Im Very Confused And Concerned About My 9 Year Old Kitty.

[Elizabeth0]

Hi everyone. I'm new here and I'm hoping someone has some advice or maybe has experienced a similar situation. My 9 year old tortie came to us as a little 5 week old kitten. She was found at a bus stop with some local boys tossing her around. My mom saw this and stopped the car and told them to give the cat over. She brought my little baby home and we've had her ever since. She is beyond the sweetest little girl. Nothing but love comes out of her. She does have a lot of issues though. I'm the only one that she trusts. She gives me kisses and lays on her back and I rub her belly etc. If anyone in the house gets up from the couch (other than me) she will run and bolt under my bed. She runs from everything. She hides under my bed for hours on end. She prefers my dark closet and she lays in there with her back towards me. She's definitely got a lot of issues which I'm sure comes from her rough start. We all love her and try to make her comfortable but she's definitely one of the more difficult cats we've had. She sleeps with me every night by my head. She's always been a very clean cat. Used the litter box since day 1. Never had an accident. Well the last month or so, she's been spending a lot more time under my bed. It began to really smell. I looked under to try and get her out and I found poo. I was devastated. As she's always been so clean. We blocked off under my bed so she can't get to it and now she's starting to poo inside of th dog bed. She also reaks of pee. We have had to use a carpet cleaner as our carpets are smelling. She's happy most days but then there are these behaviours. I don't understand. Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas? I love her so much. She's been with me since the start and I don't know what to do. Thank you.!

 

[mingsmongols]

She's peeing herself? I'd get her into the vet for blood work and a full exam. See if you can get a fecal sample to take with you and if your extremely lucky maybe even a urine sample. I don't think this is a behavioral issue because the urine smell suggests she's peeing on herself which is not a behavioral problem.

 

[amysuen]

If she's peeing herself she should be seen by a vet. She might have a UTI or something.

As far as everything else, she could be our Laelia's twin. Laelia is 12, we got her at 3 or 4 months old from a shelter and really don't know her story before us. I think she's a tortie, but have been told that she looks Burmese too. She's always been skittish and hates being held. She only comes downstairs if there aren't many people around, and will bolt if anyone walks toward her and if there's a sudden movement or sudden sound, even in another room. But when she's on our bed or our 18 yr old's bed she's another cat - she'll bug you for attention, purr, roll over and let you rub her belly, etc. She has a bad habit of peeing in clean laundry if it's in a basket on the floor, but not in a tall basket or if 2 baskets are stacked up. It started after a vet visit, when we let her out of the carrier there was laundry nearby and she jumped in and peed, and that was enough to start the bad habit. She also scoops litter out of the box onto the floor and poops on it if the box isn't clean enough for her. Personally I just think girl cats are crazy.

 

[amysuen]

Oops! Meant to post this with my reply.

Laelia:

 

[cat princesses]

I agree with M mingsmongols . Your kitty needs to have a full exam and blood work. At 9 years old it could be anything from being diabetic, to kidney disease, UTI. Please keep us updated once you have her fully checked out.

 

[foxxycat]

definitely need a vet visit! Try to keep her cleaned up and see if she will eat baby food meat ones if she is off her food. This is more medical issue. Urinating on oneself and defecating outside the box is sending you a signal something is wrong. A vet visit-do some research-look at reviews and try to find one that is easy going. Don't go to the first one you find=spend an hour looking at google reviews and yelp. That will save you some aggravation.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Also you failed to mention if there have been ANY changes in your household lately. Your kitty (what is her name, btw?) is evidently a very sensitive cat, and even minor changes can throw a hypersensitive cat into a tizzy. However, your vet should check her. If she is physically in good condition, she may need anxiety meds.

I'm so glad you found us! You now have a knowledgeable, caring community behind you and your cat. Be sure to stop by New Cats on the Block and introduce yourselves! Pictures are always welcome!