Need some advice on Pirate...he has started spraying.

[kittycats_delight]

So, Pirate has always been a handful. This last week though he has started spraying. And he did the mother of all sprays just now. Guido had just come home from the gym and was laid back relaxing on the bed. Pirate pranced over, turned tail and let drift all over Guido. I don't know what to do with him. I don't know why he is doing it. I am stumped. I have already made an appointment with the vet. He will be going in next week to rule out a medical issue but this really seems behavioral in nature. He really is a brat of gigantic proportions. He is demanding and he wants things his way, right away. Any advice or ideas about what's going on with him or what I can do? HELP!!!! I want to get a hold NOW!!!

[Karen]

How old is he now? Any changes in the household?

[kittycats_delight]

He is just over a year old and has been neutered since he was 6 months old. Phoenix has been hanging out on my bed during the day lately and is being her not so pleasant self with him but she has never been nice to the other cats. She tolerates them at best. The weather has changed recently and it has gotten much warmer and we had an earthquake that really spooked him about 5 days ago.

[Karen]

Once he's been to the vet to rule out anything medical, well, he's about at that "teenager figuring things out" stage in life. Keep a spray bottle of water handy, see what he reacts to - whether a loud hand clap or even hiss like an angry cat* - that will startle and interrupt him, and remember to be more stubborn than he is in these attempts.

*Paul does this really well, but I never have been able to. I would swear I am making the same noise as he is, but when he does it, cats run away, when I do it, they look at me in a milady curious way, but are not impressed, never mind scared off!

[Catty1]

He will be a feisty boy for a while yet. Is there some Feliway or something you could use in the short term?

I hope the vet has some ideas. And he could have an owie that is irritating him.

Hoping for a quick and easy solution!

[Kirsten]

Wow, this sounds tough. Some kind of dominance thing maybe?