Strrrrrrrrraaange cat behavior!!

My husband and I live in an apartment with a one year old brother and sister cat. We have one litter box and they have a system when it comes to doing their business; pee in the front, poo in the back.

For the past couple of days we have been watching our in-laws cat (she is about 2 years old). They all get along pretty well. Here is the issue, our male cat has been going in and out of the litter box every 15 minutes since this other cat has been here. He will jump in and sit in there for a minute or so and then jump out; without going to the bathroom.

All the animals are fixed. I have no idea what is going on. Is it territorial? Our male cat gets along really well with the in-laws cats. Any ideas would be great!

Now I am starting to wonder if it has to do with a medical problem??? He is now going to the litter box every couple of minutes and he sits in there for about two minutes. He isn't crying or anything, but it looks like he is trying to pee but cannot. He has pooped today though. Anyone have experiences with this? The other cat is going home today; should I not worry until after that if the behavior continues?

Please get him to the vet tomorrow morning. He is stressed because of the new cat and he needs to be on antibiotics. He sounds like he has a UTI You will also, if he does have one, need to throw the old litter pan out and get three more.Yes, three, one litter pan for each cat and one extra.

Good luck

Originally Posted by Brigitte

Now I am starting to wonder if it has to do with a medical problem??? He is now going to the litter box every couple of minutes and he sits in there for about two minutes. He isn't crying or anything, but it looks like he is trying to pee but cannot. He has pooped today though. Anyone have experiences with this? The other cat is going home today; should I not worry until after that if the behavior continues?

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Hissy is right...he needs a vet. I wouldn't wait until tomorrow. If there is not any urine coming out, it is an emergency. Treatment is easier and less expensive the sooner it happens, even if that means going to an emergency vet.

A link with more info

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body..._blockage.html

I don't wish to scare you, and yes, I know how expensive weekend vet visits are, but if I were you- I wouldn't wait. I would get this cat into a vet pretty quick. I didn't post that initially because I am accustomed to people arguing with logic on forums. Bringing a new cat into the home upsets the balance. It doesn't matter how long or short of a time the new cat is there, the scent in the house changes, the routine changes, the cat dynamics shift. Cats need and crave routine. When something disrupts this flow, they will become stressed. The first organ that is a target for stress is the bladder and kidneys. UTI are extremely dangerous. The cats can become blocked, they can also die. I do know from experience that cats can die quickly from certain UTI.

Thanks for the advice everyone, my husband and I took Ross to the vet. The vet was able to pass a catheter and get a urine sample. There were crystals and blood in his urine but thank got we caught it before the crystals formed a blockage. We were given Prescription Diet S/D to feed him and once that is gone we are supposed to put him on C/D. He is also about 6lbs overweight so we have to change his feeding routine. Thanks again for the help!

Originally Posted by Brigitte

Thanks for the advice everyone, my husband and I took Ross to the vet. The vet was able to pass a catheter and get a urine sample. There were crystals and blood in his urine but thank got we caught it before the crystals formed a blockage. We were given Prescription Diet S/D to feed him and once that is gone we are supposed to put him on C/D. He is also about 6lbs overweight so we have to change his feeding routine. Thanks again for the help!

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I'm glad you took him in...sounds like he's on the mend - that's great. Keep an eye on his behavior and his "output" in the box - those 2 things are your best guide as to how he's doing.

Losing the weight should help keep the bladder issues at bay, too. Good luck.

I'm so relieved that even though it is the weekend, you did take him in. Please also throw the old litter pan away. They often associate the old litter pan as the predator that caused them pain. They start finding other places to relieve themselves. It is far less expensive to buy two new litter pans then it is to get a carpet cleaned from cat pee and poop.

Bless you for taking your kitty straight to the vet! As Hissy said, a lot of people just don't want to hear that an emergency vet visit is the right thing to do. Many's the time we've all sat here pleading with someone to save their kitty, and they just refuse to believe it's really that urgent... it's heartbreaking. Thanks for being a great catmom!

So glad you took him in! What a relief it must be for you to know what is wrong and that he is on the road to good health You are good cat parents or as they call it here meowmy and purrpaw

Any time a male (or female, but especially the male) keeps going in and out of the box but not doing anything is cause for a vet visit right away. When a male gets blocked by the crystals (UTI), he can die very quickly.

Originally Posted by hissy

I'm so relieved that even though it is the weekend, you did take him in. Please also throw the old litter pan away. They often associate the old litter pan as the predator that caused them pain. They start finding other places to relieve themselves. It is far less expensive to buy two new litter pans then it is to get a carpet cleaned from cat pee and poop.

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So true. One of mine had very serious UTI's that led to surgery eventually. I have an auto box so throwing it out and replacing it wasn't financially feasible (especially after all the money I spent keeping my cat alive). Luckily, those boxes have a very wide, flat surface at the back. I was able to put treats on it which he'll do anything for and he quickly decided the box wasn't to blame!