Urinating issues…

[Kayeff]

Hi!

Lately, we’ve been having trouble with our three year old cat. He’s been urinating on our carpet at first we thought maybe he didn’t like the litter boxes/too many cats were using them (we have four total) so we switched to the Breeze litter boxes which we like a lot better (the ones with pellets).

But that hasn’t worked and he’s still peeing on the carpet! Today I also noticed he seemed to be straining a little as he went.

So, to the vet we go. But I’m wondering if anyone knows what this might be and how they’ll go about figuring it out. I’m assuming it’s some sort of feline UTI? Will they need to get a urine sample (via catheter or something??) and how much should I be expecting to pay? Obviously we want him to be healthy but I just want to know what to expect going into the vet!

 

[Kayeff]

Also just want to say this is the first time he’s had trouble with peeing (except prior to being fixed he did spray a bit). He’s fixed now. Also slightly overweight. The amount he urinates seems like a normal amount (aka not little bursts here and there like a typical uti), no super strong scent either. But it did seem like he was taking awhile to go so I think maybe he was straining?

 

[FeebysOwner]

HI. The cost will vary from area to area and may also include an exam if your cat hasn't been seen recently by a vet. Some vets will forgo a vet exam and just let you bring your cat in without an appointment and have a vet tech collect the urine.

Just by virtue of the potential straining you think he might be doing, it is worth it to have a urinalysis & urine culture done. Male cats are more prone to urethra blockages from stones than females due to the differences in anatomy, so always something to act on with a cat that pees outside the litter box and then starts to show signs of possible straining to pee. Nowadays most vets draw urine directly from the bladder - not that different from a blood draw, so a needle is inserted directly into the bladder to collect urine.

3 years is young, but some cats are just genetically prone to bladder/urethral stones/crystals. Wait to see what the urinalysis results are and see what the vet says, and let us know what happens!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Along with the above, the rule of thumb with litterboxes is to have one per cat, plus one more. Not sure if you have four cats or four litterboxes right now, so can't say how many you actually need. AND, once they start peeing outside the box, you need to clean it up using an enzyme cleaner because even though you may not be able to smell it, cats still can and will return to that same spot over and over again. Even if they pee on your bed and you wash the sheets in the washer, you still need to use an enzyme cleaner in the washer because the scent can come through the washer and dryer process. Natures Miracle is one such cleaner. They are many you can use.

We once had a cat who would pee on anything she didn't want the other cats to get close to, so it was a behavioral thing. I just learned I could never leave anything out on the floor that didn't belong there, because she thought it was hers and no one elses and marked it as such. (for example, when I stripped the bed I could not leave all the sheets in a pile on the floor before loading into the washer or she would get on that pile and pee. Same with the comforter. I had to fold it up nicely and hide it while the sheets were being washed or it would become her very own toilet . Cats! Gotta love 'em.