Kidney Disease in Kittens

[Meekie]

I'm concerned about the volume of urine I'm scooping out of my seven month old kitten's box every day. What is the normal output of urine for a cat this age? It's been a while since I've had a kitten but her pee clumps seem a little big.

I lost two cats in the past two years to kidney disease, so maybe I'm being a little paranoid, but I know cats can have kidney disease at a young age, so I'm pretty worried. Because that's what I do best: worry.

I have a vet appointment set up for next week. Her original owner's initial checkup with her was good, but are kidney values routinely checked with cats this age? I asked him to send me the paperwork and am still waiting.

I have some Science Diet k/d left over from the cat I lost earlier this year. Would it hurt to feed it to my kitten just in case?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
There are a lot of variables involved, how much she drinks, how much moisture she's getting from her canned food etc.
I would wait regarding feeding the Science Diet.

 

[Meekie]

She eats very little kibble and usually eats up her wet food pretty well. I give her two or three 3 oz cans per day, depending on her appetite. And yes, she does drink water. I sometimes see her drinking twice a day which is a little worrisome because I rarely ever catch my cats at the water bowl.

She also has a stubborn case of diarrhea which keeps coming back.

I'm having trouble getting an earlier vet appt. and I want to keep on top of this just in case. For what reasons should I wait on the Science Diet? 30%-40% of her diet is already adult food since she will not eat most kitten food. The vet told me that adult food was okay for her.

Otherwise her behavior is good. No vomiting or lethargy.

 

[LTS3]

Hi
There are a lot of variables involved, how much she drinks, how much moisture she's getting from her canned food etc.
I would wait regarding feeding the Science Diet.

Every cat has their own normal amount of urine. Just know what is normal for your cat and then if you notice the clumps are much bigger or smaller than normal or has an abnormal smell (like sugar which would likely indicate diabetes) or hard to clump and you haven't changed the litter, that will need a trip to the vet.

I would discuss with the vet about redoing blood work to check kidney values and all that before starting a kidney-friendly diet which your cat may or may not need. Science Diet isn't a good brand in general. I the vet says your cat needs to be on a low phosphorus kidney diet, there are better brands to feed and that aren't prescription. Tanya's Comprehensive Guide to Feline Chronic Kidney Disease - Everything You Need to Know to Help Your Cat is a good web site with info.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. If her pee clumps have not changed much since you got her, I wouldn't worry about it too much. As more or less said above, every cat 'pees to their own drum' so to speak. My cat (17+ yo) has always been a very avid drinker -some cats just drink more than others. No, it doesn't hurt to get blood work done regardless of age, so not a bad idea. If all else is going well with her, I certainly would not institute a kidney food at this point.

 

[Meekie]

I've had her for 7 weeks. I would think any change in urine after 7 weeks would point to more of an acute problem. Plus she was very nervous the first couple of weeks and frequently peed outside of the box. Other than that, he has always peed a little more than expected. I'm hoping that may be a good sign.

I've also been giving her Churu to hide her diarrhea medicine in. And her Forti Flora. She doesn't like it mixed in with her food.

I will not feed her the Science Diet. Thanks everybody for your advice. I will keep you posted.

 

[Furballsmom]

 

[Robyn5678]

'pees to their own drum'

Omg this comment has me laughing at loud I don’t know why it struck me so funny

 

[Furballsmom]

It did me too lol

 

[IndyJones]

The form of kidney disease younger animals usually have is acute renal failure, usually caused by eating something poisonous like Advil, antifreeze, or plants.

If this was the case you would most likely see other signs like lethargy, vomiting, tremors, fever etc.

Cats don't drink much in general. If they eat canned food even less so. They already are getting hydration from the food.

 

[Meekie]

That's promising, at least in this case.

Not too much pee today, but more than I would expect from such a little critter. Then again, I haven't had a kitten in sixteen years.

 

[cataholic07]

I wouldn't feed vet food to any cat who doesn't need it. The kidney food helps cats with damaged kidneys, but the lack of nutrients in it can cause damage to a healthy cat. It's why it says on it that it's not aafco balanced approve because the levels are too low for normal cats. You can take her for bloodwork and UA for peace of mind. Sometimes peeing a lot can be due to a UTI but some cats also just pee a lot. Kittens eat more so they do pee and poop more than adult cats. I actually have a 3 year old cat who was diagnosed with ckd at age 2. Crappy genetics apparently. So yes it can happen but it's still not the norm.

 

[Antonio65]

For some reason, it seems that kittens produce huge amount of urine, several times a day.
When my two current cats were kittens, and until a few months ago, I had to scoop up to 15 clumps a day, and I was worried that something wans't right.
All tests were clear.

I had fostered a few kittens before, and they would do just the same thing, rather big clumps a dozen times a day each kitten!
It seems it is quite normal.

 

[Antonio65]

or hard to clump and you haven't changed the litter, that will need a trip to the vet.

Why is it that a hard to clump pee is something to be concerned about?
It occasionally happens to me too (well, my cats, not me), and I always thought it was when they pee a large amount of urine on a too thin layer of litter.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

For some reason, it seems that kittens produce huge amount of urine, several times a day.
When my two current cats were kittens, and until a few months ago, I had to scoop up to 15 clumps a day, and I was worried that something wans't right.
All tests were clear.

I had fostered a few kittens before, and they would do just the same thing, rather big clumps a dozen times a day each kitten!
It seems it is quite normal.

I always thought it might be because a kitten's bladder is a bit smaller than an adult cat's bladder.

 

[Meekie]

Thanks everyone. I'm not as worried now.
She is eating a lot, mostly wet, and I haven't seen her at her water glass (she'll only drink from a glass and only if it's on the coffee table).
I think I overreacted.

 

[Antonio65]

I always thought it might be because a kitten's bladder is a bit smaller than an adult cat's bladder.

Somebody also told me that kittens have less control over their bladder than adult cats.

 

[LTS3]

Why is it that a hard to clump pee is something to be concerned about?

Diabetic cats produce urine that does not clump well because of all the sugars in the urine. It's a huge sticky mess in the litter box.

 

[IndyJones]

Some cats also pee in one corner of the box. My cats both do and it clumps mushy. Neither of them cover it either.