspect illness. Try and get a urine sample if possible to take to the vet with you.

Answer by Voir Dire
I don’t have a cat, but if it did do that, I would sure have a problem with it.

Answer by Nancy
It’s hard to say. I have a female that sprays (and yes, female’s do spray). She started when I got a new male cat. Both are fixed.
If I were you I’d take the cat to the vet to be sure.

Answer by Chris
I think it could simply be due to stress due to other animals invading his territory. Cats hate changes, I know because my Siamese cat was extremely nervous when we moved a couple of years ago. Your cat could simply be marking more territory as his own due to other animals invading his own territory. It is also possible that he has a bladder infection, as I am currently dealing with my Siamese cat having this problem. My best advice would be to take him to the vet and have him examined. The vet will definitely be able to tell you what’s wrong with your cat.

Good luck, I hope everything turns out okay. My older cat, Wong, had to be put to sleep a long time ago because of a similar infection.