My dad said he didn't like cats, either. Too bad, he ended up with a daughter who loves animals (including cats), LOL! I remember a cat coming to our apartment door and I wanted to feed it. He told me no, that would encourage the cat to stay around. I was like, What's the problem?

I have been feeding the cats that hang out in my neighborhood...for some reason. I never did it before, knew it was a bad idea, but one day, I bought a couple bags of treats, figuring I'd leave them on two separate days, just for the cats to find, only, somehow, I've gotten myself to feed them, and to stop now would just be cruel. I love all my cats, even if they're not officially "my" cats.

As for spraying, I can't say, but maybe that's because these are all outdoor cats I deal with. I've heard getting them neutered (I don't know if females spray, but if so, the word would be "spayed") can reduce or stop this behavior.

Good luck. I hope you can get a cat. If you lived near me (and for all I know, maybe you do), I'd offer one of mine, just to give at least one a good, loving, forever home. That said, most of the cats I'm feeding don't come up too close. One let me pet her all the time until this other older kitten showed up, and since he (I think it's a "he"; he won't come close enough for me to see) stays several feet from me, she's avoided me a little bit, too. But I can still pet her sometimes.