Can't surrender cat back to shelter??? Urinary issues...

[carrie640]

A few years ago, we adopted Tom-Tom..and for the first year or so, he was just fine...no issues at all (Even with the other cats). Then, he decided he wanted to pee on things..not carpet or walls (he is fixed)..but rather...anything that may be ON the floor that is soft. We've modified many things including adding litter boxes, changing litter, giving him extra love/attention, etc. We've even made sure a basket (Laundry) was at the bottom of the laundry chute so the laundry lands IN something versus on the floor.

He has NO medical issues...everything has tested negative.

In the past few months, things have gotten worse. He gets INTO dresser drawers and pees (literally trashed a drawer-full of my daughter's leggings and the urine seeped into the wood)...he will jump INTO the laundry baskets. He will jump INTO chairs and nail a coat even if one is left in one. We are walking on EGGSHELLS with this cat and I am at my end.

He is the most loving cat even compared to my other two....he digs the kids and lets them haul him around...drools when he is happy, etc.....but this urine thing is getting out of hand.

We think this cat just is either LAZY or just likes the feel of soft things when he pees. Either way, this is not something we can deal with any longer....we've been trying to figure this situation out and have been tolerant for a good two years with this issue.

We were under contract with the humane society that if we were unable to keep him, we were to surrender him back to them. Well, now THEY won't take him because of his behavior issues. I am at a loss. I don't know what to do!! Animal Control is a high-kill shelter, most private organizations want a $250 surrender fee (Which we just don't have), and I can't find anyone that wants a cat let a lone a cat that has this problem. I mean, for all I know it COULD be something with our household (maybe he's developed a dislike for the other cats though they never fight) and he would be fine in another? But, I don't know where to go from here. It is NOT working for us to keep him...and it DOES break my heart, but I am not the only one living in the house and it IS out of control.

I am completely open to suggestions...the last thing I want to do is surrender to a high kill shelter because I know where they will go....

Please no flaming for our decision.....urine is NEVER fun to deal with for anyone...especially when it's out of control....

 

[momofmany]

If you are absolutely sure that you ruled out medical issues, then I'll offer that peeing on soft items is usually always a sign that a cat is stressed. My cats do that from time to time and it is a clear message to me that something is not right in my house. The best way that I correct the issue is by providing them extra one on one attention.

But I do have to ask how you were able to rule out medical issues. I have a cat with idiopathic cystitus who signaled something was wrong when he peed outside the box. We ran blood work and a urinalysis (looking for both infection and crystals) which turned out negative. We then did x-rays and an ultrasound which were also inconclusive. We saw issues with his bladder, but it was nothing that simple tests could detect. It wasn't until we actually did a biopsy on his bladder before we found out that he was indeed ill. He's been on medications for the last 2 years without incident.

Keep looking for both physical and emotional issues with him. He isn't doing this out of anger or spite.

 

[carrie640]

We had him at the vet this past summer. He told us he believes it is completely behavioral, though, he did say he COULD go into more detailed testing but it would be costly. It didn't sound like something he thought would be beneficial for whatever reason.

Either way, I guess I just don't have the $600+ for this testing right now...not in Michigan....not right now. When Ashie died, we were able to fork out the $1200 vet bill for Michigan State University, but things have changed quite a bit since then with jobs, income, etc...and we just don't have it.

So I am in a situation here I feel completely helpless.....and maybe he is stressed about something, though, he doesn't appear to be fearful....he doesn't hide..he doesn't exhibit any aggression or any other behavior that would signal something isn't right. And as I said, we've DONE everything I know how to do from changing litter to adding other boxes to cleaning the boxes a few times a day to giving him more attention (yes, I have! He lays on me feet when I am in the La Z Boy when watching TV). He gets his canned cat food (as a treat) more often.....there is only so much I can do. He may thrive in a kid-less, cat-less home (though he did fine for about a year under those situations), but now I can't find a place that would be willing to feel this out for him and give him a chance. They just say "we can't put him up for adoption....he will be put down for behavior".

UGH.

 

[kit e cat]

Has he been tested for anything SPECIFIC to what he's doing? I ask, because if he hasn't, then you could always insure him, which is very inexpensive, and then take him in and get him tested. I hate telling someone to buck the system, but I did it, because I simply could not afford costly medical tests. Try Pet Plan.
Also, if it does indeed turn out to be behavioral...medicate him. Seriously. I have 1 cat on Prozac (for inappropriate peeing) and it's been a lifesaver. Didn't change his personality one bit, but stopped the peeing almost immediately. My Bert was peeing all over my kitchen counters, even sprayed the front of the small TV screen in the kitchen. You might have to experiment with different medications, like I did, but you'll find one that works. And the good part is that prozac costs about $4 for a 30 day supply and that will last a normal cat at least 2 months, if not longer. Bert is a big cat and takes 1/2 a 10 mg pill a day, but most cats start out on 1/4 of a pill a day.

 

[goldenkitty45]

I know one person had a cat with similar problems (or maybe it was related to another problem in not getting along with other cats). Can you build a nice large cat enclosure in the back yard where he can spend most of his time outside? You would have to set up a nice solid part where he is not in the rain/wind/, etc but somewhere that he has his own territory?

Perhaps he would rather be by himself more or maybe tolerate one other cat with him. Not the ideal but there is not a lot of choices to pick from.

 

[howtoholdacat]

One of my cats was peeing out of the box due to stress. It took a while to discern what was up but once we did we isolated him, bought him his very own, brand spanking new box and filled it full of Cat Attract. After about a week of being in the laundry room with his special box he's doing much better. As long as I give him a few hours of alone time in there a day he'll use the box every time. It seems to have done the trick.

 

[clowangel]

My cat Sho had a peeing problem too. He peed on our beds, on the rugs, mostly on soft things, but occasionally on the floor outside of our bathroom too. At first we thought it was the yearly UTI. He apparently has a record of getting UTI every fall. Strange cat.

But it wasn't the UTI. It was the litter box location. He didn't like having his litter box in an isolated place away from people. Once again, weird cat as I always thought cats preferred privacy over heavy traffic areas for their bathroom. But no, he wanted his litter box in an area where EVERYONE walked by. So we stuck his litter box in our bathroom. It's located in the middle of the hallway where someone walks by every five minutes. At first, I tried to give him a semblance of privacy by keeping the door mostly shut, but he just pushed it wide open. He now has absolutely no privacy, but he seems to prefer it that way.

In fact, he often uses the box when someone's going to the toilet. o_o; Peeing and pooping buddies?

But the problem is fixed! No peeing outside of the box anymore.

 

[frankthetank]

I have been looking into calming collars....I am moving in about a month and worried about our cats becoming upset/stressed in the move and ending up peeing in the wrong places etc. I have found some good reviews, some negative. If you google "calming cat collars" there are some different kinds/brands that use differents herbs/scents...mostly natural things from what i have seen. I recommend reading a lot of reviews before trying anything, and maybe posting on here to ask if anyone has tried any of them.
I can't be of much help, I have not researched enough to give my take on it, but thought I would mention it in case anyone here as any experience with them. A few reviews I read mentioned it calmed their stressed cats enough to not have accidents. Also, I have not yet found a breakaway version of these collars which I think is also a concern with them.

 

[white cat lover]

Was his urine specifically tested to rule one out? (I know you said the vet told you it would be $600+, but oftentimes they can test a urine sample in house for cheap - here it's like $10-$17.) It wouldn't hurt to perhaps try 2 weeks worth of anti-biotic to rule out a UTI, sometimes they have one & don't test + for it. Squishy sprays, out & out sprays, on stuff - which is almost always behavioral. I let it go too long, it started as a health issue, & it became a habit.

In regards to surrendering him - most organizations won't take him as they'll simply turn around & euthanize him. With so many cats needing homes, no one will take one with "issues" like that, unfortunately.

Is he declawed?

I ended up building an outdoor enclosure for my Squishy. He is indoors for the winter b/c of major surgery, and when confined to one room he *rarely* sprays. He has had a few "mishaps", though.

I knew he wasn't adoptable & I couldn't handle euthanizing him. I'm lucky enough to have been able to have another option, at least.

 

[carrie640]

He did have testing for a UTI which came back negative. This is all new for me since I've never experienced cat issues such as this (and I've never had a male cat). He *IS* declawed....front declawed...he was that way upon adoption.

I've never heard of calming collars.....interesting! I will totally Google that. And I will call the vet to ask about medications. Interestingly enough, the person at the shelter mentioned medications, but I disregarded it because I thought the vet would've mentioned it if it was an option.

Our litter boxes are in the basement. We don't have a large house so we do put them in the basement. He, obviously, goes down to do the other deed, soo....I don't know. It's just bizarre.

I hate to stick him outside..even in an enclosed area..because he is declawed and, really, he is very social....but, maybe we can figure something out, as well. He does spend a lot of time during the day upstairs (we have a refinished attic area) sleeping/alone......

WHO KNOWS!!!!!!!!

 

[naps with cats]

First thing I'd do is:

- Apply for CareCredit (dot) com. They give you several months with no interest to pay back (after those certain amount of months, there is high interest, but does give you 3 types of payment plans. I use this, works great!
(When you get to their site, go to the far right and use the drop-down list and pick "Veterinarian")

- Call all vets around your area, find out which knows the most about spraying, peeing and send you records there and get a real diagnosis(es)

- In the interim, you can buy, well I bought size small puppy Diapers - there's a hole for the tail that molds to the end of the tail without "pinching" or anything. I believe there are cat diapers, too. I don't need them myself right now, but have a package just in case to be prepared.

- There is a website for "handicapped cats" - not for competing with this site at all, just for issues such as this and there are quite a few that have pee problems and wear diapers. (I go for Tiny Dancer w/Radial Hypoplasia and Squint with her eye issues and seizures). Instead of having to clean the drawers, carpet, furniture, etc., you can get some anti-bacterial wipes just for this purpose.

Even though that site is not really active right now; once someone posts a real question, many will jump in and want to help.

Anyways, There are so many things that could be causing this, including stress in the house, dirty litter box and, as everyone else said, medical issues.

The diapers will be a great thing to do today to stop-the-peeing around the house. Then search around for a more knowledged Vet and tell them what you want done and why and see what they suggest, too. But if you want certain tests done, that is your perogative.

Wishing you and your kitty the best! Many, many people live with pee-pee cats, the ones I've known, from the other site, just loooooooooove their kitties and they all wear diapers. I'm guessing you can also buy them in bulk somewhere on line.

Warmly,

Julie O'

 

[howtoholdacat]

From what I'm reading of your descriptions, I would think that putting a few more boxes around the upstairs and adding some Feliway diffusers would be a smart place to start. With regards to UTI's, it can sometimes take different tests to find them. With Seti, they didn't find one with an inhouse test but once they his sample out for testing, they found he formed crystals but didn't have an infection. A change in diet went a long way to getting life back under control.

Hang in there. I know the urine is awful but you still have lots of things you can try before you're beaten!

 

[ldg]

I think I read through this thread carefully and I believe I haven't seen this mentioned yet.

While you work on determining next steps based on the excellent advice in this thread, I think it best he be isolated in a large bathroom or guest room or something. This is the approach called "litter box retraining" in the stickied "Inappropriate Elimination" thread at the top of this forum.

I suggest this NOT so much because of the litter box retraining... but because you, the family - and the kitty - need a break from the stress that his peeing outside the box is creating for all of you.

Also, unless EVERYWHERE he's gone has been cleaned (sometimes several times) with an enzyme cleaner, the smell of the urine outside the box simply continues the cycle.

To break the cycle, he must be isolated while you work on what to do - whether you'll pursue some further testing, or meds, or just work on litter box retraining (!), while you take the time you need to clean up everywhere he's peed properly.

Unfortunately, just washing the clothes will not remove the scent to him. Wood, carpeting, furniture also potentially affected must also be cleaned properly - and NOT all enzyme cleaners are created equal. Here is a thread discussing cleaning options and why proper cleaning is important: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=227354

As to the washables, purchase DREFT (the laundry detergent used to clean baby clothes and diapers). Also, add the enzyme cleaner to your wash like you would chlorine.

You should consider purchasing a black light (you can pick one up at home depot cheap, you don't need to buy an expensive "Pet Detect" light or whatever

) and going through your home at night with the lights off to locate all the places he's peed that need attention.

to you and Tom-Tom!

 

[ldg]

Oh one last thing, just something to think about, and maybe it'll help. We've had a number of cats with peeing problems. All of them turned out to be health related in the end, though we thought Spooky's problem was behavioral for months.

Like Momofmany, one of our boys was peeing outside the box and was diagnosed to have "idiopathic cystitis." His bladder wall was inflamed, and this was apparent from an x-ray, which out this way is around $130. Our vet suggested we do an MRI to SEE the bladder wall, to see if there was potentially a reason as to why it was inflamed. The MRI at the vet office indicated nothing. He then suggested a high resolution MRI. Yes, it was expensive. But it did determine there was a very small cluster of crystals embedded in his bladder wall, and surgery corrected the problem. I know you don't have the money now... but there are potential options, such as the insurance, or potentially Care Credit, or both.

As to our Spooky... it turns out that when she's in pain, she pees outside the box. We had a urinalysis done, and she had no UTI or crystals or anything, so the vet labeled her problem "behavioral." But as it turned out, her teeth were hurting her. We took her for her annual, and it was recommended she have her teeth cleaned, she had a lot of plaque build up. She ended up having to have several teeth removed. She was already peeing in the box because we'd put her on elavil (amytriptaline). It worked, and we cleaned up our house of the pee. We then weaned her off the elavil (after about three months), and she was fine. But about a year or so later, she peed outside the box again. It was time for her annual, so we took her for that, and she needed a dental again. She needed a tooth pulled again. After the cleaning and the tooth removal, she stopped peeing outside the box. We finally put 2 and 2 together. When she's in pain, she pees outside the box.

So while peeing outside the box is ALWAYS kitty trying to tell you something - that something may not be that he's stressed. It doesn't only mean there's a problem with his bladder... it could be some other health problem altogether.

 

[naps with cats]

Exactly as I was writing. Good job!

 

[feralvr]

Originally Posted by LDG

As to our Spooky... it turns out that when she's in pain, she pees outside the box. We had a urinalysis done, and she had no UTI or crystals or anything, so the vet labeled her problem "behavioral." But as it turned out, her teeth were hurting her. We took her for her annual, and it was recommended she have her teeth cleaned, she had a lot of plaque build up. She ended up having to have several teeth removed. She was already peeing in the box because we'd put her on elavil (amytriptaline). It worked, and we cleaned up our house of the pee. We then weaned her off the elavil (after about three months), and she was fine. But about a year or so later, she peed outside the box again. It was time for her annual, so we took her for that, and she needed a dental again. She needed a tooth pulled again. After the cleaning and the tooth removal, she stopped peeing outside the box. We finally put 2 and 2 together. When she's in pain, she pees outside the box.

So while peeing outside the box is ALWAYS kitty trying to tell you something - that something may not be that he's stressed. It doesn't only mean there's a problem with his bladder... it could be some other health problem altogether.

YES this is very true! My sister had a older cat, now since past, he was thriteen when he started peeing out of the box. They did all of the routine test to the fullest, and nothing showed up. They figured he was getting old and senile and it was behaviorial. This went on for a few months, then all of the sudden he stopped eating and was chomping his jaw side to side every so often. She took Howie to another new vet, and they did a full exam and found out he had some rotten teeth and desperately needed a dental. He had to have FIVE teeth pulled. And to her amazement, he never went pee other than in his litter box again.

She had the teeth checked two times a year and a cleaning once or twice more. So I do think that when cats stop using the litterbox, they are trying to tell us something hurts and it is not always the typical UTI.

 

[howtoholdacat]

Any word on this? Have any suggestions worked?

 

[catsallover]

I was wondering too. Our Bird had idiopathic cystitis (hope I spelled that right), and taking Cosequin twice a day soothed it enough that she quit peeing all over the house. I just mixed it in some canned catfood, and she loved it. We were also at the end of our rope with her.

 

[ligwa]

I read through this thread hoping for a happy ending. It's been 3 months. I wonder what happened.