Medication for inappropriate peeing, anyone tried?

howtoholdacat

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Hemmy is a really great cat. I found him as an adult and had him neutered at (I'm guessing) 2 years. He likes to be the big tough guy and because he was neutered late he has sometimes sprayed in the house. He also had a very serious bout several years ago with UTIs and had to be retrained to his box once he got well.

He's begun marking in the house again but with a new twist. He peed on my stove top, THREE times. I'm a really patient woman with my kids but that's just horribly unsanitary. We went to the vet today just to be sure it's not another UTI or crystal flare up but I was pretty sure it was behavioral. He tested just fine medically but my vet recommended I try a drug to curb the spraying. I don't care for those drugs and am typically against them but as I said, I really have to draw the line at the stove top.

I tried the drug for two reasons. 1) Ewww, that's where I make my food! 2) It's a temporary course. I give one fourth a pill for three days straight then give one pill a week for eight weeks.

Has anyone tried this drug? It's called Megestrol Acetate. It's also used to alleviate false pregnancy in female cats. If I understood my vet right it's a bit of estrogen and can help take the edge off males who like to mark their territory. Of the options he suggested I thought this a good fit for Mr. Hemmy.
 

momofmany

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I never tried the drug, but have you tried Cat Attract litter? I have a cat with recurring bladder infections/crystals that tends to go out of the litter box when he is ill. The Cat Attract litter draws him back to it very well.
 
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howtoholdacat

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Yes, I've used both. He does use the box but he's also spraying. It's not really an issue of the box, though it was in the past when he had the bad UTI's and surgery for it. We currently have Feliway but it's not cutting it on its own. Part of the problem is there are cats outside spraying and he can smell it and there's a friendly rivalry between Hemmy and Seti that may be egging him on as well.
 

momofmany

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Thanks for the clarification. For the medications, if you can't find anyone here with experience and you've opted to try them, would you post what you find so that others can learn from your experience?

Territorial wars can lost a long time, and if the meds work now, it might only be a temporary fix for you. Long term you might want to try some things to help with the territorial issues. Here are some ideas for you:

If the outside cats are feral, are there TNR groups in your area that can help get them neutered?

If the outside cats are your neighbors, can you talk to them and ask if they can get them neutered or put under closer supervision?

For the inside relationship, there are things that will contribute to pecking order issues. Do you favor one cat over the other? I've noticed that if you show favoritism to some cats, the others lash back to regain status.

Do you feed them in different places, and is in a higher place than the other? Being in a high place is considered higher status. I had 1 cat mark the higher feeding place and quit when I allowed him to eat there also.

Do they have sufficient territory that they can claim as their own in the house? One of my boys knows my lap is his in the evening when I watch TV. Another knows they sleep in the crook of my right arm. Another sleeps on my legs. Another sits in my lap at the computer. It brings them comfort to know that they have their spots at certain times of the day. It also spreads out the attention they get.
 

monaxlisa

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I tried deoprovera (birth controll) and it helped on mine, it didnt stop them but it helped a bit. Two of mind did come down with liver disease though (they've pulled through, 4months and $$$ later) and it could have been related to that shot. It does sound like the stuff you're using is a bit different though. Good luck, hope it works!
 

motoko9

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You've already received better advice than I could give, but I wanted to wish you luck. I do hope that if the problem continues, you will at the very least be able to keep the stove episodes to a minimum! Your cats are lucky to have such a caring, patient owner.
 

kittymonsters

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I haven't used that medication, but I have two on Prozac for spraying and urinating in bad places...ummmm like everywhere


The prozac is amazing, I get the $5 script at wallmart, and each kitty gets 1/4 of a ten mg pill.

Please search for Prozac by poster Kittymonsters and you will find some posts of mine that link to an article about feline aggression and elimination disorders. I am pretty sure it is in the behavior forum.

Describes behaviors and the specific medications that may work best for them

I have two territorial ones that just hate each other . Without the prozac I would have pee pee wars for years and a house that was ruined.
 
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howtoholdacat

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Originally Posted by Momofmany

Thanks for the clarification. For the medications, if you can't find anyone here with experience and you've opted to try them, would you post what you find so that others can learn from your experience?

Territorial wars can lost a long time, and if the meds work now, it might only be a temporary fix for you. Long term you might want to try some things to help with the territorial issues. Here are some ideas for you:

If the outside cats are feral, are there TNR groups in your area that can help get them neutered?

If the outside cats are your neighbors, can you talk to them and ask if they can get them neutered or put under closer supervision?

For the inside relationship, there are things that will contribute to pecking order issues. Do you favor one cat over the other? I've noticed that if you show favoritism to some cats, the others lash back to regain status.

Do you feed them in different places, and is in a higher place than the other? Being in a high place is considered higher status. I had 1 cat mark the higher feeding place and quit when I allowed him to eat there also.

Do they have sufficient territory that they can claim as their own in the house? One of my boys knows my lap is his in the evening when I watch TV. Another knows they sleep in the crook of my right arm. Another sleeps on my legs. Another sits in my lap at the computer. It brings them comfort to know that they have their spots at certain times of the day. It also spreads out the attention they get.
I will be happy to post the results so others can be informed too.

You are right about territory wars but given that we've corrected the behavior in the past, I'm hopeful that if we can get him to stop, get the urine scent out and give him some time out (more below) we can get him to stop again.

We are working on building a cat enclosure that will attach to the back of the house. I plan to have a window that I can open to let them come in and out when I'm here. They'll be able to go out without roaming free which is very important given the stray cats and that we live in the city. However, it's going to take some time to get it built and everyone needs all their shots and microchips before I'll ever open the window so it will be a while before they get those privileges.

As for the outside cats they are semi-feral and belong to no one. I live in a very old neighborhood where there are many people of an older generation who don't believe in spending any money on animals and where there are a number of rental homes and people come and go, sometimes without their pets. My across the street neighbor is with one of the Humane Societies. She and I team up to get them fixed and find them homes. The current batch are just old enough to be fixed so that should help but even once they are taken care of there will be others who take their place. It's maddening and sad all at the same time.

With my indoor kitties (there are 4) there aren't really any issues of territory or of flat out hatred but the two youngest do have some tension between them. I certainly think their snarkiness is a contributing factor to Hemmy's need to assert himself. Thankfully, they've made a lot of improvements and Seti is two now so I expect that things will continue to settle, especially once I get the enclosure built.

They eat separately except for the two who snipe at each other. I make them eat side by side which has help them chill out. I can't see anyway the eating locations are contributing to this particular situation, though commend you for thinking of the idea. I wouldn't have thought of it right away.

They do have their routines as do your kitties. Hemmy in particular knows how to find a lap when he's ready for one! Seti is also a lap cat but since there are two humans they each get one and seem happy to rotate. They also cuddle with each other to excessive cuteness!
 
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howtoholdacat

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An update: So far I'm very pleased with Hemmy's meds. They haven't totally cured the problem yet but my vet did caution that it takes a bit of time before it reaches it full potential. That being said, I have noticed that the inappropriate peeing has slowed significantly and the side effects (my biggest concern) are minimal. Once we've gone a bit further with his meds I'll write a new post to let other users know how it goes.
 
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