111.00 to tell me that my cats peeing issues are behavioral
i am just at wits end with this cat. I thought surely he was having some sort of physical cause. Took him in--20.00 to get sub q fluids because he wouldnt pee. Gave him lots of fluids, he still wouldnt pee. Cathed him-- another 25 there. 35 for the visit. Another 15 for the uninalysis. Then whats left-- 11 or so-- for the blood glucose (hes borderline diabetic-- currently diet controlled). Nada wrong w him. He apparently just likes to pee. ****it.
It has absolutely gotten entirely out of hand. The vet suggests crating him at night. Thats going to go over like a lead balloon i think. His weight is waaay back up (diabetic episode where he almost died was a year ago-- he was down to 10-11 lbs then, hes over 20 now). Vet wasnt concered w weight though, and bg was perfect.
Dh wants to make him an outside kitty. Actually it would work out ok logistically, I would just feel bad for him. We have a privacy fenced backyard that he couldnt haul his fat hiney over if he tried. In AL it doesnt get very cold, and there are plenty of places for him to hole up when it does get cool...
The vets only other sugg was Elidel?? He said thats completely last resort though. The cat is only doing it at night, but has ruined sooo much of our furniture, and has recently started peeing on the bed in our spare bedroom. We just threw out a really really nice sofa because it had been peed on so much we couldnt get the smeel out.
I am just frustrated. i dont know wht to do with him. I cant take the peeing anymore...
heather
__________________
Heather , mama to Liam, born 12-19-01, and Simon, born 04-17-05 wife to Mark, married 09-23-97
Some cats are just neurotic like that. Is he siamese?
Sorry I can't really help or suggest things. I know they have lil shock pads, but if he goes in mulitiple places I don't think that will work. Outside may be fine though. Good luck.
We have a cat that has peed and pooped on our bed, pretty much ruined our feather bed but I guess that's better than our mattress. Our solution was to confine her to our bathroom at night and she's outside during the day if it's not raining. If it rains she's free in the house but the bedroom doors are kept closed. She would have been made an outside cat but we don't have a garage so there would really be no way she could be protected from the elements.
If she's only doing it at night I would try confining him first and see how that works out.
Oh and our cat started peeing about a year ago and after she got our bed a couple of times and we realized she had some issues she was no longer allowed in our room (other than a couple of times when one of us left the door open and she'd run in and pee on the bed and run back out). Recently she's gotten in there and I've found her asleep on the bed or sitting on the dresser and she didn't pee, I don't know if it's just been so long since she did it but it's like she forgot that she used to pee on our bed. I'm still not ready to trust her so she's still kept out of our room but maybe they can grow out of it.
This is what my cat is on and it has helped 90%. He has once in a blue moon accidents but not much. It's cheap and may be worth a try. Your vet should have it in stock also.
If not, consider confining him to one room at night, as he may have jealousy issues and need to be controlled a bit. If that will not work, I'd make him an outside cat. Igloo houses are warm when used with the plug in heating pad. A plastic raised heated bed that fits inside the Igloo and is safe if wet, etc. I'd consider one of those with a warm blanket and make him a house outside.
__________________ "Custom will reconcile people to any atrocity."
George Bernard Shaw
{{{{HUGS}}}} I feel your pain. Sadly(I'm sure I mentioned this here before),one of my 3 kitties is a outdoor cat. We spent tons of $ trying to help her. We tried absolutley everything. After she peed on ME several times,we had enough. We had to put her outside. She loves it though! She has been a outdoor cat for 5 years now. WE had gotten her from the pound at 5 years old and they knew nothing about her,so I think she is just used to being out there. She just likes to pee on things that she loves! My indoor cats are jealous of her because I spoil her with treats because I feel so bad that she is out there! I leave my attached garage door open a crack and I have a bed in there for her.Well,it changed to a folded up towel,since she pees on her bed too. I took her to several vets to gets opinions and the final answer was,"Cat's are just wierd". Luckily my indoor cat's choose to do other wierd things! Actulally,my one will poop on the floor for 3 months before and 3 months after I have a baby. Ok,I'll shut up! I hope the confining does work for you though! I hope your kitty doesn't have to go out,it is so hard..... {{{{MORE HUGS}}}}
Location: In the Land of Golden Warmth, Surrounded by Majestic Mountains, Inspired by Desert and Ocean, Cocooned in Love
Posts: 2,943
Amitriptyline is generic Elavil, which I think is what Heather's vet recommended as a last resort. Elavil is an older antidepressant.
I had a Siamese like this. He was medically fine but psychologically stressed by the dog and kids. We eventually made him an outdoor kitty. Unfortunately, after a year he ran away. I wish that there had been some other way to handle the situation, but he was a senior cat and with the urinary problems the rescue groups wouldn't help us. No one we knew would adopt him, either. We did the best we could with the situation.
I hope you find a solution. For us there was no way we would have a cat that peed in the house with our children. Urine gets into the carpet pad and the furniture cushions and you can't get it out. I couldn't stand the thought of the bacteria that it must have been growing.
It not only helps with behavior however, it also helps with the physical discomfort of interstitial cystitis. For me any downsides of the med (and I understand there are a few but nothing significant) were greatly overshadowed by the relief it gave not only the cat but us. I can not live with a cat who pees all over either, but I also understood it could be painful for him and discomfort would not resolve by moving him outside. He'd still be without relief. Of course this is assuming it is physical as well, and not solely behaviorial. A trial of this usually helps to show you, and then you can rest knowing you did try everything to relieve his pain as well, if there is any he is feeling and we don't know, and then make a better decision on moving him outside. At least this was my experience and my view with our cat.
Heather, you may want to seriously consider the med. It's proven safe for us, so far. Joey has been on it for a few years now and it's been wonderful for him and us. I was that close to making him an outdoor cat as well, and if you did decide that I'd not look a bit down on you, but this may be an answer for you. It was for us, and it's very low cost and easy to give. That is if your cat can be pilled. We use a pill gun/pill popper and he does fine with 1 pill daily.
Oh Heather, I feel so bad for you but think you are great for working so much with your cat.
I second the vets suggestion to crate him at night. You can put a small litterbox right in the crate. (we've done this after surgery and with a new kitten who we did not want to turn loose right away) He is ONLY doing the peeing on stuff at night? He uses his litter box during the day?
I read a while ago....either at cat fancy online or in their magazine about a owner who was having problems with their cat at night not using the litter box. To make a long story short, they realized that the low light at night (dark) was keeping the cat from getting to the litter box and therefore the cat was just peeing wherever. Just a thought.......how dark is your house at night?
You could check catfancy's online message boards too. They have a forum specifically dealing with kitties who are not doing so hot in some area of litter box using.
The vet said it would be 2x a day-- Am and PM, and Azrael is very uncooperative when it coms to meds. Heck when I was having to syringe feed him for the 2 weeks after the diabetic episode last year, there were days when I wondered if I was going to be able to feed him (after he got a little energy back). The vet suggested that he wasnt liking being closed out of our room at night. I didnt really associate it, but he has been closed out lately-- not intentionally, we just have started closing the door. So anyway, last night I left the door propped open, and he slept with us all night, and no pee this am. Sooooo I am taking a deep breath, crossing my fingers and hioping that might do the trick. I honestly doubt it, but it is worth a shot anyway. We are about to buy a new sofa (ot replace the last one they ruined), and I want to be sure the peeing has stopped. He has always had peeing issues, they will go away for months and then come back, so I suppose he is just tempermental. When it gets back, the little one helps him in his peeing escapades I think (lol our yougest cat is so small in comparison to the rest-- only 5-6lbs, so we have always called her the little one). The oldest is our "good" cat. No behavior problems, no attitude problems, no health problems-- and she is 13-14. She is the one who sneaks out the window to go exploring, lol.
The thing abt making Azrael outside is I think he would be miserable,. he is the only cat we have that has never tried in the slightest to get out, and cried and acted miserable the one time after a peeing incident that Dh tossed him out. He has actually never really been out at all. We got him at 6 weeks, and he has never been out (and is 7 now I think).
Ok, just babbly this am-- cross your fingers and lets hope that is what all of he attitude is about!
heather
I hope that was the trick! (allowing him in your room last night)
Cats are something else! Our siamese was so mad at me when we moved (her first move) that she pooped in my laundry for the first few days after we moved here and then she hid from me for two months after that!
She is fine and dandy now...but geeze.
Crossing my fingers for you and hoping that you figured out the problem. Do you have a pic to share of him?
We used that drug with Squeaky--he has allergies and behavioral licking issues. He will not take pills either so we got the drug in a cream form that we rubbed in the inside of his ear 2x a day. It works. It really helps him. Please try that. The generic works great and I think that may help you quite a bit.
__________________
Amy, mama to my wonderful girls Veronica and Vivian
If we've had a transaction, please leave my feedback here. Thank you.
I had better luck with once daily dosing. Twice daily was too much for our cat and he was too drugged. LOL. Some cats will need that, others don't. You can also get the pills made into a liquid and mixed with his food, or start giving a bit of wet food daily to hide the med (crushed pills or liquid) in. In case your current plan does not work...and I hope to goodness it does!!!!
I feel your pain, we have been going through the same thing for over 2 years. The previous owners had her declawed so she can't go outside. I was going to try to give her back and just get another cat, but I've been told it's not a good idea. I'm not sure what we are going to do. I love her, but I'm sick of picking up cat poop every day.
__________________
"Rosa sat so Martin could walk...
Martin walked, so Obama could run...
Obama is running so our children can fly!"
Shannon
Mama to a 8 year old superhero and and a baby wild child.
, I don't know if it's just been so long since she did it but it's like she forgot that she used to pee on our bed. I'm still not ready to trust her so she's still kept out of our room but maybe they can grow out of it.
Sadly(I'm sure I mentioned this here before),one of my 3 kitties is a outdoor cat. We spent tons of $ trying to help her. We tried absolutley everything. After she peed on ME several times,we had enough. We had to put her outside. She loves it though! She has been a outdoor cat for 5 years now. WE had gotten her from the pound at 5 years old and they knew nothing about her,so I think she is just used to being out there. She just likes to pee on things that she loves!
My indoor cats are jealous of her because I spoil her with treats because I feel so bad that she is out there! I leave my attached garage door open a crack and I have a bed in there for her.Well,it changed to a folded up towel,since she pees on her bed too.
I took her to several vets to gets opinions and the final answer was,"Cat's are just wierd". Luckily my indoor cat's choose to do other wierd things! Actulally,my one will poop on the floor for 3 months before and 3 months after I have a baby.
and Vivian 
Linear Mode
