An older gentleman with some unfortunate habits

[FeebysOwner]

I don't use the one I linked to. I thought that one was washable, and that is what you need.

I have cheap washable entryway rugs that do the trick for Feeby. They aren't even ones that are intended to catch litter, but they do for as little litter that she tracks out of the boxes. And, even though I can wash them, I don't need to do it very often because I don't have her getting urine on them.

Maybe this one instead?
Amazon.com : Drymate Original Cat Litter Mat, Contains Mess from Box for Cleaner Floors, Urine-Proof, Soft on Kitty Paws -Absorbent/Waterproof- Machine Washable, Durable (USA Made) (20”x28”)(GreyStripeBlackPaw) : Bird Houses : Pet Supplies

 

[Alldara]

If he does have hyperthyroid, that can cause the increase in vocalization. Usually it happens when the levels are off.

No litter mats perfectly catch anything but I found this one good and easy to clean if there's an accident: Amazon.ca

 

[Joxer]

If he does have hyperthyroid, that can cause the increase in vocalization. Usually it happens when the levels are off.

No litter mats perfectly catch anything but I found this one good and easy to clean if there's an accident: Amazon.ca

I got Casper's latest blood test results yesterday. His T4 is essentially perfect (2.5). So hyperthyroidism (which he has, but is well controlled with Methimazole) is probably not the cause of all this yelling... or screaming... there's really no human sound that's an equivalent. These are really loud, high-pitched, meowing/chirping sounds that he makes just about whenever he's indoors and he sees me or Lindsey.

Casper also has special sounds that he only makes around Lindsey. Kind of like a nervous whimper. I think he's in love with her, but also wary of her. She's much younger and bigger than he is. Lindsey, for her part, seems very interested in Casper, but probably enjoys their games more than he does.

Anyway, nothing in Casper's blood work offers any clues. His kidney disease is also very stable. His vet calls it "stage 2" but in half his blood tests, his Creatinine and BUN levels aren't even outside of the normal range.

The vocalizing isn't really a big deal for me. I'm getting used to it. My main concern was that it indicated an underlying health problem, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Sadly, his vet has no new ideas on how to deal with the indoor territory marking (with urine) or rolling around in the litter box.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Anyway, nothing in Casper's blood work offers any clues. His kidney disease is also very stable. His vet calls it "stage 2" but in half his blood tests, his Creatinine and BUN levels aren't even outside of the normal range.

Despite the creatinine range being 0.6 - 2.4, anything over 1.6 (and up to 2.8) is considered Stage 2. BUN can jump all over the place due to other factors. But, there are numerous other variables that can play a role in staging.

The vocalizing isn't really a big deal for me. I'm getting used to it. My main concern was that it indicated an underlying health problem, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Blood work is not the only way to rule out or identify underlying health problems. One of the probable causes of vocalization is high blood pressure, which is very hard to detect by just observing a cat. And, sadly, most vets don't check BP, even though they should. Pain, arthritis, hearing loss are some of the other things that can attribute to excessive/different vocalizations. Casper is pretty old, so I don't doubt he has health issues. Other than arthritis being identified in body x-rays, the others are not as easily identified, and not much can be done for them, other than pain, which is pretty much left up to the owner to be able to see things that could mean pain.

his vet has no new ideas on how to deal with the indoor territory marking (with urine) or rolling around in the litter box.

As I've said before, and am saying again, these habits long precede his older age and any health issues he may have. They are long standing habits.

 

[Joxer]

Despite the creatinine range being 0.6 - 2.4, anything over 1.6 (and up to 2.8) is considered Stage 2. BUN can jump all over the place due to other factors. But, there are numerous other variables that can play a role in staging.

Blood work is not the only way to rule out or identify underlying health problems. One of the probable causes of vocalization is high blood pressure, which is very hard to detect by just observing a cat. And, sadly, most vets don't check BP, even though they should. Pain, arthritis, hearing loss are some of the other things that can attribute to excessive/different vocalizations. Casper is pretty old, so I don't doubt he has health issues. Other than arthritis being identified in body x-rays, the others are not as easily identified, and not much can be done for them, other than pain, which is pretty much left up to the owner to be able to see things that could mean pain.

As I've said before, and am saying again, these habits long precede his older age and any health issues he may have. They are long standing habits.

Casper's vet checked his blood pressure at his last appointment (a week ago). It was normal. She's pretty thorough.

As for his bad habits, their longevity does not make them any less problematic. It would be great if these behaviors could be reduced in frequency.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Good to hear that your vet checked Casper's BP and that it was normal! Kudos to the vet and yay to Casper!

The longevity of his habits actually make them more problematic in that they are that much harder to break. Have you tried any of the suggestions you previously received? Those are a place to start.

 

[Joxer]

Good to hear that your vet checked Casper's BP and that it was normal! Kudos to the vet and yay to Casper!

The longevity of his habits actually make them more problematic in that they are that much harder to break. Have you tried any of the suggestions you previously received? Those are a place to start.

Casper's vet actually had some great ideas. She just got in touch with me a day later than I expected. Anyway, yes, there are some suggestions from you and others on this site, and some from his vet that I will try. I'm going to focus on destressing his life as much as possible, and adding some new stimulation, especially for the long, boring winter months when he can't be Casper, Lord of the Outdoors.

Adding a third litter box is tricky, because I don't really know where to put it. But a third litter box, with an experimental non-clay litter to discourage rolling, sounds like a good idea. I'm also going to try a grain (rather than grain-free) version of his dry food (this is in response to a different thread on this site), a supplement called Zylkene, Purina Pro Plan Calming Care supplements (a probiotic), omega fatty acid supplementation, and a few other things. I'd like to give Casper a "sanctuary" where Lindsey can't force him to play with her if he's not in the mood, but I'll have to think of a place to set that up. I'm not ready to chip him and install Casper-only cat doors.

 

[Joxer]

I'll add that literally everything measured in Casper's very thorough blood work last week was within the normal range. I don't think that I've ever seen that before. Individual nutrients, kidney and liver values, T4, all the blood cell counts down to the individual white blood cell types. Physically, he is a remarkably healthy 16 yr old cat. I'm going to focus on making him calmer and happier. Just holding him and petting him makes him completely quiet, except for purring.

 

[Furballsmom]

he is a remarkably healthy 16 yr old cat. I'm going to focus on making him calmer and happier. Just holding him and petting him makes him completely quiet, except for purring.

What a fantastic thing, and it says a lot about your care too.