Health, Age Or Behavior?

[MoochNNoodles]

My mother is currently very frustrated with her senior cat. Bunny is about 16 years old and has always had issues with peeing outside her litter box. Mom adopted her at age 2 and this is her 3rd home. After a while Mom figured out that she would mess less if she had access to the outdoors.

In the last year or so we've suspected her hearing is failing some and she has lost weight. Shes also more vocal. She's recently gone on medication for her thyroid.

Overall she seems happy and affectionate; but she's peeing on the carpet in their bedroom. Thats a new place. Other than adding an upstairs litter box or locking her out; I'm not sure what to suggest.

Mom is worried shes losing control like their senior dog also is. Bunny will pee in her litter box and then a short time later pee on the newspaper Mom keeps in front of the boxes because of her pee issues.

Her bloodwork was ok other than the thyroid. The other 2 cats are ok. The dog can no longer do stairs well, hold her bladder as long, is deaf, blind in one eye...etc. Bunny has never been bonded with the dog or the other cats after they were kittens. I don't know if it could be stress induced because of the dogs health changing?

I'd really appreciate any ideas! Even something to talk to the vet about? We use the same vet and they are good. But Mom is SO frustrated and I feel like I'm missing something.

 

[Columbine]

My first instinct is feline dementia. I know he was greyhound, but we went through something very similar with Pix in his final year or so. It was like he would either forget/not register that he needed the loo until it was too late (think toddler potty training), or he'd forget that he was meant to ask to go outside to pee. (He also pooped in his sleep from time to time).

All I can suggest is putting down puppy pee pads in Bunny's favoured peeing spots, and using them in place of newspaper in front of the box(es). This made life so much easier when we were having pee issues (both with Pix, and with Cali's puzzling habit of going into the box to pee, but peeing out the entrance).

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I'm going to vote with Columbine on this. The good news is that there are several drug therapies that can help with feline dementia now. You vet can make a final determination and prescribe the appropriate one for Bunny if this is the issue, or if not, help pin down the exact cause!

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Thank you for your replies. Some kind of dementia wouldn't surprise me too much. I notice sometimes she hears you and sometimes she doesn't. I will tell Mom to mention that to the vet and see what she thinks.

I wonder if Cat Attract litter might help? I do think they are going to have to restrict what rooms she has access to. So much of their house is carpet. The kitchen is large and linoleum; but I don't think they can truly block her in there. It's too open for a cat that can still jump well. She's usually sleeping on the back of the couch so keeping her downstairs wouldn't be too hard on her. Especially since the dog can't go upstairs anymore and has her bed in the living room too.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

That sounds like a good initial plan of action. Poor Bunny. My Hekitty will be...GOOD GRIEF!...She will be 11 in just a very few months, so I'm already thinking ahead to that time for her.

 

[Columbine]

Cat Attract is well worth a try - it can't do any harm! More boxes might help too, if part of the issue is like Pix, where he just wasn't thinking far enough ahead to hold it until he got to the right place. (hope that makes sense )

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I suspect she's having to go too often. I mean peeing twice in about 20 minutes time isn't normal! But it's only been maybe 6-8 weeks since her blood work. And she's always had issues. (But never any UTIs or anything physical.) I think part of the fear of putting a box upstairs is that it's all carpeted and she's peeing in front of the box a lot. We'd have to find a big washer pan or something.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

You could try placing a puppy pad in front of the box.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I think that's what she's going to have to do.

Mom has tried the Litter Attract and it's not helping in this situation.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Well, Bunny is an official Grande Dame, and as such, has earned the right to have some of her old-age issues catered to. I'm already plotting to build a ramp with a platform for a box for my bed. Do I want a litter box at bed-height? OH HECK NO, but I would do it for Hekitty in a heartbeat.