UTI, crystals and bladder infection, please help w/ input

mommysugar · Mar 25, 2010

Sigh....my male neutered cat has now been peeing outside his box....in my lovely new air jet tub...

Questions....

How much does your cat urinate a day?

Should the pee clumps be larger in size or smaller?

Can you actually see crystals in the litter (silly, but IDK)

Besides peeing outside the box (maybe he is just being creative

), what other signs told you if your cat had urinary issues?

What is the difference between bladder infections, crystals and uti's or are there other medical problems I could be missing?

He doesn't whine or cry when he urinates and I have two boxes for him, a smaller one and a larger one. Have tried different litter and have bought the feliway diffuser which did not work, obviously.

He drinks a lot of water more than I have seen one other small female (he is mid size cat) cat who was fed wet food opposed to the dry kibble I feed my cat because of his unresolved diarrhea issues.

Any help appreciated, crabbiness not so much.

(I am aware of needing to take my cat to the vet again, I just want some input, I have been researching all day)

sharky · Mar 25, 2010

mommysugar;2845030 said:
Sigh....my male neutered cat has now been peeing outside his box....in my lovely new air jet tub...

Questions....

How much does your cat urinate a day? Totally depends on the cat ... out of five : two pee once a day , two pee twice a day and one pees 1-3 times a day

Should the pee clumps be larger in size or smaller?Again depends on the cat... but in my experience my males pee in bigger clumps than the females even of the same size and wt

Can you actually see crystals in the litter (silly, but IDK)... If you do it is a ER of the speed now kind... normally no

Besides peeing outside the box (maybe he is just being creative), what other signs told you if your cat had urinary issues?Size ( for my males a small amount and small clumps... Straining , going to the box and not going or a drop or two

What is the difference between bladder infections, crystals and uti's or are there other medical problems I could be missing?That is a book or actually several.. all can be one or just alone..

He doesn't whine or cry when he urinates and I have two boxes for him, a smaller one and a larger one. Have tried different litter and have bought the feliway diffuser which did not work, obviously. Have you tried a NEW box ?

He drinks a lot of water more than I have seen one other small female (he is mid size cat) cat who was fed wet food opposed to the dry kibble I feed my cat because of his unresolved diarrhea issues.

Any help appreciated, crabbiness not so much.

(I am aware of needing to take my cat to the vet again, I just want some input, I have been researching all day)

Yes get a call into the vet preferably today

darlili · Mar 25, 2010

My boy had a UTI last fall - hate to tell you, you're describing at least one classic symptom of a UTI. Normally, when a cat decides to go outside the box, he's telling you something hurts him when he tries to use the box.

No one on the internet can give you a diagnosis - only your vet can, and, early diagnosis and treatment is key with any urinary issue (especially with the boys).

My best advice - call your vet, describe the situation to the desk, and get an urgent appointment. Suspected UTI's are nothing to delay with - and it's honestly cheaper to get in early - and wildly more expensive, as well as potentially fatal, if crystals cause a blockage. If it turns out it's nothing, you're only out the office visit - if you wait and it's crystals.....not so great.

My boy never cried in the box - I only realized when his pee clumps were smaller than usual and I saw him go in the box with little result....my bad - had I been more vigilant I might have saved him some discomfort. Luckily for us, an injected antibiotic and painkiller, followed by a trip to my regular vet a week later for an exam and urinalysis, followed by prescription food, seems to have done the trick.

farleyv · Mar 25, 2010

Yes, I agree to take him to the vet to rule out crystals or anything else. The weekend is looming and then it's so hard and expensive to have him seen.

Good luck.

mommysugar · Mar 25, 2010

"My boy had a UTI last fall - hate to tell you, you're describing at least one classic symptom of a UTI. Normally, when a cat decides to go outside the box, he's telling you something hurts him when he tries to use the box."

The only reason, cats pee outside of the box is because it is medical?

Could he have been possibly mad or something?

sharky · Mar 25, 2010

Originally Posted by mommysugar

"My boy had a UTI last fall - hate to tell you, you're describing at least one classic symptom of a UTI. Normally, when a cat decides to go outside the box, he's telling you something hurts him when he tries to use the box."

The only reason, cats pee outside of the box is because it is medical?

Could he have been possibly mad or something?

Animals outside of Human do not have the capability of acting out mad... it is an emotion that they do not have...

Occasionally peeing outside the box is behavioral MOSTLY do to a human not keeping it as clean as kitty wants... I would guess that 95% of the time it is medical

darlili · Mar 25, 2010

Agree - there are times it's behavioral - in that the cat doesn't like the particular litter, or the location is bad (let's say next to the washing machine and he gets scared when the washer is going), or the pan is not quite clean enough, or the wrong kind of box (like, covered when he likes uncovered boxes), or another cat is keeping him from getting to the box (yes, sometimes cats will guard boxes from each other). But, it's not spite in the way a human would define it.

They definitely are trying to communicate when they go outside the box - only twice has my 'perfect' girl gone outside the box - once a poo when I introduced the new cat to the house, and she made darn sure I was watching. And once she peed right where I was watching after I introduced her to the wonders of Revolution - apparently she took the name literally. But, she made her statement and returned immediately to the box thereafter.

But, most times, a cat peeing or pooing outside the box warrants a vet visit just to rule out any medical issues - most of the time it will be medical rather than behavioral.

BTW, have you tried Cat Attract Litter? And how many boxes do you have - is it two boxes for the two cats, or one for each plus one? And if he's been going in the box and suddenly changed, and there's been no change in type of litter and the boxes are super-duper clean, I'd honestly be calling the vet right now.

strange_wings · Mar 25, 2010

Anytime a new behavior starts, especially inappropriate peeing, it's just best to rule out medical problems first.
1) if it's something serious, the quicker it's treated the better the outcome for the cat.
2) if it is a medical problem, treating it early before any bad behaviors can set in will save you a lot of effort later.
3) if it does turn out to be behavioral, you know what to focus on.

As for the difference between infections and crystals - the latter is more of a chronic issue that usually requires a diet change to help prevent them.
Also, never dismiss your gut instinct. If you ever think "my cat isn't acting right, he might be sick" don't second guess yourself.

UTI, crystals and bladder infection, please help w/ input

mommysugar

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sharky

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darlili

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farleyv

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mommysugar

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sharky

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darlili

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strange_wings

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