How difficult to place a cat for adoption?

[jclark]

I think we're going to have to put one of our Main Coons up for adoption. The Vet is unable to determine a medical reason for his chronic UTI's so we're assuming it has something to do with his home environment that we're unable to discover ourselves.

How difficult is it to re-home a cat suffering from FLUTD?

We'd rather not euthanize him.

 

[Kflowers]

A starting point is to Google Maine Coone cat rescues. Be sure and mention to whoever you speak to that the cat has recurring UTIs and the cause can't be found.

 

[maggie101]

I think we're going to have to put one of our Main Coons up for adoption. The Vet is unable to determine a medical reason for his chronic UTI's so we're assuming it has something to do with his home environment that we're unable to discover ourselves.

How difficult is it to re-home a cat suffering from FLUTD?

We'd rather not euthanize him.

What testing has she had done? Just a urinalysis? My cats first vet would only assume stress but her second vet did more testing and found out she had struitive crystals

 

[susanm9006]

It is difficult to find an adopter for a cat with ongoing unknown health issues. I would explore every medical option including either additional testing with your current vet, a second opinion from another vet or a referral to a vet specialist before considering rehoming.

 

[jclark]

What testing has she had done? Just a urinalysis? My cats first vet would only assume stress but her second vet did more testing and found out she had struitive crystals

Urinalysis and ultrasound. He has never had a blockage due to crystals. He has been on a 75/25 diet of C/D (wet,dry) and Wysong Uretic since February.

 

[jclark]

It is difficult to find an adopter for a cat with ongoing unknown health issues. I would explore every medical option including either additional testing with your current vet, a second opinion from another vet or a referral to a vet specialist before considering rehoming.

Understood.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - just to check, have you had your water tested? Some cats are more sensitive to water issues.

Is he getting filtered water (not just bottled, distilled or RO water, but filtered tap water, which has the ugly contaminants removed but still retains the minerals)?

How often do you clean the water bowls as well as the food dishes, and supply fresh water?

Has your vet talked about Purina Hydra Care which was specifically formulated for cats with FLUTD?

Have you tried the tips in this article?
Tips To Increase Your Cat’s Water Intake - TheCatSite

Have you tried any of the wonderful and wide varieties of Cat Music to address the possible stress aspect of this, along with possibly using other calming products?

Rehoming is doable for a healthy cat, but you really need to be on your toes to ensure the new home is safe, and be rather demanding with high standards. Re-homing a cat whose health is compromised is not necessarily an option. I agree with Susanm9006, I personally would look for a different vet first.

You are being redirected... this is a link for finding cat friendly, and cat only veterinarians

"Kittens To Good Homes" - How To Find A Good Forever Home For Your Kittens - TheCatSite

 

[maggie101]

There is a support group for felines with flutd if you have fb.
Is she on medacine?

 

[IndyJones]

It is difficult to find an adopter for a cat with ongoing unknown health issues. I would explore every medical option including either additional testing with your current vet, a second opinion from another vet or a referral to a vet specialist before considering rehoming.

This.

Not gonna sugar coat it but animals with behaviour issues often end up being euthanized in shelters or living in a cage for the rest of their lives. If the shelter takes them at all.

 

[maggie101]

Urinalysis and ultrasound. He has never had a blockage due to crystals. He has been on a 75/25 diet of C/D (wet,dry) and Wysong Uretic since February.

My cat Magg has ibd and eats low phosphorous, high protein ,only wet cat food. She eats a variety of weruva. weruva steak frites is very low in phosphorus. One of her favorite. Try feeding her a different food and only water. Maggie sleeps in my bedroom usually where it's quiet and no one around. I have a litterbox in their. She cries for attention so I occasionally stop buy.

 

[sivyaleah]

You should contact the breeder. You may be breaking the contract by not asking them first. Nearly all breeders will assist in rehoming one of their cats, regardless of reason or at least give you the a-ok to rehome.

Unless you are using the term "Maine Coon" as a generic for a domestic long hair cat in which case, I think you already got some good answers.

 

[jclark]

You should contact the breeder. You may be breaking the contract by not asking them first. Nearly all breeders will assist in rehoming one of their cats, regardless of reason or at least give you the a-ok to rehome.

Unless you are using the term "Maine Coon" as a generic for a domestic long hair cat in which case, I think you already got some good answers.

Unfortunately the breeder passed away prior to COVID. They had a good run which included being head of the CFA.

 

[Alldara]

J jclark Urinary issues are likely caused by stress. It can be a hard one to solve, but only because there's a lot of moving parts.

Here's a good resource to start with: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) | International Cat Care

You've already addressed getting urinalysis and ultrasound. Did they do bloodwork as well?
was he checked for arthritis? He could be too sore to litter.

There's some other things that had to happen in my home before we went 10 years with no issues:

litter
- no pine or clay litter
- litter boxes in different areas of the home, one per floor
- no covers on the boxes (we were able to move to covers on two boxes later, but at first it was VITAL to know that Nobel preferred no lid to encourage more frequent urination)
- non-clumping was best as it was actually dust free
- experiment with more or less litter in different boxes to see his preference
- you can try pee pads and then move them to a box as well
- to try not to have Nobel get litter box aversion, I had 4 different types of boxes. I could also make spare boxes by putting a bag over the cardboard that his canned food comes in and adding litter.

medication
- he took anti-anxiety medication for awhile
- we used feliway
- cat calming music with purring

enrichment/food
- all dry food given through enrichment. Enrichment lowers stress, stress causes flare ups

- add water to the wet food to make him urinate more frequently

- more enrichment and "catification" in general

- special attention to "cat routes". Meaning how many routes the cats have to/from their resources (toys, water, food, litter). Ideally, 3 routes per resource. This can be done with shelves, or leaving a chair pulled out many ways that don't really disrupt your day. But that depends on the resources available

- special attention to ability. If he's starting to slow down or does have arthritis, he may need carpets to move around better. Area rugs, etc if you don't already have.

- increased enrichment in general. I got a lot of free ideas off YouTube and some free electronic toys off my local Buy Nothing Group.


Litter Changing

to change litter I never mix litters. I use a home made disposable box like I described earlier in the post. I put the new litter in it and move a poo to the box. I wait for them to use it. Once they do, I fill one of their litters with the new litter. Then, slowly change over all the litters as I use up the old litter. I never had any flare ups from Nobel because I could tell if he didn't like the litter and just not use it. Or just use it in one box until the other cats used it up.

 

[Alldara]

Lastly, urinary issues are one of the #1 causes of rehoming. They often don't make it back out of the shelter.

I'd consider asking the vet for information for a behaviorist first.

 

[Kflowers]

Who inherited the breeder's cats and business? Didn't they, whoever they are, inherit your contract, too?

 

[jclark]

J jclark Urinary issues are likely caused by stress. It can be a hard one to solve, but only because there's a lot of moving parts.

Here's a good resource to start with: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) | International Cat Care

You've already addressed getting urinalysis and ultrasound. Did they do bloodwork as well?
was he checked for arthritis? He could be too sore to litter.

There's some other things that had to happen in my home before we went 10 years with no issues:

litter
- no pine or clay litter
- litter boxes in different areas of the home, one per floor
- no covers on the boxes (we were able to move to covers on two boxes later, but at first it was VITAL to know that Nobel preferred no lid to encourage more frequent urination)
- non-clumping was best as it was actually dust free
- experiment with more or less litter in different boxes to see his preference
- you can try pee pads and then move them to a box as well
- to try not to have Nobel get litter box aversion, I had 4 different types of boxes. I could also make spare boxes by putting a bag over the cardboard that his canned food comes in and adding litter.

medication
- he took anti-anxiety medication for awhile
- we used feliway
- cat calming music with purring

enrichment/food
- all dry food given through enrichment. Enrichment lowers stress, stress causes flare ups

- add water to the wet food to make him urinate more frequently

- more enrichment and "catification" in general

- special attention to "cat routes". Meaning how many routes the cats have to/from their resources (toys, water, food, litter). Ideally, 3 routes per resource. This can be done with shelves, or leaving a chair pulled out many ways that don't really disrupt your day. But that depends on the resources available

- special attention to ability. If he's starting to slow down or does have arthritis, he may need carpets to move around better. Area rugs, etc if you don't already have.

- increased enrichment in general. I got a lot of free ideas off YouTube and some free electronic toys off my local Buy Nothing Group.


Litter Changing

to change litter I never mix litters. I use a home made disposable box like I described earlier in the post. I put the new litter in it and move a poo to the box. I wait for them to use it. Once they do, I fill one of their litters with the new litter. Then, slowly change over all the litters as I use up the old litter. I never had any flare ups from Nobel because I could tell if he didn't like the litter and just not use it. Or just use it in one box until the other cats used it up.

We've been using crystal litter since the two of them have been around 4 yrs old and we were thinking of going back to clay just for his box under the premise that he's associating pain with the litter. Do you think clay is still a bad idea?

The cat has more windows, toys, hiding places and scratching posts than he could possibly use. Front/back windows with birds/squirrels/chipmunks running around all day.

We have Feliway diffusers at the front and back of the first floor of our townhouse.

Litter boxes are on the second floor (extra bathroom and unused room). They sleep with us and I can hear him use the litter box at night when he chooses to. We do not have a litter box on the first floor simply because of space (he needs an XL box) and sanitary concerns (dust). This may change however.

Enrichment - This is such a loaded term. I play with them both every day. We both work from home so he can and does come up and hang with us whenever he wants. His brother just hangs with us most of the day. They have toys and plenty of windows to nap at. They also have quiet places.

Stressors - it's possible that his brother is causing stress. They'll occasionally get into a tussle but there has never been fights over food or water.
They have separate food bowls and a well maintained water fountain running 24/7. They will also sleep together and sometimes on top of each other when it's cold so I'm not sure that's a stressor. The first occurrence of a problem arose when we were out of town on vacation. We think us going out of town may be a stressor but not the only stressor. My wife won't live the next decade never leaving the house for more than 2-3 days simply because the cat may get stressed and develop a UTI.

Last Tuesday he urinated on his favorite window chair so we picked up some antibiotics (we have a standing fill) and then yesterday he urinated on a sunroom carpet. So we're bringing him to the vet today for another urinalysis and ultrasound. The poor guy shakes and urinates on himself whenever we bring him to the Vet.

The big guy is sleeping next to me as I type this at my desk.

 

[jclark]

Who inherited the breeder's cats and business? Didn't they, whoever they are, inherit your contract, too?

They stopped breeding/showing a few years prior to when they passed. We bought from one of their last litters.

 

[Alldara]

J jclark

My hugest sympathies really. I know the struggle. We had a few years of struggle with Nobel before we were able to figure out what works for him. (And you shouldn't have to not leave! But it might be as simple as anxiety medication when you do)

I really want to stress that once we found what worked, we didn't have to adjust too much of our lives.

I would not recommend clay. I tried the crystals too because I hoped it would tell me when he was sick....but it just made him hold his urine more and get a kidney infection It works for many people, but I think maybe not for you also!

I will suggest paper litter for your main level of your home. We replaced our coffee table in the main area to something like this: https://www.wayfair.ca/Archie-and-O...tF_XYmeaHwOjvdE2pRIyMm_6K_y9naoEaAtwsEALw_wcB

It hides the box, and gave him privacy. He liked privacy to go. One of our cats now still likes privacy and uses it frequently.
I use paper litter that's non-clumping. Dust free made it easier to keep himself clean.

I also used to take a warm damp paper towel and clean that area of him daily.


If it IS frequent infections, a dental might be in order. If there is bacteria in the mouth it can transfer when he cleans himself. We didn't know until Nobel's dental that he had a cracked tooth. It was not able to be seen on exam.



Enrichment really is the charged word isn't it? When my vet first said enrichment and stressed we were both like, REALLY? He's a cat...he doesn't have to deal with work and all those other human stressors.

You've done some great work already. Really you have.

Let me know if you give anything in my post a try like the dry food through enrichment and see how that goes. Two busy cats are less trouble causing and less stress. So even if the other cat bugs him sometimes, you might get him to be more distracted if he has to work for his food!

I've heard lick mats are really soothing for wet food as well.


That it goes smoothly at the vet! Let me know how it goes.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi - I'm copying this from up thread. Just to check, have you had your water tested? Some cats are more sensitive to water issues.

Is he getting filtered water (not just bottled, distilled or RO water, but filtered tap water, which has the ugly contaminants removed but still retains the minerals)?

How often do you clean the water bowls as well as the food dishes, and supply fresh water?

Has your vet talked about Purina Hydra Care which was specifically formulated for cats with FLUTD?

Have you tried the tips in this article?
Tips To Increase Your Cat’s Water Intake - TheCatSite

Have you tried any of the wonderful and wide varieties of Cat Music to address the possible stress aspect of this, along with possibly using other calming products?

Rehoming is doable for a healthy cat, but you really need to be on your toes to ensure the new home is safe, and be rather demanding with high standards. Re-homing a cat whose health is compromised is not necessarily an option. I agree with Susanm9006, I personally would look for a different vet first.

You are being redirected... this is a link for finding cat friendly, and cat only veterinarians

"Kittens To Good Homes" - How To Find A Good Forever Home For Your Kittens - TheCatSite

 

[Alldara]

J jclark Hopefully you see Furballsmom 's post before the vet visit today. There's a lot of info there to discuss!

There's still many options, luckily.