Really having a problem with Jasmine going potty outside of the litter. Any ideas?

starryeyedtiger

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Ok guys i'm really needed some suggestions right now! Jasmine has a pretty bad URI. I took her to the vet a week ago at the first signs of something being abnormal- she pottied on the guest bed - she NEVER goes outside of the litter pan so i knew something was up with her. The vet confirmed that she has a Lower Urinary Tract Infection and we put her on antibiotics for her. The antibiotics (amoxi) don't seem to be working at all though so i think i will switch her antibiotics if by day 10 she's not better (three more days). In addition to the meds, i got her those Uri-Ease treats to help as well http://www.drugstore.com/qxp157055_3..._cats_tuna.htm . Now here's the huge problem- the first 3 days of her being on meds i had her seperated from the other animals in the guest bathroom with just her food/litter/bed/water so i could montior her food and water intake and her litter pan- while she was in there she didn't have any accidents at all (because it's such a small space she HAD to go in the litter pan. She was doing better so i let her out of the bathroom (after i bought a plastic cover to put over the bed- best $5 i've ever spent!!!!) Ever since then she's started going potty on the bed again- pee and poop!
I know she's not using the litter pan because she's associating it with pain and trying to avoid it- but it is frusterating constantly having to see a mess on our guest bed. At this point i'm thinking i should put her back in the bathroom until all symptoms are clear and she stops pottying outside of the litter pan. The only reason i don't want to do that is because when she's by herself she won't eat and SCREAMS for Isabella- it is soo pitiful. So maybe i can just let them eat together and keep her by herself the rest of the time?? Any ideas??? I hate to see my poor little sugar momma like this. The vet said if she's not better by next week to bring her back in (just called him earlier.)

Also the litter pan is kept immaculant, in a very low traffic area of the house, there are multiple pans since we have multiple cats, the litter has not recently been changed to a different brand- i know it's not the litter pan- it's just Jasmine associating it with pain because it hurts for her to go to the bathroom
Poor girl! Any ideas/tips would be helpful!!! Also- do you think i should put her back up in the bathroom temporarily just to keep her from having soooo many accidents/montitor her? I think i'm going to do that later this afternoon.
 

sharky

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Did you get her a new litter pan and some cat attract litter>>???

Sorry those treats look IFFY to me ... did you tell the vet about them??? I ask cause humans on antibiotics have to often watch what drinks ( grapefruit oj and cranberry

put her back in the bathroom may be with Isabella??
 

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I'm a little discouraged by the fact that she's pooping outside the box too.
Usually if it's strictly the UTI causing issues they will still poop in the box with no problem. Even with a behavioral peeing problem, they usually poop in the box.

Where does Jasmine stand in the kitty hierarchy there? Is she ever picked on by the other cats? Is it possible that any of them are bothering her when she goes to the box(es)?

I've never had any luck with Amoxi for a UTI. Baytril is better IMO and it's a once a day pill as a bonus. It can cause some stomach upset but almost all the options do.

The bathroom may be an idea. If you can keep checking on her, maybe let her out for awhile after she's left a good deposit in the box. That way you know you're in the clear for awhile.

Or maybe a nice big dog crate, then she could see everyone and not be so lonely?

If you think a Feliway type spray will work, I have recently become a big fan of "No Mark". It works on the same principle as Feliway (pheromones)...but it's very reasonably priced. I got a 16 oz bottle at Petsmart for $9.99. The stuff really works!!!!

I looked at those treats at PS and what turned me off first was that it said to give 10 treats to a 10lb cat per day...and there are maybe 30 treats in the bag.


No sign of crystals, is that right? Did you find out what her pH was?
 

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I feel your pain. Pippin has had a UTI since his Perineal Uresthrostomy (PU) surgery about a month ago.
I agree with beandip about the amoxi. Baytril is better (so says the vet surgeon). Pippin was on it for two cycles, but we just switched today to another antibiotic because he still has the UTI. He's on Cetadrops now and it doesn't make him foam at the mouth like the Clavamox.. thank god!!
Anyways, last night he peed on my bed, and on the floor, and on my headboard. After having issues with blockages, I can't be mad at him. I'm just glad to see him pee. LOL!
It will get old pretty quickly, so I suggest a new litter box, some cat attract litter, really really clean the pee spots with some enzyme cleaner.
Pippin's also on a 1/4 tab of valium now to help with the painful bladder spasms. It really mellows him out, lets him relax and pee better. Perhaps that might be something you can talk to the vet about. The key is to get her to have a couple of nice, painless pees in the box. The poor babies have no clue what's happening to them and why it hurts.
If you give her a friend to hang out with in the bathroom, that might help her relax and not be so stressed when she's in there. FLUTD can really be exacerbated by stress.
I wish you lots of get well vibes. Once she's feeling better hopefully the behavioral issues will go away.
At least, that's what I'm hoping for here too!
Devlyn
 

mcat

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I would try a brand new litter box and Cat Attract litter. I would also keep her in the bathroom, maybe with a friend until this starts to clear up.

We went through something similar with Peaches. She had to take prozac before she would use the litterbox all the time. It sometimes takes a long time for them to stop associating the box with pain.

I wish you all kinds of luck. Smooches to your kitties.
 

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Try to ask your vet about the anti-spasmodic (to calm the bladder) to help her pee. Our vet also suggested a low-dose antidepressant like Paxil (SSRI-type) or amitriptyline (tricyclic-type) -- we tried the latter, but it made Munchie very grouchy(!) & was d/c after 2 days. Oh, amoxicillin didn't work for him either. I think he was on his 3rd course of antibiotics; plus, at the vet, he passed a catheter to collect a sample & that unblocked him a bit.

Also, do you think she might be getting stressed being alone
in the bathroom? It's recommended that stress be minimized for cats, esp. crystal=prone kitties, I think.

P.S. I agree w/ beandip -- the poo-ing outside the box is strange. Did the vet shed any light on that?

Here are some healing vibes
& pee-in-the-litterbox-please-vibes
for Jasmine!
 

white cat lover

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Hmmmmm....Jasmine is the tortie, right? I belive, IMO, she also looks a little overweight. If she is overweight, then her weight could me making things worse.

Also, for a UTI, here the vet always has me treat for 14-21 days. Amoxi, IMO, isn't the best for a UTI.....I like Clavamox or Orbax.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by sharky

Did you get her a new litter pan and some cat attract litter>>???

Sorry those treats look IFFY to me ... did you tell the vet about them??? I ask cause humans on antibiotics have to often watch what drinks ( grapefruit oj and cranberry

put her back in the bathroom may be with Isabella??
no- i didn't know i was supposed to get her a new litter pan? what is the reason for that if you don't mind me asking? i completly scrub all of them down 2x a week. about the cat attract litter- i've never heard of this- where can i get this at.the vet said the treats were ok (but i don't give her as many as the package says to- just on occassion). I didn't put Izzy in the bathroom with her because the bathroom is soo small and Izzy will literally FREAK out. I don't want to stress Izzy unnecessarly. What i thought about doing was leaving Jasmine in the room during the day/night- and letting her out for meals/etc to eat with Izzy so i can supervise her in case she tries to potty on the bed again. Would that work ok? I put her in the bathroom tonight- i had no choice- she had already had 3 accidents since my first post
Thanks for the help Jennifer


Originally Posted by beandip

I'm a little discouraged by the fact that she's pooping outside the box too.
Usually if it's strictly the UTI causing issues they will still poop in the box with no problem. Even with a behavioral peeing problem, they usually poop in the box.

Where does Jasmine stand in the kitty hierarchy there? Is she ever picked on by the other cats? Is it possible that any of them are bothering her when she goes to the box(es)?

I've never had any luck with Amoxi for a UTI. Baytril is better IMO and it's a once a day pill as a bonus. It can cause some stomach upset but almost all the options do.

The bathroom may be an idea. If you can keep checking on her, maybe let her out for awhile after she's left a good deposit in the box. That way you know you're in the clear for awhile.

Or maybe a nice big dog crate, then she could see everyone and not be so lonely?

If you think a Feliway type spray will work, I have recently become a big fan of "No Mark". It works on the same principle as Feliway (pheromones)...but it's very reasonably priced. I got a 16 oz bottle at Petsmart for $9.99. The stuff really works!!!!

I looked at those treats at PS and what turned me off first was that it said to give 10 treats to a 10lb cat per day...and there are maybe 30 treats in the bag.


No sign of crystals, is that right? Did you find out what her pH was?
I thought it was odd that she was pooping outside of the box too- since she had just been to the vet and the vet did tests and said it was ONLY a uti.
i'm starting to think maybe SOME of this is behavioral but i'm not sure. I heard the "no mark" was good as well- i will be buying some of that- thanks for the recommendation! I've gone ahead and cleaned all of the accident spots with Nature's Miracle for cats so hopefully that helps too. I would put her in a crate- but i already have two out right now between Norris and Fancy (my foster animals) not to mention she has much more room in the bathroom than she would a crate- and i can't fit a covered litter pan in the crates i have here at the moment. At last check the vet tested her urine and found no signs of crystals or diabetes/etc...so that's good. i do not know what the ph was (i had a ton on my mind at the time so i don't remember). I will be taking Jasmine back to the vet next week if she's not improved. I will definitely see about switching her antibiotics.

Originally Posted by Devlyn

I feel your pain. Pippin has had a UTI since his Perineal Uresthrostomy (PU) surgery about a month ago.
I agree with beandip about the amoxi. Baytril is better (so says the vet surgeon). Pippin was on it for two cycles, but we just switched today to another antibiotic because he still has the UTI. He's on Cetadrops now and it doesn't make him foam at the mouth like the Clavamox.. thank god!!
Anyways, last night he peed on my bed, and on the floor, and on my headboard. After having issues with blockages, I can't be mad at him. I'm just glad to see him pee. LOL!
It will get old pretty quickly, so I suggest a new litter box, some cat attract litter, really really clean the pee spots with some enzyme cleaner.
Pippin's also on a 1/4 tab of valium now to help with the painful bladder spasms. It really mellows him out, lets him relax and pee better. Perhaps that might be something you can talk to the vet about. The key is to get her to have a couple of nice, painless pees in the box. The poor babies have no clue what's happening to them and why it hurts.
If you give her a friend to hang out with in the bathroom, that might help her relax and not be so stressed when she's in there. FLUTD can really be exacerbated by stress.
I wish you lots of get well vibes. Once she's feeling better hopefully the behavioral issues will go away.
At least, that's what I'm hoping for here too!
Devlyn
Thankyou for all of those great suggestions!!!


Originally Posted by Mcat

I would try a brand new litter box and Cat Attract litter. I would also keep her in the bathroom, maybe with a friend until this starts to clear up.

We went through something similar with Peaches. She had to take prozac before she would use the litterbox all the time. It sometimes takes a long time for them to stop associating the box with pain.

I wish you all kinds of luck. Smooches to your kitties.
Thankyou


Originally Posted by whiskerynature

Try to ask your vet about the anti-spasmodic (to calm the bladder) to help her pee. Our vet also suggested a low-dose antidepressant like Paxil (SSRI-type) or amitriptyline (tricyclic-type) -- we tried the latter, but it made Munchie very grouchy(!) & was d/c after 2 days. Oh, amoxicillin didn't work for him either. I think he was on his 3rd course of antibiotics; plus, at the vet, he passed a catheter to collect a sample & that unblocked him a bit.

Also, do you think she might be getting stressed being alone
in the bathroom? It's recommended that stress be minimized for cats, esp. crystal=prone kitties, I think.

P.S. I agree w/ beandip -- the poo-ing outside the box is strange. Did the vet shed any light on that?

Here are some healing vibes
& pee-in-the-litterbox-please-vibes
for Jasmine!
Absolutely- the pooping outside of the litter pan seems VERY off to me. I'm starting to think that part might be behavioral but i'm not sure why. She gets along well with all the other animals and none of them ever pick on her/etc.

Originally Posted by white cat lover

Hmmmmm....Jasmine is the tortie, right? I belive, IMO, she also looks a little overweight. If she is overweight, then her weight could me making things worse.

Also, for a UTI, here the vet always has me treat for 14-21 days. Amoxi, IMO, isn't the best for a UTI.....I like Clavamox or Orbax.
Jasmine is overweight. When i took her in she was obease. Since her last vet visist though last year she'd lost over a pound and a half
(we are SLOWLY and healthily trying to take the weight off of her). She now weighs 13lbs even - the vet said her ideal weight is 11lbs- so we have two more pounds to go
I'm not a huge fan of Clavamox, Albon, Amoxi or really anything else like that- we use it all the time at the shelter and it never seems like it really helps. So i will see about switching her onto a better antibiotic. I'm thinking zithromax or baytril.
 

sharky

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The box has the smell of the infection and thus reminds of the pain... Petsmart and some Petcos have cat attract ... it contains something to get them to use the box again...
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by sharky

The box has the smell of the infection and thus reminds of the pain... Petsmart and some Petcos have cat attract ... it contains something to get them to use the box again...
Thanks for explaining that i had no idea!!!
I will get her another box then and get some of that litter from the pet store when i get the money
 

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3 days is nowhere near long enough for confinement, IMO. Henry has been confined most of the 2 months since his problems started.
 

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Silly question...are any of the litterboxes not the covered type? Being a big girl, she may have suddenly developed a dislike for the covered litterboxes.

And/or...do they all look the same (the litterboxes)? Maybe get her something a little different.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by fosterkitty

3 days is nowhere near long enough for confinement, IMO. Henry has been confined most of the 2 months since his problems started.
I am starting to think the same thing as well. For right now - ALL of my kitties are confined to the guest bedroom as we are getting the bathroom (where she was confined) painted right now- so she's much happier with her friends so i guess that helps her stress levels. But she is still going potty outside of the pan. I talked to the vet today about buying some Cat Attract and a new pan for her when i get paid and she said that it sounded like a good idea so on friday that's what i'm going to do. I also liked having her seperate from the others so i could monitor her food/water/litter pan situation and keep a close eye on her. As soon as the bathroom is finished she'll be going back in there.

Originally Posted by beandip

Silly question...are any of the litterboxes not the covered type? Being a big girl, she may have suddenly developed a dislike for the covered litterboxes.

And/or...do they all look the same (the litterboxes)? Maybe get her something a little different.
All of the litter pans are covered as all of my kitties kick litter everywhere- they're all pretty big though so she's got lots of room in there. We had an open pan when i lived with my mom- and Jasmine hated it so i'm sure it's not that. All of the litter pans look pretty similar- maybe i'll try getting her one that looks different.
 

white cat lover

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You could try the Rubbermaid totes with a hole cut in the top. It would be a little cheaper than buying a regular pan & who knows!

I've got...hmmm...maybe a 30 Gal....Rubbermaid tote with no lid that I use for the litterbox upstairs for the 3 up there. That could work as well.
 

beandip

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Originally Posted by StarryEyedTiGeR

All of the litter pans are covered as all of my kitties kick litter everywhere- they're all pretty big though so she's got lots of room in there. We had an open pan when i lived with my mom- and Jasmine hated it so i'm sure it's not that. All of the litter pans look pretty similar- maybe i'll try getting her one that looks different.
The fact that she poops and pees outside of the box that makes me think that she does not like the box, or something about it. I don't think it's as simple as the UTI causing the issues. The UTI may have been the final deal breaker for her, but I don't think it's the whole issue causing the innappropriate elimination. If it was me, I would accidentally leave the lid off of one box...or get her a cheap, deep open rubbermaid tub. Sand on the floor is better than poop on the bed.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by white cat lover

You could try the Rubbermaid totes with a hole cut in the top. It would be a little cheaper than buying a regular pan & who knows!

I've got...hmmm...maybe a 30 Gal....Rubbermaid tote with no lid that I use for the litterbox upstairs for the 3 up there. That could work as well.
Thanks Natalie!! I will definitely try that if things do not improve soon.

Originally Posted by beandip

The fact that she poops and pees outside of the box that makes me think that she does not like the box, or something about it. I don't think it's as simple as the UTI causing the issues. The UTI may have been the final deal breaker for her, but I don't think it's the whole issue causing the innappropriate elimination. If it was me, I would accidentally leave the lid off of one box...or get her a cheap, deep open rubbermaid tub. Sand on the floor is better than poop on the bed.
Thanks hon- i'm going to take the lid off the litter pans now and just SEE if that helps any. I hope so! I'm going to get some of that Cat Attract litter and possibly a new pan when i get paid on Friday. This is just not like my sweet girl to be doing this
 

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just wanted to add - not that i have a UTI problem at present, but Firefox, who was pooping in the box but not peeing in it - i changed all the litter to the cat attract, which i got at petsmart last night [i called around to find who had it before driving all over, tho!]. today she pooped and peed both in her little litterbox. now, she's only been an inside kitty for a week, so i think if she can do it, it'll work well for Jasmine as well.
if you make the hole in the rubbermaid high enough, there shouldn't be too much tracking. the bag of litter i got is actually fairly large, particle-wise. much larger than the tidy cats, but smaller than traditional clay. it was the cat & kitten formula. the adult formula might be a finer grain. & i'd change ALL the litterboxes to the cat attract, if i were you.
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Originally Posted by laureen227

just wanted to add - not that i have a UTI problem at present, but Firefox, who was pooping in the box but not peeing in it - i changed all the litter to the cat attract, which i got at petsmart last night [i called around to find who had it before driving all over, tho!]. today she pooped and peed both in her little litterbox. now, she's only been an inside kitty for a week, so i think if she can do it, it'll work well for Jasmine as well.
if you make the hole in the rubbermaid high enough, there shouldn't be too much tracking. the bag of litter i got is actually fairly large, particle-wise. much larger than the tidy cats, but smaller than traditional clay. it was the cat & kitten formula. the adult formula might be a finer grain. & i'd change ALL the litterboxes to the cat attract, if i were you.
thankyou hon!! i'm glad to hear it worked for little firefox - that's very encouraging!
as soon as i get paid on friday i'm going to pick some of the cat attract litter for jasmine
 
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starryeyedtiger

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Just a little update on Jasmine. She seems to be doing better. I had to put her in a cat cage (in our living room so she's still around all of us) because she kept going potty all in the guest bedroom to the point that it just got horrible. (i can't put her in the guest bathroom as we JUST had it redone and it's still drying.) So far though i think having her in the cage is really helping. She has a new litter pan (open small one) with litter and she's got her bed and food/water in with her -and just enough space really to sleep/sit /eat and go potty- so she is "relearning" to use the litter pan (that's what my vet suggested doing). So far she is doing better and going potty in her litter pan
She's still on meds. The vet said to keep her quiet and in the cage a few more days before we try to let her out again so that's what we're going to do.
 
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