Many times this type of behaviour could have been avoided if the owner had considered that a move or other major upheaval might upset the cat. While we all love our pets, any major life changes generally occupy a lot of our time. Taking some of it to give a little extra attention to the kitty, gives you a break in your daily chores, and gives them great satisfaction and re-assurance.
Occasionally, marking or spraying behaviour calls for drug therapy. Hopefully the cat has been spayed or neutered since they were quite young. This is one way to prevent the hormonal behaviour of spraying by males, and some females in heat. However, it's not unheard of for a neutered male to start spraying later in life after some life altering incident.
Books on behaviour that I often refer to, are those by Dr. Nicholas Dodman of Tufts University. He has found the drug Buspar, a human anti-depressant, to be effective in treating spraying. Most times the cat can be weaned off the drug, and the behaviour does not return.
It comes down to a question of how much people care for their pet. Yes, it is expensive to replace furniture and continually wash bedding. But when a cat is trying to tell us something, and goes to those lengths to say it, just a little attention to the problem can solve it without drastic measures.
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