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The litter tray

Demented cat driving me up the wall - tips please!

12 replies

dun1urkin · 06/07/2015 19:40

He's bonkers and I was wondering if you have any tips to help me cope / manage him.
He's at least 17 (vet thinks older), 2 years into renal failure, 2.4kg (medium sized, should be between 3 and 4kg), deaf and bonkers, poor old lad.
He used to be banished to the kitchen overnight as couldn't be 100% trusted anymore not to wee/poo where he shouldn't. But now he's started making a new noise that I can only describe as 'crowing' that's so loud it wakes me up, and he's been doing this more and more frequently. So now he's no longer banished overnight, but I'm not sleeping much more with his overnight antics!
I'm certain this isn't physical pain, as the first few times I heard it I went flying to see what was wrong, and there was nothing. He stops when I go to him (so am guessing he's calling mummy) but also stops if ignored after a short session.
He's got access to three litter trays (2 cat house) but has started going elsewhere (wees and poos) in addition to using the litter trays.

Oh yeah, meds are lactulose, benazecare and aktivait. On renal food.
Please help with:
How to get him to eat more
How to get him to stop shitting and pissing where he shouldn't
Any views on the vocalisation and what I might be able to do to reduce anxiety (which I assume this is about - have tried feliway)
There's more, but I'm already weary with typing it all.... He's very cute and cuddlyGrin

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cozietoesie · 06/07/2015 20:27

Oh Dear - I feel for you.

The incontinence is a thing whose prospect bothers me very much with regard to Seniorboy. He's spent all his life sleeping in bed and if he became incontinent there, I couldn't permit him to continue sleeping with me - which he simply wouldn't understand. He would regard it as a punishment.

Your lad is certainly up against it on many fronts. Do you think he's still enjoying his life?

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dun1urkin · 06/07/2015 20:34

He seems happy in himself, enjoys a cuddle and a purr, occasionally plays. He's at the vet once a fortnight (has an injection for something blood related - I can't remember what!) We've had a chat about when we'll know it's 'time' and I don't think he's there yet.
He's not incontinent, just indiscriminate Grin

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cozietoesie · 06/07/2015 20:40

Well if he's at the age he is and with all his challenges, I rather suspect the issue will be moot fairly soon. Is there someone at home during the day? (I'm thinking about his feeding.)

Does he actually seem to enjoy his renal food? (I was given special sensitive stomach food from the vet for Seniorboy and he treated it like something you might scrape off your shoe when coming inside the house - next door's cat thought it was fine thank goodness.)

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dun1urkin · 06/07/2015 20:51

No one at home during the day to encourage eating. He does like his food doesn't flat out refuse but just doesn't eat very much of it.
When he was overnighting in the kitchen we gave him free access to food and he didn't bother eating it.
I can't leave any out all day as the other one is a greedy fat pig who will eat it all in 5 seconds flat.

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cozietoesie · 06/07/2015 20:54

I'd certainly try to give him a number of smaller meals when someone is around, preferably eating themselves which they seem to like. Has the vet given a view on any other foods or are they forbidden?

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dun1urkin · 06/07/2015 21:10

He can have a mixture - we were talking about it tonight (at the vets)
I suppose it's about trying to get a balance between renal food and other tastier snacks. I've come home tonight with a small cat selection box! I was giving him lamb every day for a while in an effort to increase his weight, but he just ate less of everything else, stayed the same weight. He's on my shoulder purring his head off at the moment, so I've forgiven him for weeing in the study this afternoon.
I'll try him on smaller portions more frequently. Perhaps he's over faced with all the food I present to him.

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cozietoesie · 06/07/2015 21:32

I'm a busted flush as far as food is concerned, I'm afraid. When Seniorboy came to me at 14, no-one thought he'd live for more than a month or two if we were lucky - so he got what he fancied as long as it wasn't actually bad for him. He's ben gravy-training it for the six years since. Grin

It's your call now, I think. He's not going to make really old bones from the sound of it and if there are things he enjoys which won't actually hurt his condition, I'd let him have them.

(Laptop about to die so have to go.)

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cozietoesie · 06/07/2015 21:41

ctd.

And Yes - I'd try him on smaller portions more frequently, varying the flavours in between noshes if you can. It keeps the food nice and fresh - and if you can manage to sit beside him while he eats it that might also help. (For some reason - I haven't worked that one out yet.)

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GemmaTeller · 06/07/2015 21:46

Our old girl is 20 this year and somewhere between 3am and 6am, for reasons unknown she emits the worst sounding noise, part yowl, part screech, part 'I'm being murdered'.

I always get up to her, fearing the worst, but no...she wants something to eat or drink.

She sleeps in the lounge till the above happens then she gets shut in the kitchen with a litter tray and a quarter of a foil tray of food until its proper getting up time.

Even the other cat and the dog don't bother stirring now till proper getting up time.

She is losing weight though, we feed her whenever she asks for food, but she has it in half pouch/tray stages otherwise she is sick. She also gets scrambled eggs, sliced ham, roast chicken etc., basically anything she wants.

The vet thinks she has a growth in her upper stomach but says she is too weak/old to survive exploratory surgery so is reluctant to give medication and has said the decision is ours to make.

She forgets to go to the toilet, so twice a day we put her on the cat litter to remind her to 'go' and thats working at the moment with no accidents elsewhere in the house.

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cozietoesie · 06/07/2015 21:50

She's an old old girl so things like 'reminders to pee' are good ideas - you just have to know your cat and judge the timing reasonably. Poor old lass - she may be deaf as well as a bit unwell. (Hence the shrieking in the early hours.)

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GemmaTeller · 06/07/2015 21:58

She is definately a bit (if not more) deaf.

She doesn't turn to look at however calls her name and doesn't know we are going near her if her backs towards us and does a startled meow when she catches us out of the corner of her eye.

She isn't allowed in the front garden and only goes in the back garden if one of us is out there to keep an eye on her.

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cozietoesie · 06/07/2015 22:06

Well how many 80 or 90 year old humans do you know that haven't got at least some problems with their sight and/or hearing? My own old boy's hearing is still fine but I think he has very little (if any) sight left.

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