9 week old kittens

[halpplease]

My cat Indy just got ove a bout of idiopathic cystitus too, she was stressed by municipal fireworks being set off close by on new years. Took her about a week to get over it but shes ok now. I did put spotify on the tv for her for a few days, seemed to kind of mellow her out.

With a male cat its obstruction of the penis you need to really watch for, this can be fatal within 24 hours. Squatting but no pee or tiny dripps are the most common signs theres a blockage.

He doesn't seem to be exhibiting signs of a blockage luckily. When I first got him, I was worried he might have had that because my elderly cat before had it and the vet said lucky I noticed it quickly so I'm paranoid even though the other cat was much older.

I just fed them and they've tucked themselves into bed and they're all purry and back to their old selves and quite happy to be in their room. I haven't fed them any less today than I usually do.

It was so nice to have them purring in my face and licking me again. I find it hard to read sometimes because they so want to be out of the room and when they're out they act up some of time even though they can go back to their room at any time.

 

[halpplease]

Also, I was quite lucky with fireworks this year but we only heard a couple and they weren't too bad at all. I'm sorry Indy had such a tough time. I used to live in the countryside and the farmers told us that fireworks make their sheep and cattle self abort their foetuses due to stress. I don't want to be a party pooper but fireworks should only be used in proper displays, away from livestock and not available for domestic use.

 

[IndyJones]

Agreed, plus people can be really stupid about when/where they set them off. At one of my old homes we had an obnoxious neighbourwho set them off at 3am and the shell landed in our swimming pool. Not a thing to be handled by people who dont know what they are doing.

Anyways, im wondering if maybe you are giving too much freedom too soon. If he is sensitive he may just need a gradual introduction to the rest of the house. Too much too soon could just be information overload for him. Idk just trying to think.

 

[halpplease]

Agreed, plus people can be really stupid about when/where they set them off. At one of my old homes we had an obnoxious neighbourwho set them off at 3am and the shell landed in our swimming pool. Not a thing to be handled by people who dont know what they are doing.

Anyways, im wondering if maybe you are giving too much freedom too soon. If he is sensitive he may just need a gradual introduction to the rest of the house. Too much too soon could just be information overload for him. Idk just trying to think.

What an idiot...we had kids set them off down the road as in parallel to the ground and aiming them at people's gardens.

I love in a 3 storey town house. With 4 bedrooms and on the top 2 floors and the living, dining room and kitchen on the ground floor. I've shut off the bedroom on the top floor and one of the bedrooms on the second floor. Maybe I should shut off more rooms downstairs or only let them out when I'm in my room which is next to theirs so they can come find me if needs be. If I'm upstairs in my bedroom, they don't really go downstairs a lot. They tend to run or chase each other but come back up to find me.

I just feel so bad because I can't read their minds but I'll keep working to get to the bottom of it.

 

[Norachan]

I think it might have been that the duvet smelled weird because it was brand new? I've washed the pee patch and sprayed lots of the wee away spray on it which uses bacteria to break down the urine.

I think there must be something they use on new bedding and towels that makes cats think they're supposed to pee there. Maybe they can smell chlorine or something used in the fabric dye? I'm not sure, but I've had cats react similarly to things like new sofa throws or new bathmats

He just peed on my duvet again whilst I was downstairs cooking...it seems like he's attention seeking

How many litter boxes do you have? The general rule is one for each cat and one extra, so if you have two cats you'll need three boxes. As they are still young maybe try putting a litter box in every room they have access to. If he does have some kind of bladder problem having more boxes around might help.

 

[halpplease]

I think there must be something they use on new bedding and towels that makes cats think they're supposed to pee there. Maybe they can smell chlorine or something used in the fabric dye? I'm not sure, but I've had cats react similarly to things like new sofa throws or new bathmats

How many litter boxes do you have? The general rule is one for each cat and one extra, so if you have two cats you'll need three boxes. As they are still young maybe try putting a litter box in every room they have access to. If he does have some kind of bladder problem having more boxes around might help.

I'm not sure but if I could smell the funny scent, then I'm sure he could too. I just didn't think he'd be so bothered, he'd pee on it.

I have 4 at the moment. 2 in their nursery, 1 in my room at the end of the bed and 1 on the ground floor right next to the bottom of the stairs.

 

[Alldara]

Potentially that means he's more sensitive to changes? I asked if he is considered to have an existing condition for insurance purposes and the vet said no.

Yes potentially. One of the kittens from the same rescue as Magnus had it quite badly.

Usually FIC/FLUTD is diagnosed after a couple of occurrences. Peeing somewhere soft is the beginning of an occurrence and I would just give your vets office a call to let them know about it.

Knowing that his bladder has been inflamed before does very much change the advice. I know one other kitten from the rescue we got Magnus from had FLUTD quite badly. But that's the only other time I heard about it starting so young.

The emergency vet gave us some anxiety medication that I could give to Nobel for about 3 days when he has a flare up. It was a very small dosage but helpful. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what that medication was anymore. I never refilled it after we didnt live with roommates, etc.

 

[halpplease]

Yes potentially. One of the kittens from the same rescue as Magnus had it quite badly.

Usually FIC/FLUTD is diagnosed after a couple of occurrences. Peeing somewhere soft is the beginning of an occurrence and I would just give your vets office a call to let them know about it.

Knowing that his bladder has been inflamed before does very much change the advice. I know one other kitten from the rescue we got Magnus from had FLUTD quite badly. But that's the only other time I heard about it starting so young.

The emergency vet gave us some anxiety medication that I could give to Nobel for about 3 days when he has a flare up. It was a very small dosage but helpful. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what that medication was anymore. I never refilled it after we didnt live with roommates, etc.

Did it get better over time even without the anxiety meds?

I'm running out of ideas with this kitten. The breeder offered to take him back and refund me but I don't want to let him go unless he's seriously unhappy here

 

[Alldara]

Did it get better over time even without the anxiety meds?

I'm running out of ideas with this kitten. The breeder offered to take him back and refund me but I don't want to let him go unless he's seriously unhappy here

Well once they get used to whatever the change was, in this case likely moving in to your home and slowly gaining access to your home, yes.

But there can be flare ups due to other changes.

There's other things you can do if you take a look at the link I sent. But yes I did keep and use the medication for some years. As I mentioned, it was something I had to periodically give for 3 days or so at a time. I could give it say for three days after we moved or something.

I did a lot of the lifestyle changes with food, enrichment and learning what his stressors were. When I started noticing the signs of stress specific to Nobel, I could add more water to his food to ensure I could flush his bladder to lower inflammation. I also started giving him glucosamine supplement and switched his litter away from both clay and pine.

The kitten on the group I also made this suggestion for and they found it helped when they went back to newspaper litter. I haven't seen an update on him in awhile.


I would also be cautious about separating the two if they are littermats that came together. It's the only other cat each are used to now and they could get depressed.

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) | International Cat Care

Feline Idiopathic Cystitis | VCA Animal Hospital | VCA Canada Animal Hospitals

Oral glucosamine and the management of feline idiopathic cystitis - PubMed

 

[Sarthur2]

I think it is much too soon to think about returning the kitten. He clearly has issues — whether organic or stress-based — that need time to resolve. I doubt returning him will make anything better for him. For you, maybe, but not for him.

 

[halpplease]

Hi everyone,

Sorry I haven't provided an update.

I started a new job about 3 weeks ago...

I was hopeful that I would have a promising update but I don't. The cats will have their second jab this Tuesday and I will speak to the vet some more.

Biscuit had an accident on the evening I came home from work after my first day. He's been fine and it was clear to me it seemed like anxiety or stress because I let them out as soon as I came home but I was busy cooking so I didn't sit down with them straight away. I then kept them in the nursery despite them always meowing to come out. I introduced automatic feeders which they're fascinated by and I add water to every meal. I gradually let them come out and play if I felt like they weren't showing signs of stress. I also tried letting only Milk out but then Biscuit started meowing a lot when he was alone so, I would let Milk out alone and then I would sit with Biscuit in the nursery and when Milk wanted to come back, I would let her in. I then thought because Biscuit was doing so well, it's time to let them both out with a few rooms closed off. It was all going fine for a few days. He seemed haply and we've been bonding, but tonight my bf is here, sitting on my bed and I was folding laundry and Biscuit decided to pee on my bed and clean laundry. They were both out and as soon as the clean laundry came out, Biscuit started to play and scratch and I put him back in his room to cool down, because he was scratching me when I was trying to pick the clothes up. He started meowing at the door so I let him out and he seemed calmer, but he soon jumped on my bed and he looked like he was happy and purring but then he settled and I saw the signs he was going to pee. I picked him up mid stream...

Sorry for the long post...I'm seeing the vet Tuesday and the free temp insurance they had has ran out. I know it was mentioned Biscuit might have FIC but it literally comes on whenever.

 

[IndyJones]

If the peeing started when the boyfriend showed up thats probably your problem. He doesn't like the boyfriend.

Have the boyfriend offer him treats and get rid of the auto feeders for a while and have boyfriend feed them. Thats one thing I don't like about atuo feeders, they take away the bonding activity of feeding. Anyways, idealy boyfriend should feed all meals for a few weeks but once a day should be ok or every day that he visits.

This may sound gross but have your boyfriend leave a sweaty sock at they house and use it for scent mingling. Cats are very drivin by smell and a sweaty sock is full of pheremones your cat can smell but you can't. The idea is simaller to scent swapping with multi cat intros. Your cats smell mixing with boyfriends.

 

[Alldara]

On the topic of FIC: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) | International Cat Care

Nutrition and Behavior Therapy for Feline Idiopathic Cystitis

The Best Indoor Cat Enrichment Ideas: Toys, Puzzles, and More

 

[halpplease]

Thank you all

IndyJones bf is only here at the weekends, we don't live together, but he left his dressing gown for them already. I thought they were used to him already because they've played with him before and they've cuddled with him etc

Auto feeders are only used once a day max for if I'm out. Otherwise they are fed normally and get lots of treats in between.

 

[halpplease]

Hi everyone, the kitten has just gone toilet in random places in his room again and I've made the difficult decision of contacting the breeder and returning him.

 

[Norachan]

I'm sorry to hear that. It's always sad when things don't work out.

How's the other kitten doing?

 

[halpplease]

I'm sorry to hear that. It's always sad when things don't work out.

How's the other kitten doing?

I couldn't go through with handing him back, so he's still here peeing and pooping in places he shouldn't be and using the litter box too. He peed and pooped twice in a basket on Friday then he did it on my muumuu which I left for them at the weekend and then tonight I found he did it on my bfs dressing gown in a cardboard box. I'm not sure why things got so bad again.

 

[Norachan]

I'm sorry that you're still going through this. Were you able to take him for a full health check? It's pretty unusual for a cat to have so many accidents and it not be a health issue.

How's the female kitten?

 

[halpplease]

I'm sorry that you're still going through this. Were you able to take him for a full health check? It's pretty unusual for a cat to have so many accidents and it not be a health issue.

How's the female kitten?

Milk is fine. I feel bad for her because her brother steals the limelight. She's very good though.

The vet checked him over last week when they went for the shots. He said they were fine. There has been a good few weeks between the initial pooping incidents which I initially thought was because he couldn't tolerate the kitten milk I was asked to give him.

 

[Alldara]

Well they are just 15 weeks. They might not be fully potty trained. 9 weeks is too early to be leaving mom; it should have been 12 weeks. So even if he started of decent at it, the lesson might not have been solidified.

Many of the things you have listed him using seem pretty litter box adjacent, in the eyes of a kitten anyway. (Basket and box)
So that really hints to me that he is not yet fully litter trained.

My friend adopted a kitten too young too and she needed to put a spare litter in every room of her house for the first few months.

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