A new low!

[jaspercat2002]

I have a 16 year old brother and sister. He has always had 'issues' - as a younger cat was very sensitive to cat territory changes in the neighbourhood and showed his unhappiness by spraying in the house. As he's got older he has suffered several bouts of cystitis and this has led to a cycle of inappropriate urination in the house that we have struggled to break. Have tried all the usual recommendations for cleaning the areas, using feliway etc. We have 4 trays in various locations round the house with his preferred cat litter in.§

I have to admit I have probably not been watching him as closely as I should lately as we have been dealing with our other cats hyperthyroid treatment. However he has been going through a bit of bad patch of peeing outside his tray (he doesn't really go out much anymore as he struggles with the cat flap) so have booked a vet appointment tomorrow. My dad commented that he thought he had lost weight, although I hadn't really noticed but I see him every day. He does seem to be eating more than normal though.

Anyway I have just been sitting and watching TV and he jumped up next to me and I suddenly felt him peeing on my arm! This is a first. I am guessing there must be something quite wrong for him to do this?

I do love him - he is a lovely, affectionate boy but he is hard work! Am having to change the carpets for hard floors in the kids rooms this week as if they leave anything on the floor he pees on it and although I clean the carpets all the time they are ruined now.

[cozietoesie]

Ouch. I'm not going to make light of peeing everywhere because it can be a serious PITA. (As well as worrying.)

Let us know how the vet appointment goes.

[timtam23]

Maybe he could also have overactive thyroid? My old cat did exactly the same - huge appetite but losing weight, and weeing everywhere including on our beds. He was 16. I guess the vet would check for that & also diabetes/kidneys (all 3 are common problems in older cats). We also didn't notice for ages that there was anything wrong with the cat, when changes are gradual & you're with the cat every day it's hard to spot them.

[jaspercat2002]

Yes - will ask them to check his thyroid levels I think. He's not hyperactive like his sister was when hers was bad but guess they can all have different symptoms.

I can't get a urine sample from him though as he just won't use a tray at all at the moment (I usually use that non-absorbent cat litter to get a sample) so not sure how they will be able to test for crystals or kidney problems - will have to hope the vet has a trick up her sleeve!

[cozietoesie]

I've always just stuck a saucer under cats' backsides when they're committed to the pee and then sucked up the urine with a small pipette thing and put it in a vial - both of which were given to me by the vet. By far the easiest way for us.

Would he give you enough warning (eg settling into a comfortable squat) to be able to do that? (The success of the process does assume that you have a saucer handily placed - in every room in your case.)

[jaspercat2002]

I have just come across a surprise puddle on a hard floor so have used the pipette to collect some of that (lovely!) It might not be the purest sample but the floor is clean and hopefully will be enough. Will try the saucer trick next time though. Cat care is such a glamorous job sometimes!

[cozietoesie]

Hah!

Get the sample down to the vet and see what they say - I wouldn't have thought that it would be significantly more dirty than that which you collect from non-absorbable litter and I suspect they're used to working with small and mucky samples anyway. (They always comment on how copious and clean Seniorboy's samples are so I'm inferring from that.)

[cozietoesie]

*non-absorbent

< sips more caffeine >

[jaspercat2002]

Thanks for all suggestions and advice. Vet has tested blood and urine and nothing really showing up - in fact she said the results were really good for a cat of his age. There is a possibility of a slight infection so he is going to have a course of anti-biotics to be safe. If this doesn't seem to work he will have a abdominal scan just in case there is a bladder stone, but it looks like it is probably behavioural.

I think there is a new cat on the block and I am wondering now if he has been popping in through the cat flap for a little snack - we do seem to have had very empty bowls recently. Will lock the cat flap for a few days and maybe invest in (another) hideously expensive feliway diffuser. It could also be a reaction to our other cat having disappeared for a week, being kept in a separate room for 3 weeks and then suddenly reappearing.

Anyway - good news really. Would have hated him to be hyperthyroidic, or have had kidney problems. But am probably going to have to carry on battling in the war against cat wee!

[cozietoesie]

Hmm - I guess you'll be back a lot with this one.

In the interim - have you thought of getting a chip cat flap which would only allow your cats to come in and out ? Cats coming in to the house can be a little like mice - if you see one, you could easily have 10 - which I guess he wouldn't like much.

Most posters use the Sureflap and are pretty happy with them. They're a tad expensive - about £60-£70 online - so shop around. Worth considering if you have outside-going cats.

[jaspercat2002]

My cats aren't actually chipped . By the time it became mainstream and cheap enough they were already getting on a bit and the vet said that as they hadn't wandered yet, and as we weren't planning on moving, that it probably wasn't necessary. Neither of them are actually that bothered about going out though nowadays - they like a little potter in the garden when the weather is nice but prefer that the staff open doors for them rather than struggling out the cat flap so maybe I will just lock it permanently.

Here is, looking incredibly handsome, even with his little shaved patch on his chest from the blood test