Hi, this will take a little explaining so bear with me. I have two cats, Juliet who is around 7, and Selene who is around 5. Both are female and spayed. About a year ago there started being pee accidents near the litter boxes everyonce in awhile, usually when I'd missed a day cleaning them, so I assumed (At first) it was a hint that I needed to get on the cleaning a little better. Then it started happening more often, and then they started peeing on my shoes. Ruined a number of pairs of shoes. But I had no idea which cat it was so I put off taking them to the vet initially until I could figure it out. I finally caught Juliet leaving "the scene of the crime" so I figured it was her and took her to the vet. The vet took a urine sample, which came back clean, so the vet decided it was behavioral and told me to give Juliet buspirone pills twice a day. But the problem persisted, so I took in a sample that I collected from the floor for urinalysis. That one came back chock full of struvite crystals. So the cats got put on a fancy prescription anti-crystal food called Urinary S/O. But the problem persisted. And then out of nowhere, clothes that were left on the bedroom floor started getting peed on, and once I caught my other cat Selene starting to pee on a pair of my fiance's pants that he'd just taken off. So I took her to the vet. Her urinalysis came back normal. So the vet recommended Valium this time, for both of them. I got a repeat urine check from Juliet to make sure the crystals were cleared up, which they were. I've been giving them both 0.5mg of Valium twice a day now for a few months and still every time any article of clothing is on the floor for more than five minutes, it gets peed on. And if we don't hang up the bathmat after showers, it gets peed on. A quilt that my almost mother-in-law made me fell off the couch the other day and was promptly peed on. So I finally set a trap to figure out which cat it was that's actually doing the peeing. I set my laptop to record and set a pair of shorts on the floor so I could catch it on video. Literally not five minutes after I did this, it was peed on by Selene.
I can't afford to keep taking these cats to the vet, especially when there's never anything wrong with them. The food they're on to prevent crystals is $60 for 17lbs and it hasn't stopped the problem. My fiance is threatening to put them in boxes and take them to the humane society when I'm not home and come back with two kittens instead. I don't think he'd actually do it (he knows I'd kill him), but I know he's tempted. I use a wheat-based litter, called Schweet scoop, which I've used since I adopted them both four years ago. Both cats use the box, I've seen them do it. The only other idea I've got is to try a different litter, my fiance's mom suggested maybe they could be allergic to the litter or something. I'll try just about anything at this point.
Sorry for the long explanation, but I am at my wits end about what to do. Does anyone have any other ideas?
I can't afford to keep taking these cats to the vet, especially when there's never anything wrong with them. The food they're on to prevent crystals is $60 for 17lbs and it hasn't stopped the problem. My fiance is threatening to put them in boxes and take them to the humane society when I'm not home and come back with two kittens instead. I don't think he'd actually do it (he knows I'd kill him), but I know he's tempted. I use a wheat-based litter, called Schweet scoop, which I've used since I adopted them both four years ago. Both cats use the box, I've seen them do it. The only other idea I've got is to try a different litter, my fiance's mom suggested maybe they could be allergic to the litter or something. I'll try just about anything at this point.
Sorry for the long explanation, but I am at my wits end about what to do. Does anyone have any other ideas?