Urination problem

[blessthischick]

Hello all!

Was hoping I could gather some advice from you fellow cat lovers.

I have two rescue cats Tia and Jasmine, love them to pieces except....

Jasmine has been urinating sporadically around the house , at first it was on my clothes then gradually went to partners clothes too and now just everything! It isn't even ALL the time, as previously was very concerned Jasmine may have a UTI but nothing...

My partner and I use wood based litter, no litter deodourisers and the like.

Sometimes think it may be Tia (not in a nasty way! We love the mad crazy fool!)

Tia we rescued a week after Jasmine....But they both play, groom and cuddle up together.

Oooh I don't know!

Feeling very low about it all.

Sorry for rambling

Thanks all

[KatBudz]

You really need to take her to a vet ASAP. She could have a serious bacterial infection or crystals. It is very very painful, and they will urinate outside of the box, my cat did that too (she has feline urinary tract disease). What kind of food do you feed your cats? Do you feed canned food? You really need to take her to a vet, see if you can even go today, the longer you leave it, the worse it gets. And if there is a blockage it is fatal and she could die. Don't mean to scare you, but thats how serious urinary issues are.

Also, the vet will most likely put her on a prescription diet for a little while, don't go with the science diet, the better one is the Royal Canin/Medical Urinary S/O.

[Heidi n Q]

KB is right, you need to diagnose or rule-out any UTI problems before we can address any behavioral or environmental issues. The only way to know for certain, exactly what problem the cat has, is with a veterinary analysis of the urine so the vet knows what to treat the cat for. The peeing everywhere behavior you are describing is a clear indication of *something* wrong, and her behavior points toward the more common ocurance of UTI, but there are several kinds of UTI and the vet has to know which kind in order to recommend a course of treatment so the kitty recovers and it doesn't reccur.

I wrote this some time ago as a response for someone else but the information remains relevant and lately I seem to be getting a LOT of use out of it. First get a UTI exam/sample for diagnosis and proceed from there with pursuing any behavioral or environment issues, but the UTI *must* be ruled out FIRST. If your cat(s) is/are male, just replace she/her with he/him.
I apologize if this sounds blunt, it isn’t meant to be, it is simply the most expedient way for me to share all of the information you need to be informed.
=^..^=

Inapropriate Urination / UTI
The NUMBER ONE REASON CATS PEE INAPPROPRIATELY = Urinary Tract Inflamation (UTI)
Diagnosis is with a vet checking a urine sample. There is no other way to diagnose or rule-out this medical problem. Depending on diagnosis (infection, inflamation, crystals) treatment can include antibiotics, anti-inflamatories and/or a diet change to help get more moisture into their elimination systems.

Cats are naturally neat and tidy animals.
They *know* what a litterbox is for.
If a cat is *not* using their litterbox, they are trying to *tell you something* and you need to listen.

AFTER a veterinary visit and UTI has been eliminated as a problem, then you can move on to examining other areas:
Has the home been stressful for the cat? ...cats can develop UTIs due to stress...
Does the cat like the litterbox? ...open-tray, hooded, deep enough litter, large enough box...
Does the cat like the location of the litterbox? ...is it in a quiet area, low traffic and no sudden noises...
Does the cat like the litter used? ...some cats prefer different litters...
Does the cat approve of how clean the litterbox is kept for it? ...many cats will refuse to use 'dirty', and especially *smelly* litterboxes...
Are the litterboxes arranged in such a manner as they cannot become a trap? ... some multi cat households can have a problem with another cat either guarding the LBs or waiting to ambush a cat exiting a LB in an effort to play

Cats WANT to use a litterbox to hide their waste. If they are not, it is because there is some sort of problem and avoiding the litterbox is The Only Way for the cat to tell you It Is Having A Problem. If you and your family are annoyed at this behavior, imagine how *frustrating* and *painful* this can be for your cat, who is trying to tell you in every way she has available to her: She Is Having A Problem...UTI's are painful and the kitty tries to find places to pee where maybe it *won't* be painful, like soft piles of clothes, bedding and rugs. When the pain *still* isn't going away by peeing on soft things, they start to pee on 'smooth' things like floors, tables, sinks, tubs, showers, stoves and countertops. IMO, when a cat reaches the point of peeing on your countertops AND/OR peeing *right in front of you while looking you in the eyes* ... please don't get upset, the kitty is simply trying to tell you she has something wrong with her.

After medical treatment, diet can play a large role in helping to keep UTI's at bay; more moisture, as in a wet food or RAW diet. Even a better quality dry food and not feeding "McKittyCrack" (which is what I call grocery-store available dry catfoods) can help the kitty stay healthy. There are plenty of topics in the Health/Nutrition Forums to help you find a good catfood and/or diet for your kitty during and after treatment.

Good luck, we really *want* you to be able to help your kitty. Please let us know how things go...the information you share could help other people in similar situations, too.
heidi =^..^=

[KatBudz]

Heidi, that is really good information for people whos cats may be doing that for the first time. I don't know if you have already done so, but I think there should really be a sticky for urinary health, with your post included. So people can read that before posting their own questions and concerns

[Heidi n Q]

Thanks, KB. I'll ask if it can be stickied in the Health/Nutrition and/or Behavior forums. I notice "Things That Saved My Home" is in both places, so it is possible to cover both areas.

[blessthischick]

Just come back from the vet.

She is in perfect health.

I have been adviced to re-home her :'( I can't stop crying. Love her so much but he says it is the kindest thing I can do.

The vet believes he will be happier as a single cat and be able to go outside. I can't let her out though too many risks.



Will miss her but I want her to be happy

Feel the worst person in the world :'(:'(

Sorry

[Alpaca]

There is no need to be sorry. You are already actively seeking advice and info on here which is more than a lot of other frustrated cat owners wouldn't be doing. Give yourself some credit.

Well, now I guess it boils down to a behavioral problem. First things first. Make the decision: are you willing to work this out with some trial and error experiments? (Cats can't talk, although you think they can...so we have to play cat detective). Or do you think it's best if she becomes part of a one-cat family?

There are a million and one reasons why cats reject the litterbox. You're using pine litter. Have you tried using a different type? Corn? Clay? Some are picky about how the material feels under their paws. Have you tried a different type of litterbox? Some dont' like a covered box while others want one. Do you have enough litterboxes in the house? Some want to urine in one and #2 in another. Are both cats spayed? Not sure (correct me if I'm wrong ppls) but it might be a favoritism problem? Perhaps Jasmine is jealous of Tia and is marking her territory?

We won't hesitate to help if you decide to keep her. Just keep us posted of the progress!

Good luck!

[Heidi n Q]

Originally Posted by blessthischick

Just come back from the vet.
She is in perfect health.

You are NOT a horrible person! You are a loving and caring owner who is putting the well-being of her cat, first.

I am very sorry, but I must ask because your post was not clear: Did your vet perform a urinalysis with a sample of her urine or did your vet only do a physical exam?