male cat doesn't seem able to use litter tray

[burninglikefire]

One of my male cats, approx 6 years has been behaving unusually in the last 12 hours. Yesterday evening he was miaowing around the kitchen. Didn't know what he wanted but then he went to the litter tray and spent a while cleaning himself afterwards. I don't know if he actually used the tray - certainly no poo in it.

In the night I got up for a drink and he tried to wee/poo in the sink - has never done this before. He didn't actually do anything.

The litter tray wasn't very dirty but I cleaned it anyway and put fresh litter in. He then went in and out of it several times but I don't think has done anything. Also spent more time cleaning himself.

So, there seems to be a problem - not sure if he is constipated (not too worried about that) or if he can't wee - which I think is really serious.

He is curled up next to me atm - doesn't seem unhappy. If it helps, he ate his tea last night and some of other DCats.

I am thinking that I have to take him to the vet's this morning (morning session only at vets). This means missing my covid and flu jabs. I am right aren't I?

Have you recently moved house or done anything he may see as ‘traumatic’

yes you’re right to take him, ours had cystitis (bloody nuisance!) but they had to rule out kidney stones and blockages as they can be fatal.

Yes he urgently needs to go to the vets if he's struggling to use the litter tray. Please make him an emergency appointment 🙏

Thank you both for replying at this time. Nothing traumatic has happened - he seemed fine yesterday. Will be ringing as soon as vet's opens.

My dcat refuses to use the litter tray since moving, but also refuses to go in the garden if it's raining/windy/noisy/hot delete as applicable so goes wherever, very annoying . Vet said not all cats are clean!

We had the same with out male cat - constantly straining to wee but nothing coming out. Also not in the litter tray, would find him in corners, behind doors etc.

The vet told me male cats get crystals in their urine that can cause blockages. It can be serious, the sooner it’s treated the better.

Ours had urinary problems once, very distressing for him. Vet advised wet food and cystaid capsules.

Male DCat had that once and had to go to the vets as he had a UTI. He was completely off his food too. I made him scrambled egg with water and hand fed him which was the only way I could get him to eat.

Since then I've gotten him cystitis capsules from viovet which I mix up in his food as it also breaks down crystals too.

Skip your vaccine and do the Vet trip, if you ring the jab clinic they may be able to fit you in later.

Possible blockage and an emergency I'm afraid you need the vet

As others have said - it's an emergency and he must be seen today, as soon as possible.

Blockages in male cats are fatal in a very short space of time.

I concur with others who have said to get him a vet urgently. Sadly in male cats this can be fatal quite quickly. Good luck.

How is he?

Thank you everyone for the concern and suggestions.

So, I rang the vet and they saw him just after 9am. Vet could find no evidence of blockage, ie couldn't feel his bladder and his tummy was soft. Also, no sign of constipation. Vet concluded that it was cystitis. DCat has been prescribed metacam and I have been given instructions to contact them if I am concerned over the weekend. Since getting home, he has been eating wet food with enthusiasm and sleeping. Can't get him to drink water.

I had changed his diet recently because the other cat in the household was getting a build up of tartar on his teeth and it was recommended that he have more dry food. Water is always available but I am thinking that DCat is getting less fluid than he used to. For now, both cats are back on old diet with more wet food.

Looking up cystaid online - I think this is only available on prescription?

I have a beautiful china water fountain for cats in the garage that neither cat will drink from. Might get it out, dust it off and try again!

My DMaleCat won't touch any sort of water bowl or fountain, it's either straight from the tap or out of the pond for him - strange beasts.

When I need to get him to drink I give him the water from a tin of Tuna in Spring Water - he soon laps it up.

Have a look at VioVet, they sell various products to help with cystitis and avoiding the build up of crystals. I give my DCat one and we've had no vet visits and much cheaper than the £180 I had to pay last time he was ill.

You can get cystease by feliway from amazon

My cat has urine issues stress cystitis what I do is get the metacam syringe and fill it with water I can get about four in before he realises there is no metacam in there I do that a couple of times a day if he refuses to drink

Bowls of water in different places I have one in the bath a fountain upstairs (switched off I turn it on occasionally to fill it up then turn it off and they drink) there is also two bowls of water downstairs in hot weather I leave water in the bath and he will paddle and drink but as a reluctant drinker the syringe seems to help him like encourage him to actually drink

Good luck

My youngest cat has stress cystitis and crystals - if the problems continue, it may be worth getting his urine tested. If it is crystals, it requires a change in diet and often some medication at first.

He takes Cystease and D-Mannose everyday (both available on Amazon without prescription) and he's on a dry food formulated to get rid of crystals. He won't eat the formulated wet food - but our vet told us that any wet food is better than none so for now he gets Felix as that's all I can get him to eat 🙄

Since we started the tablets and the diet we've had no reoccurrences and it's been almost a year now ☺️

Great to hear he's been seen by the vet, has some pain relief and is getting back to himself 🙂

Cats don't generally drink in the wild as the majority of their water intake is from their food. Wet food is much better for them than dried as it's made up of about 80% moisture in comparison to 10% for dried. Try and keep up the wet food as that will no doubt help him.

Do you have a link for the d-mannose? My cats just had a reocourance due to bonfire night and new year is coming up

@Theunamedcat this is the one we use.

www.ffpets.co.uk/products/bladder-support-for-dogs-cats-helps-with-urinary-tract-infections-chewable-tablets

We give Toby two tablets a day alongside his Cystease.

Cats don't tend to like to drink where they eat either. I have a couple of large beakers of water in my house for the cats. One in the bathroom and one in the lounge that they seem to favour over bowls of water. They like a puddle too!

I have made a delicious concoction comprising about 1/3 of a stick of Lick-e-Lix and several teaspoons of water. DCat is happy to consume this. Have also given him some cat food in a dish with water stirred in.

This morning DCat made several trips to the litter tray - still can't see that anything is coming out, but due to the fact that he has eaten quite a lot and is currently sleeping happily, I am going to assume that he is probably weeing very small amounts at each visit and that there is no need for massive alarm.

Will order Cystease today and also buy some tuna in spring water - excellent suggestions - thank you everyone.

Interesting comment about using the metacam syringe to get some water into DCat. I have just been using the syringe as a measure and have then been mixing the stuff with a small amount of wet food.

This morning DCat made several trips to the litter tray - still can't see that anything is coming out, but due to the fact that he has eaten quite a lot and is currently sleeping happily, I am going to assume that he is probably weeing very small amounts at each visit and that there is no need for massive alarm.

This isn't necessarily the case - please, please check the tray and get him back to the vets if you're at all concerned.

I don't mean to be alarmist but urinary issues in males can go from mild to life-threatening in very short periods of time. Every single time mine has been in/out of his tray with little/no urine production, he's needed vet treatment beyond what I could provide at home.

I highly recommend getting the vet to test his urine for crystals as if that's what you're dealing with, you'll need a new diet and a brand new change in approach.

Some cats love metacam the vet calls it cat crack I literally have to fight mine off