Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

I need some help please,I'm at my wit's end!

33 replies

DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/11/2017 20:09

Any help gratefully received,sorry this is long Smile

Pucinni was a stray who adopted us when he was about 6 months. He was practically feral and in a dreadful state but he's settled in beautifully and is 2 now. Not 100% sure what breed he is but he looks like a Bengal and sounds like one too (Hmm)

A year ago he had a really bad UTI and nearly died, changed his food to half Applaws dry and half wet but last month he had another and we very nearly lost him. He refuses the Science Hill prescription- don't blame him tbh,it looks disgusting,so he's on half Gourmet wet and half raw which he's doing fine on and vet is happy with how it's going.

When he was ill he had to have a catheter which was awful as he just dribbled pee everywhere constantly so we had to contain him in the bathroom.

Anyway,since then he's been spraying inside at least once a day. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason why or when he does it,he just does. He's been neutered and it's not a huge spray more like a few drops but he's definitely spraying.

I think he's stressed, he's very highly strung anyway and more like an over excited puppy than a cat and seems to home in to cats in the vicinity of the house. When he starts yowling,I make a big show of rattling the door and chasing them away so he feels protected but yesterday he sprayed because I was sweeping up and tonight he finished his food and waltzed up to the the living room door and sprayed.

I took him to the vet and was hoping he'd suggest some kitty valium or something but he said 'no easy fix, don't crowd him just ignore him' Wish I could ignore him,he is such a demanding cat!!

So,I've ordered Zykleine (sp?) and Homeopet - I'll try anything at this point and we already have Feliway diffuser and the spray.

Really,this is awful and it can't be nice for Pucinni as something is clearly wrong.

What else can I do?

OP posts:
Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/11/2017 20:10

He has high places to sleep,a six foot cat tree and he sleeps on top of a big storage unit and at night he's indoors and on our bed. Cat flap is a micro chipped one.

OP posts:
Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/11/2017 20:13

The only time I really feel he's relaxed is at night on our bed when he's so obviously relaxed he snores Grin

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 30/11/2017 20:14

Worth cat proofing to keep other cats out?
Blinds so he can't see them?
Using enzyme cleaner? Or he will keep going back.
Restrict access?
Does he play games? Our boy kitty was bonkers when younger? We used to bounce foam balls up the stairs and let them roll down so he could murder them!

BeetrootTart · 30/11/2017 20:16

Have you got any feliway?

It helped my very anxious cat be slightly less neurotic. She's still lives a life of fear but much improved.

Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/11/2017 20:20

Can't cat proof,it's a huge garden, I don't think other cats come into the garden I think they sit outside the fence/hedge.

I HAVE ordered some of that privacy film for the bottom half of the French doors,I did pull the blinds down and he instantly sprayed on them.

Yes,I use an enzyme cleaner,it's great and he doesn't spray in the same place again.

I've been shutting him in the front room with us in the evenings to see if that helps.

We all play with him a lot, he loves it and he's like a puppy and really lively so we enjoy doing that so plenty of play time.

OP posts:
Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/11/2017 20:20

Yes Feliway spray and diffuser.

OP posts:
ilovewelshrarebit123 · 30/11/2017 20:25

My cat Ivy had FLUTD which is urinary stress and she was weeing on beds.

She's was a real scaredy cat and seemed quite unhappy. She was very poorly and spent three days in the vets.

They recommended Hills urinary care stress dry food. She wasn't fussed but I weaned her onto it by mixing it with wet food and gradually increased the dry until it was all dry.

She loves it now and is a totally different cat. Calm, affectionate and no accidents.

There is also a wet version so you can mix feed if you want but it's quite expensive. There seems to be a magic ingredient called L-tryptophan and milk protein hydrolysate which controls their stress.

I know Royal Canin do similar so might worth trying their version.

I can't believe the difference in Ivy and she's such a lovely cat now.

Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/11/2017 20:29

I've tried doing the food weaning thing but he just wouldn't touch it or even a morsel mixes with other food.

I wonder if that's the same stuff that is in the Zykleine? It's from milk proteins apparently.

OP posts:
Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/11/2017 20:30

I've tried Royal Cannon too. It's taken all this time for him to settle in Gourmet food,he's been sooooo fussy. So pleased it worked for your kitty,that's fabSmile

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 30/11/2017 20:31

Cystease capsules in his food, it stopped my Bengal spraying. I mix water into his food too.

Their very highly strung compared to normal cats.

Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/11/2017 20:33

He's been on 2 cystaid daily for the last year on vet's advice.

It's so frustratingSad

OP posts:
Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/11/2017 20:35

Yes, I add water to his food too, nifty trickWink

OP posts:
BeetrootTart · 30/11/2017 20:36

Sorry I missed that you've tried feliway already.

My cats are also dicks about food so I sympathise. I've tried so many times to get them onto wet food but they aren't interested. They'll eat any dry food you like but won't give any complete wet food anything more than a cursory lick.

Could he go indoor only for a while? Maybe if he stops smelling other cats he'll calm down?

Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/11/2017 20:42

I did try indoor only for a bit but he went bananas and it was stressing him so badly the vet said to let him have free access.

I could weepSad

OP posts:
Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/11/2017 20:46

Battery is about to die but I'll read later.

Thanks for suggestions so farFlowers

OP posts:
BeetrootTart · 30/11/2017 20:47

Could you trade him in for a non-faulty model? Sad poor beast.

2nd opinion? Maybe you have a reluctant vet and need one who's a bit more lax with prescription pad Blush

Fluffycloudland77 · 30/11/2017 20:48

Is cystaid the same as cystease?.

The vet said if ours gets one more uti he can try amitryptiline.

Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 30/11/2017 23:22

The only difference I think is that cystaid is more expensive and has green tea in it.

How many UTI's has your kitty had fluffy? I was surprised the vet didn't want to try meds. I might get a second opinion and just see what is suggested.

OP posts:
MsMims · 01/12/2017 00:15

Definitely worth having a second opinion. I assume samples have been sent off to 1) check for the specific bacteria 2) check it has complete resolved after meds?

Just wondering if it’s the same low level infection never completely resolving? We had a cat with FLUTD and have an existing cat who has had crystals and occasional flare ups of UTIs but neither suffered with symptoms or unwanted behaviour between ‘episodes’.

Bananarama12 · 01/12/2017 00:28

Feed raw - has a lot more moisture in it therefore he will need to drink less. I work for a veterinary practice and in my opinion the royal canin/hills diets are all a load of rubbish. (And they're not 'veterinary prescription', they are available from anywhere). Hope your little man is better soon Flowers

Toddlerteaplease · 01/12/2017 03:30

Try pet remedy, I've found it more effective than feliway. Also when Fatty was seeing on the sofa she had cystophan and zykelene and it completely knocked her out. So it might just take the edge of a very highly strung boy. Does he still sing?

Fluffycloudland77 · 01/12/2017 06:35

Too many to count I'm afraid.

Ditch the dry food for a month & give him a squirt of cat toothpaste every night after dinner instead for his teeth. I think it's called logic.

Ours has 4.5 pouches a day with water added.

FolderReformedScruncher · 01/12/2017 06:45

Has he got loads of litter trays in different locations OP? Cats get UTI's when they hold on to their urine. Vets get inundated with these cases a few days after a snow fall because the cats don't go out to pee and they have no tray in the house. Could you give him lots of trays so he has a choice?

Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 01/12/2017 08:44

Yes, 2 trays indoors but refuses to use them.

Will try Pet Remedy.

He's already transitioning to raw and loves it,no dry at all,he lets me clean his teeth. I add water to his wet food too.

I do wonder if it's a low level infection still,no samples were taken yesterday, just felt if his bladder was empty. I felt like I was being fobbed off a bit tbh. I'm going to see a different vet.

He got agitated this morning and was looking out of the French Windows --like will be interesting to see if the privacy film works.

Thanks for all your suggestionsSmile

OP posts:
Original poster
DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen · 01/12/2017 08:46

Toddler he doesn't sing like he used to just when there's a cat in the vicinity. I don't miss it and neither do the neighbours Grin

OP posts: