Very stressed male cat

[Jellybaby30]

Our 3 Yr old ginger male(neutered) has previously had vet visits due to being V stressed by a stray male in our (otherwise quiet) area. Vet gave meds and suggested a water gun any time we see stray. Now we have 2 new cats moved in down below us 6 mths ago, we think our brother and sister cat have seen this as their territory for last few years. He's back to being v stressed, wees blood which vet has known about but it's ramped up again with him weeing around our house. He is terrified of the vet and keeps refusing the medication they have given him. I've tried D manoose for cats hidden in his food, he won't eat, tried UTI special food and again he won't eat. Vet said previously it isn't a UTI but the stress presents as this. He howls to get outside if I try to keep him inside and we are at a loss. We have feliway plug ins. Any help much appreciated. He loves sleeping on us and is so relaxed but I'm so worried about this weeing.

Bless him. We've also got a highly strung cat with frequent UTIs. It sounds like you are doing everything already. I didn't know there was such a thing as D-Mannose for cats. I will look into that! Is the vet not giving antibiotics? If our cat has blood in her urine, she gets either an antibiotic injection or a course of tablets and it clears up straight away. If he's not getting proper treatment it could be that there is an ongoing infection which is going to be horribly stressful in itself.

Thanks for the reply, it's worrying isn't it. He's so highly strung and stressed at times it's horrible. Vet himself said that taking him there causes such stress it's counter productive in many ways so I'm trying to find ways to maintain better health but he won't eat the food or supplements so I'm at loss. He hasn't needed antibiotics because it's a stress reaction not an actual infection 🤷they give him stuff to calm him which he will take once or twice then refuse. My husband loves him dearly but is getting really sick of the wee around the house

That is so hard. Is he weeing blood all the time? I really would push for antibiotics as you've tried everything else. I know vets like to see them, but could they do a video call? Could you weigh him at home so they know the dose? Or get a home visit. I would recommend the injection if he is a bugger for taking pills. How many feliways do you have plugged in? I have three on the go at the moment, two are plugged in next to her favourite sleeping places. Also are you giving metacam for the pain? If he is pain that will add to his stress. Our cat gets very vocal when she has a UTI, and I can tell she is in pain from the way she sits or lies - over to the side rather than square on. I think you have to get it from the vet and again they'll need his weight for the correct dose. Good luck with it.

Get a catio

Cystease or cystophan
It's a capsule you break open - if he likes those lick treats, you can just mix it in
It's a stress relief and also helps if there is a UTI

@fivebyfivebuffy I think I tried something similar but didn't have much luck getting it down her. There was so much powder in those capsules. I sprinkled it on food, mixed it with various things - yogurt, liver pate, water - but she hated it. Any tips welcome!

Mine doesn't seem to notice it! I add it to his wet food or I stir it into one of the lick treats

Mind you he did also just eat his antibiotics out my hand so maybe he's just a weirdo...

Does his gut tolerate NSAIDs (usually liquid meloxicam in cats) and will he take that in food? It usually helps a bit and I normally get owners to keep going a few weeks after the resolution of overt clinical signs, as the bladder lining takes quite a long time to settle down.

Definitely a weirdo! 😂

Antibiotics aren't going to help if it isn't a UTI and these symptoms in cats are usually stress. Meloxicam works for mine.

Jackson Galaxy has some brilliant videos on this. There's one where he basically creates a wall outside the window so the stressed cat can't see the strays outside and the cat calms down really quickly.

https://icatcare.org/advice/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease-flutd/

My favourite resource for owners although you probably have tried most or all of it.

@fivebyfivebuffy my cat is also a weirdo. She's even eaten whole capsules without complaining.

On the other hand if boy cat ever needs tablets we are resigned to the fact he'll die as it's too scary to even try.

Had this with my boy when he had a trip to the cattery whilst we were moving house so came to live in a new home where a dog had previously lived and my DH (his dearly beloved favourite human) had already gone on a business trip!

Our vet treated the wee issues as an emergency- it can be fatal, even when the cause is stress.

He gave him a massive injection of gabapentin that made his eyes massive and he stared out the window for 12 hours straight. A bomb could have gone off and he wouldn't have noticed. We then had a gel to keep getting in to him for another week. The idea was that it chilled him out enough for him to forget what was bothering him.

We then also started a maintainence dose of Loxicam AND cystease bladder capsules to keep things moving. The vet was happy to keep prescribing these until the source of the stress was removed.

It sounds like you need a catio in the long term though if the issue is other cats but he's unhappy to be kept inZ

I have blinds at my window I can drop if a cat comes into the garden zyclene and you calm tablets wrap up and dose with that (although he eats the zyclene like a wierdo) cystease extra fluids (lickelix) and wet food to keep everything moving

Ultimately mine is an indoor cat so I can maintain his environment like this but I do also leg it out the door with a water pistol when needed I also put anti cat powder around my garden to deter it

"Jackson Galaxy has some brilliant videos on this. There's one where he basically creates a wall outside the window so the stressed cat can't see the strays outside and the cat calms down really quickly."

I didn't know about JG so will look up those videos thanks. Agree blocking sightlines is really really important. Cats staring in the window or even being within sight of the affected cat when it's inside really, really, really stresses them out. Like if you saw a stranger loitering in your garden at night, when you are alone, trying to look in your windows. That level of freaked out.

Gosh I feel emotional reading all these replies - so helpful thank you! He's beside me drinking from the tap so does drink plenty and no signs of pain or discomfort when weeing or otherwise. The whole back of our house is glass sliding doors 😩 and no blinds so I think we will try him sleeping in the living room though he jumps up and opens the door and walks round yowling at the children's doors. The kitchen utility area is big and he sleeps OK in here but we do think the glass stresses him out. The house down below with 2 cats is a steep drop below us and they are old and don't leave their garden but the stray possibly does look in. Huge thanks for the medication recommendations I will ring the vet to see about prescribing what he's had before if I weigh him. I can't disguise anything, have tried all forms but he sniffs it out 😭. Also hadn't heard of this Jackson so will watch. Ever thankful 🙏

Did you mean Zylkene? I found it very useful with a couple of cats, my friend found it great for 2 of his but not so much the 3rd.

Comes in the capsules with powder in that you can open, not vast amounts of powder in this case and 2 of mine actually preferred when it was seasoning their food!

"The whole back of our house is glass sliding doors 😩"

Could you try putting stick on sheets that are opaque or at least blur things on the bottom 12-18" of the glass. It only needs to be cat height! Or you could use the fake spray on "snow" as a trial, or temporary sheets of cardboard sellotaped onto the bottom which looks like hell but at least is quick and free and lets you know whether it's worth investing money and effort in a more aesthetic permanent solution.