Harley is relieving himself inappropriately.

So my darling skittish cat Harley has begun to defecate and urinate all over the furniture and the house.

At first I thought he was stressed as we had moved around some furniture plus a neighborhood cat began spraying our door. I've tried the Cat Attract, tried the Feliway, tried other herbal sprays, tried a new litter box in a favorite corner - nothing works.

I noticed on the second day that he was licking his private areas a lot and leaking urine as he walked around. So of course I rushed him to the vet first thing in the morning. I went ahead and had the urinalysis plus extensive blood work plus x-rays done (better to cover all the bases at once I felt then keep bringing him back since he doesn't do well at the vet). X-Rays looked great, his insides were just fine, liver and kidneys looked great. Blood work looked good - just a tad dehydrated. Urinalysis was good, but some traces of crystals. Not enough to suggest switching a diet change as I feed my cats Innova and Wellness but I did purchase some cranberry powder to add to his food. He is on Enrofloxacin (Baytril) currently just in case.

So my question (finally - right)... Has anyone else experienced this? Is there some rare urinary issue that I should know about to ask my vet to test for? I'm completely okay with this being a behavioral thing and working within those issues, but if he is ill, I want to know and take care of him.

Any suggestions?

I'll pick up some Hill's tomorrow (vet's suggestion) to start mixing in with his current stuff. But I'm just really worried. He's still hanging out inside his litter box at this moment (for about an hour now) and I'm just really sad for him. He looks so miserable.

I'd switch to the Hills CD (I'm guessing that's what the vet suggested?) My boy had crystals. I use both wet and dry, as my boy isn't big on wet food, sad to say.

Also, did your vet administer a pain shot as well as the Baytril. FWIW, that's what mine did - I think it made the peeing attempt less irritating and made my guy trust the box again since it wasn't 'hurting' him anymore.

I'd tell the vet everything you're adding to the diet - keep him in the loop. You don't know what sort of interactions might be happening from a medical perspective.

Do you have a fountain - my two enjoy drinking more from the fountain than they did from bowls.

If nothing else, I'd keep in very close touch with the vet if Harley isn't peeing/pooing 'normally'. If he starts blocking you won't have much time - do you know where your e-vet is (yeah, sorry - my boy started having issues on Labor Day, of course).

Also, you might try adding a box filled with Cat Attract litter (yes, my standard advice in litter box issues, but I swear by the stuff). You can get it at Petsmart.

Good luck - I just know you're checking the litter box every five minutes - oh, do you have more than one? My boy absolutely has to have two for himself.

Aw goodness, sorry you and Harley are going through this. I'm wondering why the vet did not say to change his diet? My Boo had struvite crystals, probably since we got him at 6 months, but it finally got bad enough he got blocked and then had to have a PU surgery. We fed him Cat Chow. But I don't want to blame it on the food. The C/D kept him doing great and he had very few bladder infections (kept him kempt with "sanitary clips" at the vet when his backside would get real furry) but without the PU Surgery, his urethra was so small that the crystals couldn't get through, so that's what they had to do it, the vet said, or he would just keep blocking.
I agree with the fountains as well. Mine rarely drink out of mine anymore, but Boo still loves the tub faucet and they both drink out of glasses and have no clues how to drink out of a bowl.
I hope Harley feels better soon
Check with your vet on the C/D like another poster suggested. Always keep your vet in the loop about what you're adding or taking away, just in case there is an adverse effect or what not..

Originally Posted by Snickerdoodle

but without the PU Surgery, his urethra was so small that the crystals couldn't get through, so that's what they had to do it, the vet said, or he would just keep blocking.

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I also have one with PU surgery on a lifetime of Royal Canin Urinary S/O. Royal Canin's prescription diets have fewer junk ingredients than the Hill's diets. If a prescription diet is necessary, I'd go with the RC over the Hills any day. Also, long term feeding of Hills CD can cause Calcium Oxylate crystals while Royal Canin helps prevent both types.

P. S. : I checked the list of ingredients which make up Hill's Science Diet dry cat foods, most of these foods include ground corn as one of the major ingredients. So until they improve to include more real meat, no unnamed meat by-products or animal fats, and a lot less ground corn, it's not one I would feed to my cats.

Stick with Royal Canin!

http://www.royalcanin.us/whyrc/default.a…

Thanks for all the info!

1) Harley has been placed in his own room with his own litter box. The other cats were forcing him out of the other one as he was taking his time in there. The box doesn't seem to be an issue for now except his frustration wih not being able to use it.

2) I've always had fountains. My first two love running water. Right now I have the Drinkwell 360 because all 4 can get to it at once.

3) He was given a pain shot two days ago but nothing since then. Currently he is just on antibiotics.

4) When the vet asked what I feed my cats I said Wellness and Innova. That is what my first vet told me to feed the cats since it had cranberry in it and my older female had a urinary infection as a baby. He said he ultimately didn't think the diet needed to be changed at this time.

5) He gobbled up the Hill's S/D canned. I didn't plan on feeding him anything but wet until he normalized. Is that ok?

What I'm really worried about is there being a block that didn't show up on the x-rays or some other unusual problem.

How long does it approximately take for him to start urinating without pain if this is a "normal" urinary issue.

Ok, I'm a nervous mommy - I'd be calling the vet and describing the peeing situation. My guy wasn't blocked, and started peeing normally within a few hours of the shot and, knock wood, ever since then.

Re the food situation, I'd talk with the vet - since prescription food is medicine, I'd be guided by the doctor as much as possible. Good luck

I just got back from the vet. This morning I noticed blood in the stool (yikes!) so I got the first appointment with the vet who had already been working with Harley a few days ago.

He said his bladder was tiny and managed to make Hafley relieve himself on the table-blood and urine of course. He said Harley also felt very full, and was concerned because he hadn't had a BM in a couple of days. Not only that, but unless I was spoon feeding him, Harley wouldn't eat on his own.

So my vet recommended and performed an enema on him as he felt Harley was severly constipated. It worked well has Harley began to relieve himself before they were even done administering it.

The vet feels positive that this will call him enough and was part of the stress and strain. I have to say- once I got him home, the old appetite was back!

Now its hard to say if the urinary infection or the constipation came first, so I am going to keep him on the antibiotics and the Hill's s/d for a few more weeks. But he sees no reason for me not to return to the other food after, but more canned over the dry. He said I should be looking out for another large BM and a return to normal urination after a few days. There still may be some blood present, but not to get alarmed.

If he starts to be able to relieve himself normally, I will just take him in for an exam after the antibiotics are done.

So, lesson learned. Sometimes if they can't pee, it may be because they need to poop!