Cat Helpppp,

[HappyRoo]

I need ya'lls help or advice, my DW cat has lost it. She's been fixed, vetted all the time, she has it made .. Her name is pixie. well the problem we have is she started urinating " I hope I can say that on this Family Site" all over the place on the Tables in our Bed, she is only about 4 years old, She is not spraying. We keep litter box clean, I have researched this very deeply and do know some of why's and woe's with female cats, gonna take her to vet this weekend to see if she might have innfection. I guess I am asking what would you guys do , my DW loves her very much But our home is turning into a stinch and where at the end of the rope. Can't give our problem to someone else that wouldn't be fair. or should we have her put Down.

 

[mom2jedi]

Ok, need a little more info. Is she an indoor cat or indoor/outdoor cat? Do you only have one cat box? Has anything changed recently like new litter, new family member, rearranging the furniture? It's good that you are taking her to the vet to rule out physical symptoms. If she is an indoor only cat, they are very easily stressed when their environment changes. I know it sounds silly but even moving furniture around can stress them out. Until she goes to the vet, is there a room that could be converted to hers for the time being like a bathroom? That will at least keep the problem to one area.

 

[spiritdance]

If it's a sudden change in behavior I would strongly suspect an underlying physical cause, so the vet visit is your best course of action. If no physical cause is identified, then I would think about any changes in the environment you may have made recently. It could be something so simple to you that it's ridiculous, but to your cat it could be a big deal. I once had a cat that revolted when I changed litter brands, and another that flatly refused to make the transition from open to covered litter boxes. My mom's cat started acting out when my mom began letting the dog sleep in the bedroom at night. That one took us a while to figure out, but once we did and the dog was exiled to the couch again, Miss Kitty was her old, litter box faithful self again. Cats can be seriously neurotic over the strangest things, but it's worth trying to figure out the issue for your DWs sake. And BTW, about the ONLY thing I've ever found that cuts through the miasma of cat urine is a good quality fabric softener. Saturate the spot and let it soak. The same enzymes in the softener that soften fabric break down the proteins that make the smell so difficult to eliminate. A chemist friend of mine taught me this (works great on skunk odor too) and it's worked for me on many occasions (not just for cats; I have a Jack Russell with a penchant for chasing skunks). Hope you figure kitty's issues out soon so you don't have to make any drastic decisions.

 

[spish]

yes definatly a vets trip in order, could be something as simply as an infection, or could be kidney problems.
could you oerhaps confine her to one room/area until you can get her to a vets? somewhere easy to clean without carpets and soft furnishings?

 

[AinaWGSD]

I agree, giving her to someone else (unless she is to become an outside only cat) won't work. The most common reason cats are abused is because of things like urinating outside of the box. But at the same time, I think it may be a little early to jump to euthanasia. Working for a vet, I'd say probably the most common reason for a cat to suddenly start urinating outside of the box is a urinary tract infection. So it's very important to see the vet before you try to do any sort of behavioral modification because if she's doing it for a medical reason absolutely nothing you do is going to stop the behavior until the medical problem is addressed and treated. Most cats that are urinating outside of the box because of a UTI will go right back to using the box again once the infection is under control. However, some cats will develop an aversion to the box or the litter or the litter box location after an infection because of the pain they experienced during the infection.

I have one cat, Smokey, who has had frequent urinary issues all his adult life. He is on a prescription diet because otherwise he was getting 2-4 UTI's a year on regular cat food. When he has an infection, he will urinate on towels, piles of laundry, or blankets on the floor. At one point, he did develop a litter box aversion and would not use the box to pee at all. We ended up retraining him to the box by confining him to a large dog crate and using a tricyclide antidepressant for a period of several months. It was getting to the point where between us being angry at him all the time for peeing on something else and him being locked in a cage that we were seriously considering his quality of life and euthanasia was on the table. Thankfully, he is now off of medication and faithful about using the box again, except when he has an infection. Which he hasn't had in over two years (and he's been good about peeing in the box for 4 years now)!

I have another cat, Kisa, spayed female, who will occasionally urinate outside of the box for behavioral reasons and has never had an infection. For a while she was doing it mostly because the litter boxes are in the basement and she was getting shut upstairs (so that the baby wouldn't fall down the basement steps) with a full bladder. Mostly she was peeing in things that resembled boxes, like a shoe box lid or something like that. Then it became a behavioral thing, she was doing it because she was angry about the baby even though she had access to the litter boxes. Shutting her in the basement first thing in the morning seemed to help a lot. Now she does it if the litterboxes are not clean enough, and cleaning the box is all it takes to correct it.

Good luck with Pixie. If she does not have a medical reason for the inappropriate elimination, then you will have to start the long process of figuring out the behavioral cause and addressing it. You may have to provide new boxes in different locations, try covered and uncovered, and try a few different kinds of litter to see if she has a preference. While you are trying to get the behavior under control, and until you can get to the vet on Friday, it would be a good idea to confine her so that she has limited access to your furniture and the things she is currently peeing on. If after trying to correct the behavior you are unable to get her to use the box, then it would be best to either make her an outside only cat or have her put down. But I would give it a few months before turning to euthanasia. It's a long, frustrating process but so worth it in the end if you can get them back to using the box.

 

[HappyRoo]

Thank you AinaWGSD

You gave me fuzzy feelins reading your post cause this sounds just like Pixie. She is an Indoor cat only my DW had the Doc remove her front Claws, we have alot of money tied up in her , that doesn't matter. She Jumped in Bed with me today an sleep with me ! I did scold DW about cleaning her litter box more often and that I would do it when I get Home and that she needs to check when she gets Home . I work 3rd and DW works 1st, absence does make the heart stronger, ain't that right ?

 

[debilorrah]

Female cats are highly prone to urinary tract infections. I am almost 100% sure that is the issue. Take her to the vet for a test. Seriously. Been there done that one more times that I care to count.

 

[Glenmar]

Make her an outside cat. That is what I did with mine. I hate animals that pee in the house.

 

[HappyRoo]

Glenmar, I would make her a outside cat yesterday If she had claws, or can you still make her an outside with no knives for protection!





HornyToad > HAPPYROO NOW

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Cats declawed learn a new way defense. I once saw my declawed cat knock another cat clear across the yard with a well placed SMACK.