Help! Cat is peeing everywhere after a life of clean cat litter use after urinary obstruction

[catdaddy2014]

Please help me!! My beloved DevDev is starting to habitually urinate on the bathroom floor mats and into the dirty laundry pile after having had urinary obstruction. Sept.16th he came home with some injuries to his tail and crouching in a corner. He had a few drops of blood in his urine so we took him to the vet.

He stayed there over night, and was sent home with meds. Pain meds and meds to pee. During that whole time he was constantly leaking. Over the weeks he was getting better, he partially obstructed again and we took him to the vet again and they cleared him and gave us the same meds again. Another week of meds and he's fine , except he's got small drops of urine leaking still. It's now an entire month and today I saw him trying to go to the cat litter first, and then turn around and jump into the launddry basket to pee.

What can I do here? He was so clean before all this happened, never even had an accident anywhere. Now we're $2k in the hole for vet bills, and I'm having to do laundry every evening and I'm not even feeling comfortable in my own home anymore.

We really love this cat so much, it breaks my heart, but I am stressed and worn out. to the point of burn out. Is there something that can be done? Can we retrain this cat?

Please if you know anything it would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[andrya]

Hi and welcome 

Poor fella, it sounds like he's still in fair discomfort. You say he starts using the box ( so it's not behaviour ) then he leaves the box. To me, this is saying he's experiencing pain when he needs to go, and he's associating this pain with the box, so he leaves the box.

What is your vet's plan for him? Some cats do need to have surgery to widen the urethra after a blockage if they don't improve after being flushed out. 

ls he still on pain meds? Has he been flushed out completely, either time at the vet's?

Have you switched him to an all wet/canned diet to increase his hydration level?

Sorry to bombard you with questions. There are a lot of people here who have dealt with this issue with their kitties, and l'm sure they'll be along shortly to give you some advice.  

 

[skysimone]

You see the cat walk into the litter box?

Watch the cat go to the laundry basket, then say 'no!' and grab the cat and place in the litter box and grab his little paws and help him dig.

If I EVER leave any clothes on the floor in the bathroom or laundry, they get peed on. My cats are well litter trained, but they have trained me not to leave any fabric, towells, clothes on the floor in bathroom or laundry or it's fair game.

Just tell him 'no!' then take him to the litter tray and reward him with a little meat if he goes in the tray.

Move your laundry hamper to a place the cat doesn't go.

Call the vet and ask if they feel the cat should be ok now

Cats can develop allergies to types of litter

Perhaps remove the litlter from the tray, and just use newspaper for a couple of days and see if that helps too

 

[vball91]

I agree with Andrya that he still seems to be in discomfort/pain. What did the urinalysis show? What caused the blockage? Which meds was he on? Is it possible for the tail injury to be a factor? Sorry to ask so many questions, but there are several different causes for FLUTD/blockage in cats, and it's important to know what that cause is to ensure that treatment is effective. This info should be available on your vet bill and you should always request and keep copies of all tests in case you need them for another vet/emergency vet.

It sounds to me that he is not fully healed. Being catheterized twice means a lot of swelling, possibly scarring. I think a call in to the vet to describe his current level of discomfort and behavior would be in order. Ask the vet if this is normal given what he's been through, or if there is still something going on.

 

[feralvr]

Agree with Andrya and Vball. Your poor boy is still not well. Being catheterized twice would be very traumatic to his urinary tract, etc., and this is definitely going to cause additional pain until he is completely healed. He is probably so scared and worried that he may potentially feel that kind of pain and discomfort again and that will also be adding to his litter box aversion. I hope you have a very good vet and one that you trust to resolve this problem for your boy. I am so sorry for your kitty and hope that you can get him comfortable fast. A diet of all wet food is a must at this point - what was he eating previously? Diet will have a huge impact on the urinary tract of all cats. Mega, mega vibes!

 

[feralvr]

Watch the cat go to the laundry basket, then say 'no!' and grab the cat and place in the litter box and grab his little paws and help him dig.


Just tell him 'no!' then take him to the litter tray and reward him with a little meat if he goes in the tray.
Move your laundry hamper to a place the cat doesn't go.

Very, very poor advice. Do NOT ever punish/scold a cat who has a serious and potentially life threatening urinary medical issue. That would only cause great, great psychological suffering on his part along with the physical suffering he is already enduring. PLUS - making him even more afraid of that litter box.

Did you even read the thread? This is not a behavior issue, - and even if it were - that would not be the way to "train" any cat to use their litter box, in fact, it would do just the opposite. How one can suggest scolding a sick cat is beyond me.

 

[catdaddy2014]

Hi there thank you for the welcome and reply. Dev was previously eating Iams dry food, although we also fed the cats wetfood, Dev would primarily eat dry food. We had no idea that this could cause crystals until after the fact! He is no longer on any meds, and we have switched him to prescription bladder health cat food Hills C/D only, with NO dry food whatsoever, since Dev doesn't like to drink a lot of water.  Our finances are exhausted from the previous treatments and although we have him on insurance now, they will not cover this pre-existing condition, so we have to save up to take him to a vet for a follow up. ANy advice  or tips I appreciate and thank you for.

 

[catdaddy2014]

Hi everyone, thank you so much for your replies. Dev was eating primarily dry food Iams for 2 years and did not like to drink a lot of water. We had no idea that this could hurt him. The tail injury was strange, it looked like a chemical burn. I can upload some picture from my fiance's phone later this week incase you are curious. However, I noticed what the vet described as straining a year earlier and once there was some urine on one of the pillows in our bed. It was strange because Dev is very clean and all our cats were very clean and never had any accidents. So I think Dev had probs for a long time and they must have exacerbated from the injury. The next day after the injury we took him to the vet, because I noticed a drop of blood coming out of his genital area.

The vet did some tests and told us he had crystals and kept him over night to cleanse the bladder, IV and put him on meds. He came home totally incontinent and did not have a fecal movement for almost 3 days! He was on pain meds and meds to help him pee for a week....still incontinent but started to have bowel movements. He reblocked partially again and we took him to vet who catherized him and gave him another week's worth of meds.

It's been a month and he's been leaking less and less, although it is still urine and smelly! I've called vet after vet who can't seem to tell me anything other than that as long as he's urinating things should be fine and then they want us to come back in. We have gone through this 2 or 3 times now and each time we end up paying several hundred dollars with no more clear answers than before!

The most information I've gotten was from this forum and yesterday a lady at Petco who was bringing in what must have been 50 cats to be adopted out. She herself told me that vets "don't tell you sh*(". She schooled me on how to re-train the cat with a kennel, but suggested that before I go that far to get Cat Attract litter and to go to the vet for a follow up.

So when we brought the litter home, I cleaned all the litter boxes and put Cat Attract in. Dev immediately went inside and urinated. I praised him verbally, caressed him and gave him his favorite treat.

Today I spent all day at home with Dev, cuddling and soothing him. He slept right next to me on the couch and I'm happy to report that he has not had any leaks at all today!! I can't believe it. Also, he's been going into the litter box and there are no accidents anywhere else in the home. I'm hopeful!! He is getting better. Something tells me that if I just keep spending more time nurturing him and cuddling him, he will get over the trauma of whatever caused his injury, the vet procedures and of course the fact that we've had to move throughout all this. Thank you all for the mega good vibes for Dev, you've made a difference. Can you give me more advice? We've got Dev and the other 2 tabbies on nothing but prescription wet food Hills C/D for bladder health. We also purchased a cat water fountain , so they have fresh flowing water. I really enjoyed today, as I got a chance to completely do nothing and relax with my boy. I've really missed holding him close , because of the urination previously I just didn't want to hold him and it was tearing me up inside because I really am close with this cat. It seems that Dev picks up when I';m stressed and his body reacts, and then he picks up when I'm relaxed and seems to be doing  better. Any advice on how to keep his health up is appreciated. I checked out some Cat Health books by a Veterinarian to read up on and educate myself as much as possible on how to care and maintain our cat's health.

 

[lostgirl12]

My cat has struvite stones/a UTI and is currently having the same issue with "leaking." Cats who have had UTIs and who are leaking usually need an antispasmodic (esp. since your cat has been through so much, it's no wonder he is having a chronic problem with this), although the options are not without side effects. A vet should be able to determine this quickly...I cannot fathom why your vet has not been able to...let alone any other vet you called. Prozac is sometimes prescribed for "leaking" as well. My cat was already on it for behavior reasons so we doubled the dose for him. 

It's very true that your cat is associating being miserable with the litter box. I am glad you have been able to have some positive success in getting him using the box again. I would get him to a vet as soon as you possibly can for a checkup, but I would find a better one. That lady at Petco was only partly right...bad vets "don't tell you sh*(". 

 

[jcornman]

In my experience urinary tract problems are the most common veterinary problems cat fanciers face. You have already identified one of the main problems, not enough water.  This has it's roots in the way cats get their water in nature.  When a cat catches prey, that meal is something close to 90% water (don't remember the exact %,too lazy to look it up).  The cat eats the whole animal including blood.  In nature, this is how they satisfy their need for water.  Some cats adapt to drinking water but some never will drink enough, it's not in their nature.  Now even canned food has nowhere close to 90% water.  What I do is water down their food but not to the point they find it unpalatable.

The other problem is incorrect pH.  Cats urine should be acidic, but given the nature of the inexpensive cat food, the pH is sometimes much too high (alkali).  That's where the prescription food comes in.  There are other ways of addressing this and there were effective solutions long before prescription cat food.  I'll explore this in a later post but in the mean time there is a web site written by a veterinarian, Dr. Lisa Pierson: www.catinfo.org.  Dr Pierson advocates a raw diet, and her logic seems sound. Of course this may not be something that everyone is willing to do.  It isn't as simple as going to the butcher shop and picking up hamburger and chicken.  Remember packing houses drain the blood which not only contains water but also vital nutrients, not available in quantity from muscle meat.  On top of that there are nutrients that they must have that are only found in concentration from organs.  It is important to note that cats cannot synthesize some of the nutrients that people and dogs  produce for themselves. If the cat doesn't get these nutrients in their food, it can result in permanent damage and even death. However not all is lost.  Even if you don't choose a raw diet, there is allot of very good information in Dr. Pierson's site.  I personally do not feed a raw or homemade diet but found this site to be invaluable in learning how cats bodies work and how to feed them.

It is getting very late (early AM).  I'll comeback with more posts but I have to knock it off for now.  In the meantime take a look at catinfo.org.

 

[feralvr]

I can tell that you really, really love your cats. I was glad to hear that you are feeding only the "wet" Hill's C/D. No dry at all at this point. I am going to repost the link above by jcornman because it is worth you reading and reviewing. Specifically this one http://www.catinfo.org/?link=cannedfoods I think once you are over the hump you may want to incorporate some of her canned suggestions into your cat's diet along with the canned C/D for rotation. Dr. Pierson has excellent and knowledgeable points on how to feed our cat's more appropriately to avoid these urinary problems. Take some time to read her website and I think you will be amazed at what you will learn. The fountain was a very good idea and I hope this sparks Dev's interest to drink more. MEGA for Dev to recover and stay that way. :cross:

p.s. You could always take copies of all of the tests from your vet to another vet for a second look. Most vets will not have a problem with that. In all honesty, it does not mean you distrust your vet - and sometimes another vet may come up with something the first didn't think of. Just a thought if you feel you are not getting a good resolution.

 

[catdaddy2014]

Hi everyone. DevDev reobstructed and we had to take him to the vet again. He has to be hospitalized for 2 to 4 days, he'll have a catheter and go home with meds again in 2 to 4 days. I'm so sad, because this is the last time we can take him to the vet. We are financially drained out. We cannot get anymore credits after this and this is the 2nd time he's partially reobstructed since the original issue. Throughout the whole time he's been leaking urine/incontinent. It's been 5 weeks now. It's taken a toll on him and on us, we've had to do laundry every day, and because he is now very clingy he wants to sleep in the bed with us . Needless to say it's increased our stress level and we haven't had a solid night's sleep in over a month. I have put him in a kennel a few nights, but I feel just awful and hate myself for doing it. On top of it, he meows ALL night, begging and pleading to be let out and we still don't get any rest. I'm very sad as I don't think it will get any better. We really love this baby and I feel terrible because last night I was sleeping on the couch and he wanted to join me and I did not let him because I just needed a break so bad. I feel like I could scream and I don't even feel comfortable in my own home anymore. I know our baby Dev can't help it and I know he is bothered by this urinating leak/incontinence. The vet said that this leaking was because he was obstructed partially and not incontinence. He is otherwise healthy, eating a lot, playing, alert, curious, it's just that this obstruction issue is continuous. I don't know what to do if he gets reobstructed again from this last vet. We've already taken out 4,000 in credit for all of these vet procedures and we cannot get anymore $. Any ideas would be appreciated. I am at my wit's end and I just had to talk to someone because I'm so saddened by everything. We have tried so hard to get him back healthy but he keeps reobstructing

 

[feralvr]

Oh dear..... I am feeling your sadness and it has brought tears to my eyes. I am so, so, so very sorry you are going through this with Dev. You are so torn between the sadness of seeing him suffering with this painful condition and at the same time getting worn to a thread trying to manage the stress and "mess" of the constant dripping/leaking AND then having to crate him. My heart IS breaking for you. :sobbing: Such a terrible predicament to be in emotionally and financially.

I wish I could come up with a solution for you. I knew of another cat with incontinence - not from urinary tract infections - whom became a very loved barn kitty. BUT Dev does have a medical issue and needs to be watched and observed on a daily basis, so that would never work and of course, I am not suggesting that you look for a situation for Dev like that anyway. I do know of other cats with incontinence issues who have to live a more "outdoor" type of life. Still, that would probably be an unbearable solution for you and for Dev. My goodness, What about building a temporary indoor enclosure? One where you fit inside with a chair and sit with Dev while he recovers? I am grasping at straws here!!!!!! I understand that if this continues you are at the end of what you can do for him, at least that is what it sounds like. You are both suffering so and I will completely understand whatever decision you end up making in the long run.

Also, I do know that there is a medication to help tighten up the urinary tract muscles to aid in leakage. I wonder if you could ask your vet about it and if that would be safe and worth a try as a last resort?

Gosh - I am just so sorry, really am. I am glad that you came to talk and just know you are not alone, as many have been in your shoes. Breaks my heart... :grphug: :grphug2:

 

[feralvr]

Updates on Dev? :rub:

 

[feralvr]

It has been two weeks and I just wanted to say that whatever happened - we are here for you and completely understand, no matter what the outcome. I just wanted to post that in case you come back to this thread. More of these can't hurt

 

[catdaddy2014]

Hi Everyone,

The ordeal continues. Dev had another blockage and had to be taken to the vet again. He's been on baytril for 2 weeks and has 3 more days left of Phenoxybenazmine. He has not stopped leaking since Sept 18 throughout all of this.

The vet said he had a UTI along with the blockage and had to be put on baytril. I was very unhappy about having baytril but this particular strain is resistant to the other med that was initially given him.

I have spent most of my time at home with this cat, sitting near him as much as possible and whenever he needed he could set on my lap and sleep. Dev is very clingy since Sept and wants to sleep in the bed with us. ......

Today the leaking has gotten much worse and I have been preparing myself for the worst. We can't get anymore credit for a PU surgery and all our options are running out quick. We are set to take him to the vet Wed for another check up. That will be the last day on his meds.

We've been giving him probiotics and natural immune system boosting chews along with fortiflora and Hills CD' prescription cat food. He's had a good appetite and is eating 3 to 4 meals a day. He's lively and active otherwise. We've gone to the library and checked out 18 various books on cat health, healing cats, understanding cats and even a couple of magick books on doing spiritual rituals of healing on cats - anything and everything that we could find as  a resource to help Dev. Thanks everyone for your kind words of support. This has been hell on Dev and all of us here.

 

[feralvr]

Thank you so much for the update. Dev has been on my mind. I will say this, Dev could NOT be in better hands, be more loved and I am blown away by your quest to help your boy. He HAS to know how much you love him as you are spending so, so much time with him and he knows you will do right by him as best you can. Please know that no matter how this all ends up, you are doing everything possible for him and all out of great love. THE GOOD NEWS is that he is lively , eating well and being active!! So that means you are doing a great job and I commend all of your and your fiancé's hard work in doing research at the library. The knowledge you learn there can only help you understand more about his condition, what to expect, be hopeful but realistic and be able to ask your vet very imperative questions. I will continue the vibes and prayers for Dev and for you and your fiancé to stay strong during this worrisome time. :rub::rub:

 

[catdaddy2014]

Thank you so much it means a lot Feralvr and everyone else here is a picture of Dev and his catdaddy

DEV.jpg

• catdaddy2014
• Nov 20, 2013

 

[squ33k3r]

Peeing everywhere, or is he spraying?

Different things.

Peeing is when he squats, spraying is when he stand and wiggles his tail

which one is it

 

[feralvr]

Peeing everywhere, or is he spraying?
Different things.

Peeing is when he squats, spraying is when he stand and wiggles his tail

which one is it

If you read the thread, you would know that Dev has already been diagnosed with URI and has blocked. SO, I can answer your question. NO - he is not spraying.