Cat Experts - Please Help!***UPDATE pg. 2***

[Chattyaholic]

I have a female (spayed) indoor cat, she is approximately 10 years old. The past few days she had been acting "strange." Kind of restless, and then urinating on the family room carpet, in her cat bad, etc. Not much at a time, just a dribble here and a dribble there. I checked the litter box and rather than having large clumps to take care of (I usually scoop it daily) there were just small quarter-size clumps. I called the vet, thinking it might be a urinary tract infection. They had me bring her in yesterday morning, and had to wait for her to urinate in their plastic litter so they could get a sample to do a urinalysis. They finally got a sample this afternoon, but no infection. They said she might be "stressed."

She is the only cat we have, it's not like we introduced a new cat to the household. We have no young children to "torment her" or anything like that. The only new thing is a litter of puppies, but they are in the garage, not in the house. I occasionally bring one in to hold for a few minutes, but it's not like the puppy chases her or anything (they are just barely two weeks old) so I just don't know what to think about her being "stressed."

DH does NOT want her "dribbling" all over the house, and of course I understand that, but I don't know WHAT to do!! I don't want to kick her outside, it's winter for one thing, and for another she has been an indoor cat most of her adult life. I don't want to put her to sleep either!! She's not THAT old!!!

Has anyone here had any similar experience with their cat? If so, what did you do to cure the problem?

 

[Aurora63]

I don't have an answer for you, but wanted to bump your post.

Didn't your vet have any other ideas as to what the problem might be? I might consider taking her to another vet for a second opinion.

Hope it stops soon. Keep us posted!

 

[Kimberle]

Since it's not a UTI, I have no idea.
I hope you find an answer.
I have 2 cats, too.

 

[Dreamer04]

I've had several cats, throughout my life. Frankly, I find it difficult to believe that she does not have a UTI. If she doesn't then something is making urinating difficult for her. I would check with the vet again. Or, better,another vet.

Good luck.

 

[septbride2002]

First of all did your Vet checked to be sure that you cat wasn't blocked? It could be that your cat has blocked it self up with stool and therefore is having a hard time going to the bathroom period. Try pressing on your cats abdomen area and see how it reacts. It could also be that your cat has kidney stones.

Even though the puppies are not in the house does not mean that they are no affecting your kittys behavior. Cats are like people they sense everything and are easily affected by it. However I tend to think it has more to do with above.

How is your cat eating? Make sure you cat is ingesting food and water if a cat goes without eating for more then 3 days it will start to cause problems with the cats liver.

Sounds to me that your Vet did not do a very good job of checking for everything. I know vet care is expensive but at 10 years old your cat is not at an age where she should need to be put to sleep (unless there is a real serious problem). Putting your cat outside is really an option with the cold and plus it could just make the problem worse.

My FIL is a vet which is where I got most of the information.

Good Luck and please keep us posted.

~Amanda

 

[DocRafiki]

A normal U/A doesn't rule out a UTI. You would have to do a culture to do that for sure. That takes about a week to grow & test, so your vet didn't do that.

Even when no infection is present, cats will often respond to antibiotics. There are hypotheses about anti-inflammatory properties in some of the antibiotics that we use. If I can't find a reasonable answer, I do a trial of antibiotics.

Most cases of FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease) are inflammatory but not infectious. This might warrant anti-inflammatories. Waltham's S/O diet also tends to help with this, even when crystals aren't involved, though we don't understand why.

I would think the presence of the puppy would be enough stress to cause this problem. Cats have a lot more going on in their heads than they show. Any change in the normal routine/environment can really upset them. But stress doesn't rule out an infection. Stressed cats are prone to infections, so antibiotics might still be worth a try.

Look for a product called Cat Attract. You add it to clay litter to get the cat to use the litter box again. Another product called FeliWay can be used to keep the cat from going in unwanted places. You can spray it onto spots where the cat is going, or there is a room deodorizer that can be used. I've never used either of these personally, just heard anecdotal evidence. You can use both in conjunction for best results.

Good luck.

I'm not saying that I'm an expert by answering, but I'm the closest you've got, so I thought I'd give my input.

I do, however, hesitate to help anyone who would even consider murdering their pet for peeing in the wrong spot.

 

[Chattyaholic]

Thank you, Dreamer and septbride, for your helpful suggestions.
And DocRafiki, thank you as well for your suggestions. I did not see the vet when I took my cat in yesterday morning. The girl working behind the counter took her and said they would call me when they found out anything. I waited until noon today and still hadn't heard anything so I called them to check on her. They said she had "dribbled" in the cage, but hadn't urinated in the litter so they had to wait for her to "go" in that so they could get a sample to run the urinalysis. I was at work when they called back after 5:00 this afternoon, and they talked to my DH and said it was not an infection, but thought the cat was "stressed." She said there is a pill we can give her, but that it is difficult to give cats a pill on a regular basis. I'm supposed to pick her up at 9:00 tomorrow morning. The office is not "open" but someone will be there so I can get her, but again...I will not see the vet.

I will definitely ask more questions, from reading your suggestions here, and see what they say.

If anyone else has suggestions, I would love to hear them.

One thing, though, DocRafiki - I have to say I didn't appreciate your last comment about "murdering" my cat. I have already been in tears tonight, and I really didn't need that comment. You don't know my DH, and how he feels about the cat. He was raised in a home where a pet's place was OUTSIDE, never INSIDE the home. He's a dog lover, NOT a cat lover, and he really never wanted the cat to become an INDOOR cat in the first place. She originally started out as an outdoor "barn cat", but we live on a busy country road and I was so afraid of one day seeing her lying dead in the road that I started bringing her inside, an hour or two at a time, then more, more, and finally allowing her to STAY inside the house. DH grumbled about it but he loves me so didn't put up too much of a fuss. BUT, I know he won't put up with a cat urinating all over the house for very long. Our whole house is carpeted, and I cannot follow the cat every minute of the day to see that she doesn't "go" in a corner of a room somewhere. If a spot is not found where she "goes" it would start to stink. I will definitely try everything possible to correct the situation, but if, over time, she still is "dribbling" around the house then something will have to be done. Many people put their pets to sleep when they become incontinent. People put their pets to sleep when they have arthritis, or other health problems. I would hate to have to do it, and will not do so until all other options are exhausted.

 

[Dax]

It sounds like a urinary problem....I would go for a second opinion to a different vet also....

As an aside, what kind of puppies do you have? I have a litter of 5 that are a month old...just curious.

 

[Chattyaholic]

Dax: I'm leaning towards a second opinion too, if I don't get some answers tomorrow when I pick her up.

I love your picture of your dogs!! So cute!!

Our puppies are labs. DH has a registered chocolate lab, had her bred over 2 years ago with another registered lab...the puppies were adorable but a LOT of work so we had decided not to go through it again but he never had her spayed, just put her in a pen when she came into heat. Well, 2 months ago I went out one morning and there was Shiloh in her pen, and so was the neighbor's male dog!!! Unfortunately their dog was the son of our dog!!! We were kind of worried these puppies would be two-headed or have their feet on backwards or something but thankfully they seem to be just fine.
She had 6 chocolates and 2 yellow, they were born the day before Thanksgiving, so just over two weeks old now. Four are spoken for so far and we hope to find homes soon for the others. They are adorable, and "full blood" lab but just cannot be registered. I'm trying not to get too attached....but they are just now coming into the "really cute stage" of their lives.

 

[buzzlady]

I can't answer what your cat's problems it. But I can tell you that I have a cat that had a stress problem. We noticed that she had lost her fur on her stomache. So we took her to the vet. The vet kept asking if anything had changed in the house. Kept saying no. She kept asking anything new in the house. Kept thinking and saying no. Finally we thought of the fish tank that we had for a few months. The cat would sit at the tank and swat at the fish. The vet said that the cat was stressed because she couldn't get the fish and that she was actually pulling her own hair out. She gave us something to put on her stomache to deter her. The cat did get over it. But I would definately get a second opinion.

 

[Dax]

I agree with the not getting to attached. The cute stage....ah yes. When you pick them up and look them in the eyes, and they look back at...and you get a whiff of puppy breath....Yep I know it well. And unfortunatly, I have grown WAYYYYY to attached to all of them...LOL...So much that we are keeping 2 of them..LOL....

And just today, my DH says to me, so did anyone else call today to take away my grandchildren...LOL...poor guy, he is attached to...Have fun with the pups....I know I am going to have Puggy Christmas with mine

 

[Rajah]

No expert here, just someone who's read up in several books and "soaked in" knowledge from a couple of experts.

Despite her totally inappropriate and insensitive comment (she does that all the time, try not to take it personally :hugs: ), Doc's suggestions were good ones.

I'd definitely get her in to another vet for a second opinion ASAP.

In the meantime, if you can, feel her gums -- if they're tacky/sticky rather than slick/smooth or if they're white rather than pink, she may be getting dehydrated. Or pinch the skin in her "scruff" area and if it kinda stays pinched for a second before slowly returning to normal, that's another sign of dehydration. Neither are perfect tests, but they're things you can do at home to test for potential dehydration before going to get your second opinion (which I strongly recommend). If your cat lets you and if you have the materials, you might also just start "forcing" water down her with a syringe. I don't mean being rough with her, I mean giving it to her gently in the side of her mouth a few drops at a time via syringe, but if you can get more fluids in her, that will help with almost all infections/inflammations, and an extra 2-3 CC's of water a day won't hurt her one bit, but might help. But only do that if she's good about taking water from a syringe. You don't want to stress her out further if stress really is the problem.

I can somewhat vouch for the Cat Attract litter. Our Skye was one who wouldn't use the litterbox 3/4 of the time when we first brought him in. He'd go anywhere *near* the box, but rarely *in* it and would never cover. Ever. When we got into the house, we discovered the Cat Attract and switched entirely to that litter (it doesn't have to be mixed with clay, it's a perfectly normal clumping litter on its own -- but don't expect perfumed scents -- it's also more expensive than standard litter, but when it works it's worth it). Skye started using the litterboxes over half the time after that switch. While he didn't go to using the box 100% of the time, it did increase how often he did use the box to maybe 2/3rds of the time. (Only thing that's gotten him to use the box 95% of the time was going to automatic litterboxes -- he was very picky about the state of his litter). Anyway, the Cat Attract is worth a try.

Also swing by the pet store and pick up a product called Nature's Miracle. The specific thing you're looking for is the odor/enzyme cleaner. Also pick up a small black light (usually in the same area of the store at Petsmart and Petco). Use the black light to locate areas where she's peed or pooped on the floor -- they'll show up fluorescent green under the light. Spray those areas with Nature's Miracle and let it soak for a few minutes, then clean and check again. Nature's Miracle should help remove the enzymes that might draw her to that same spot to pee again, and only an enzyme cleaner will remove the enzymes entirely. To a cat, anywhere that they can smell the enzymes of a previous pee/poop they consider to be fair territory for marking or "going", so you want to get all the signs cleaned up that you can.

Once all the enzymes are cleaned, *then* use the FeliWay in those areas. You might also spray it near the door to the garage to help her associate the smell of the puppies with calming/okay stuff. While I don't have direct experience with it (haven't had need yet), two of our breeders and several of our friends have, and they swear by it.

Next, (this is a homeopathic "assist" that not all vets agree with, but we have had 2 "normal" vets recommend it with our pets, we've had good luck with it, and the 3 breeders I've worked with have used it with positive results, as have several friends)... go by a health food store and look for a product called Bach's Rescue Remedy. It's an essense of flowers and a couple of oils that works along the same lines as aroma-therapy to help relieve stress. Add 2 to 3 drops to her water every day, preferably using bottled spring or distilled, and use fresh water every day. Some cats react to Rescue Remedy wonderfully -- our Sage did when he was sick, and Sienna, Leo, and Gabi all did when we brought Leo and Gabi home. It didn't work on Blaze or Skye, though. But it does help my parent's Shih Tzu dog not freak out so much when there's a thunder storm or company comes over. All it takes is a few drops in the water.

*Next*, hop over to the boards at www.ivillage.com and go to the pet board "Think Like A Cat" and post your situation there. Pam Johnson-Bennett, a professional feline behavioralist and cat-book author, answers questions over there and might have some more suggestions for you. It's from her boards and books that I learned about Feliway, Nature's Miracle, Rescue Remedy, and about 90% of my cat knowledge, most of which has been reinforced by our vets. She's *wonderful* with helping people and might have some more suggestions, and if she doesn't, the other people on the board there might as well.

For pilling your cat, if you have difficulty with that, talk to your vet about other options. Some pills you can crush into a powder and sprinkle over moist food or mix with chicken baby food (*human* baby food, make sure ingredients are nothing but chicken and water). Or you might have success with my friends' method of getting the Pounce cat treats that have a cusioned middle, cutting a small slit in it and slipping the pill into it, then giving her the treat.

As for what to do with your cat if she doesn't have an infection and antibiotics/anitinflamatories don't help, nor do FeliWay or Rescue Remedy -- rather than making her an outdoor cat, you might consider setting up one of the rooms at your house/apartment/condo/whatever that is specifically *her* room, make it nice and cozy for her, and leave her in that room until she stops peeing over everything. This will at least allow you to confine her messes to one room, and is much better for her than turning her loose outdoors, and certainly much better than putting her down. Perhaps that option will appease your husband a little more?

Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

[myjulybabes]

Oh wow, I didn't know you could use Bach's Rescue Remedy for cats! I had nothing to add til I saw that, since everyone has covered it pretty well. But I've used the Rescue Remedy for myself, and it does work quite well for humans who are stressed. I took it before my first plane trip because I was very nervous about flying, but even more nervous about arriving in a new city dealing with the side effects of the Xanax my doctor wanted to give me. It worked very well. I forgot to take it before the trip home, and I was not a happy camper. It's a little pricey, but you only use a few drops at a time, and it's still cheaper than any medication the vet would prescribe for stress. Definitely give that a shot!

 

[Rajah]

Originally posted by myjulybabes
Oh wow, I didn't know you could use Bach's Rescue Remedy for cats!

Yup, sure can. It's amazing how many things for humans you can use for cats or dogs as well. Just stay away from anything with onions/onion powder or garlic. (And of course get a vet's opinion before experimenting.) Things I *know* work on cats and humans both are Rescue Remedy, Kaopectate, Pepcid AC, and Metamucil (sp?).

I tried using the Rescue Remedy myself, and I think it helped a bit. Not too sure, but I'm skeptical minded by nature and that will decrease effectiveness. Plus, it's effectiveness varies by the individual, just like most things. But there's absolutely no doubt in my mind it worked on Sienna. When we brought Leo and Gabi home, she was really stressed out and tense all the time. A week later, I remembered the Rescue Remedy (don't know why I always remember to recommend it to others but forget it for myself ) and we added a few drops to their water and gave her one drop directly. Not long afterwords (as in in a matter of hours), I had my usual Sienna back, no more tension and no more stressed kitty.

 

[Virgo10]

One of my cats had this problem. They ruled out everything and attributed it to strees. She was put on a drug called amitriptyline (also known as Elavil) and has been doing great ever since.

This drug doesn't just calm them down but also acts on the lining of the bladder to decrease inflamation. She'll be on it the rest of her life. A small price to pay for eliminating the discomfort she went through for nearly a month when her symptoms were full blown.

Hope your kitty is feeling better soon.

Roberta

 

[Chattyaholic]

Thank you, Rajah and Virgo, for your suggestions and input, I really appreciate it.

I brought her home this morning from the vet's, they did the urinalysis and a micro-something-or-other and found no crystals so they don't feel it's an infection, and no blood in her urine either. They feel it's behavioral, and gave me pills to give her. It's phenylpropanolamine, I'm to give her half a tablet twice daily. I wish it was in liquid form though, would be easier to give than a pill. If she still isn't using the litter box properly in 2 weeks I'm to call them and there is another medication they can try.

Right now kitty is confined to the half-bath, as there is no carpet in that room. I thoroughly cleaned her litter box, even though I usually scoop it daily I decided to start her out with completely fresh litter. Gave her fresh food and water, put in a few toys...and I go in every little while to pet her, talk to her, cuddle her, etc. But she still has not used the litter box for urinating (she did do #2 though). I don't see any puddles on the floor, so maybe she just has not gone, I don't know. Hopefully she will use the box by morning. I hate to keep her cooped up in that little room.

I've decided to stop bringing a puppy into the house though, as that is the only thing that has been "different" the past couple of weeks. Maybe she's acting out of jealousy, I don't know. I just hope it doesn't take too long for her to "get back to normal.

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions and support.

 

[Chattyaholic]

responded to my original post might be interested to know I am taking my kitty BACK to the vet in the morning.

I brought her home Saturday morning, they said she had no UTI, it was just "behavioral." They had done a urinalysis and micro-something-or-other and it showed no crystals. I will ask tomorrow about a culture, and WHY they did not do that....

Kitty has had to stay shut up in the half bath as that is the only room I can put her in that has a door to keep her in, and NO CARPET on the floor. I feel BAD....but the way things are she cannot be allowed out.

She is LEAKING urine!!! It's not like she is CHOOSING to "pee in a corner" or something, her bottom is ALWAYS wet!!!

I have been keeping a close eye on her, going in the room to see her every couple of hours, and she walks with her back hunched, dragging her tail on the ground instead of held-high in the air like normal, and her bottom is always wet. Plus, she has an almost bloody-looking discharge coming out of her left eye so I have no idea what is up with THAT!!!

I do NOT feel this is "behavioral", and that the leaking is something she just cannot control. I insisted they do more checking. They will do blood work in the morning. WHY they didn't do that when they had her those 48-hours, I do not know, but I am quite upset. I REALLY wanted to take her to a different vet, but DH said give this one another chance as they already know what they did before...so wait and see what happens after this second visit. We have used this vet several times for the dog and her puppies and have ALWAYS been very satisfied with their treatment AND their reasonable fees. In fact, they put pins in one of the puppies (not this litter we have now, but one from 2 years ago) who had an accident (fell into an old well) leg over Labor Day weekend, and kept us updated by phone very well.

But, if I am not satisfied after tomorrow, I WILL take her to another vet as this CANNOT go on. She is not happy, I am not happy. I feel so bad for her!!

She is not eating much (only two small hard clumps of poop outside the litter box yesterday) and not drinking much. She was a MESS today, as it looks like she had been IN the litter box scratching around, but with her "wet bottom" the cat litter made a MESS on her, so I had to give her a bath. She tolerated that very, very well, I was so proud of her!!! Dried her in a big, thick old towel and cuddled her and she just looked up at me and purred and purred....I KNOW she is SICK!!! Something HAS to be WRONG!!!

I will update again tomorrow after I take her back to the vet.
Thanks, all, for your suggestions and concern.

 

[catsrule]

She is a sick baby. Please keep us updated. Hope they find out what is wrong with her.

 

[Rajah]

I personally wouldn't give the normal vet a second chance. If she was doing this at their office and they missed it after 48 hours, that's totally unacceptable to me and I'd be dubious about any other care I got there.

Sending P&PD for your kitty. Please keep us posted.