Hi! Sorry, if this is long, but I don’t really know how to shorten it and still give the ‘whole story’.
Feeby, my 14+yo cat – who weighs nearly 18 pounds (has for years & years) –has been on urinary care food for the past 8 years following bladder surgery for stones. She has been stone free since. She has been with me since she was around 2, so I have no history on her before then.
Due to her limping off and on over the course of a few days (front paws), she recently had x-rays that identified some minor arthritis in some toes and one elbow. But, she also has two nearly-fused vertebrae in her upper spine/lower neck area – the cause is unknown.
She has had numerous UTI bouts over the course of this past year, and just recently had to have her anal glands expressed (not severe). The vet thinks both are attributable to her not cleaning herself appropriately. So, I now clean her booty daily with hypoallergenic wipes. So far so good, but only time will tell (last 2 UTIs were early June and early August).
I started her on Glyco Flex Plus about 3 weeks ago. Prior to that, in addition to the sporadic limping, she had stopped jumping up on her favorite furniture. I am hoping the Glyco Flex might help some with the arthritis, although I am not sure it will do much for the vertebrae issue. However, she is now beginning to jump up on some of the furniture she had before ‘abandoned’. The limping is still there off and on, maybe a little less. This is also a ‘time will tell’ matter.
I’ve told you all before that she has always just stepped into her litter box, stood there, and peed – no squatting, no moving to another place in the box – other than to poop. And, generally never covering either. Now, she is doing pretty much the same thing, except she is peeing on one back paw all the time, and most of the time just pooping right on top of the pee.
I do know this new behavior didn’t start until after her last UTI was cleared up. However, I will tell you this past UTI is the first time ever that she resorted to peeing outside of the box (still pooped inside). I am less sure about when this started in connection to me removing the cover to her litter box, which I did primarily because of her limping/arthritis. Even so, I cannot see a connection.
But, in taking the cover off and watching her, I am now wondering if the box is actually too small for her – and, though that wouldn’t explain the most recent behavioral change in potty habits, it still could be adding to the problem.
I feel kind of stupid in never having given a thought about the size – until I could see her in it without the cover. I have now so RUDELY invaded her privacy by taking a pic so you can see (the blur is to help with her privacy - lol). I am guessing to hear from you all: Uh, yeah, DUH, it’s too small.
Thoughts on any/all of the above?
P.S. I haven’t moved the box, but did put outlet covers on the outlet, for those of you who previously worried that she might actually turn around for a change and possibly
Feeby, my 14+yo cat – who weighs nearly 18 pounds (has for years & years) –has been on urinary care food for the past 8 years following bladder surgery for stones. She has been stone free since. She has been with me since she was around 2, so I have no history on her before then.
Due to her limping off and on over the course of a few days (front paws), she recently had x-rays that identified some minor arthritis in some toes and one elbow. But, she also has two nearly-fused vertebrae in her upper spine/lower neck area – the cause is unknown.
She has had numerous UTI bouts over the course of this past year, and just recently had to have her anal glands expressed (not severe). The vet thinks both are attributable to her not cleaning herself appropriately. So, I now clean her booty daily with hypoallergenic wipes. So far so good, but only time will tell (last 2 UTIs were early June and early August).
I started her on Glyco Flex Plus about 3 weeks ago. Prior to that, in addition to the sporadic limping, she had stopped jumping up on her favorite furniture. I am hoping the Glyco Flex might help some with the arthritis, although I am not sure it will do much for the vertebrae issue. However, she is now beginning to jump up on some of the furniture she had before ‘abandoned’. The limping is still there off and on, maybe a little less. This is also a ‘time will tell’ matter.
I’ve told you all before that she has always just stepped into her litter box, stood there, and peed – no squatting, no moving to another place in the box – other than to poop. And, generally never covering either. Now, she is doing pretty much the same thing, except she is peeing on one back paw all the time, and most of the time just pooping right on top of the pee.
I do know this new behavior didn’t start until after her last UTI was cleared up. However, I will tell you this past UTI is the first time ever that she resorted to peeing outside of the box (still pooped inside). I am less sure about when this started in connection to me removing the cover to her litter box, which I did primarily because of her limping/arthritis. Even so, I cannot see a connection.
But, in taking the cover off and watching her, I am now wondering if the box is actually too small for her – and, though that wouldn’t explain the most recent behavioral change in potty habits, it still could be adding to the problem.
I feel kind of stupid in never having given a thought about the size – until I could see her in it without the cover. I have now so RUDELY invaded her privacy by taking a pic so you can see (the blur is to help with her privacy - lol). I am guessing to hear from you all: Uh, yeah, DUH, it’s too small.
Thoughts on any/all of the above?
P.S. I haven’t moved the box, but did put outlet covers on the outlet, for those of you who previously worried that she might actually turn around for a change and possibly
pee into the socket.
Thanks!
Thanks!
