Declawed cat--inappropriate urination issues (help for a friend)

crazy4strays

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My friend has a senior cat, probably about 12-13 years old. She is having a lot of inappropriate urination issues, especially on rugs and carpeting and such. The cat is declawed. My friend is against declawing now and actually talked someone else out of declawing a kitten recently, but back when they got their senior cat, the vet really didn't explain pros and cons of declaw and basically they agreed to it on the basis of assuming that it was a routine procedure for indoor cats.

They took the cat to the vet, got her checked out, and have her on anti-anxiety medication. It doesn't seem to be helping. The cat is the only full time indoor cat, but occasionally one of their outside cats sneaks in the house. They probably have at least 4 outside cats. (They spayed and neutered kittens from a feral mama)

My friend is unsure how to go about checking to see if her cat is having declaw complications that make digging in the litter uncomfortable. 

Does anyone have any resources or knowledge on how a person could find out if their declawed cat was having complications and if so, how to fix it? Would they x-ray the paws to see if there was regrowth or bone fragmentation?

If there's no medical fix, is there a different kind of litter would be easier on the paws?

My friend's husband is considering euthanizing the cat if they can't sort out the issues, so I want to try to help them if I can.

I did suggest temporarily crating the cat in a large dog crate with a litterbox in the crate. That's what I did with my senior cat when he was having issues and once I let him out, he's been faithfully using the box ever since. Something about limiting their space can get them back to the box sometimes.
 
mollyblue

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How sad to chop of a kitty toes and then euthanize it when it starts to hurt... yeah, yeah, I know, I am not being judgmental.... the vet suggested it and they just went along. I get it.  I almost had to debark my dog once because a neighbor would come stand at my fence and harass my dog and then go and call animal control when the dog would bark.  Lucky for me my vet refused to do it!  I was young and dumb once too I guess.

So have they tried like a sawdust litter instead of a clay litter?  When the vet was checking the kitty, did they look for a urinary tract issue and do a blood work up to make sure that kidney and all that is functioning well?  I have no clue on the medical procedures involved in fixing issue resulting from a declaw... but do they have more than one litter box?  If the kitty is getting older and having a harder time making it to the litter box it might help, or if one of the outdoor kitties is sneaking in there may be issues between the outdoor and the indoor kitties with them not wanting to pee in the same place and share scents and stuff, or is it possible the outdoor trapped or attacked the indoor cat while on the box?  Does the cat poop in the box still and just peed outside, or is it just not using the box at all?
 
Brian007

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You could try puppy pee pads, sand, shredded newspaper, wood shavings, or even small cutoffs of rugs.  

There's no surgery that can help.  I feel like coming to America to bend their minds.  

A rescue centre would take her in, surely.  We don't euthanise here for behavioural or cosmetic reasons, nor for lack of space.  We simply get on with it, and make room, make room.

And, how can you have a dog debarked, is that a joke?  Please tell me it's a joke...
 
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De-barking a dog isn't nearly as bad as de-clawing a cat---it's a fairly minor operation with no residual pain, nothing like removing toes. And yet more vets refuse to do de-bark surgeries than de-claws. . .just another example of how cats are marginalized. Not that I'm in favor of de-barking, not at all, but it's certainly not a major orthopedic surgery like de-clawing.

Puppy pads are useful for cats who find litter too painful. There are some vets who claim to do "de-claw repair" surgeries but I don't know how to find them. Yes, an x-ray would be needed to see if there are any bone spurs or re-growth.
 
Brian007

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Is she on prozac as well, diazepam is safe for cats.  And, she'd appreciate all her friendly cat herbs:  catnip, valerian, cat thyme, honeysuckle, silvervine matatabi, skullcap, avena sativa.  And a Feliway plug wouldn't go amiss.  Maybe they could make her some slippers, she must be in constant pain walking.  She needs a very low-rimmed litter tray.  Apparently, the fibre mats they put down in horses stables can be used for a cat loo, I think I'll look them up for you now.
 
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Brian007

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I'm thunderstruck!  I had no idea that a dog could be debarked, let alone that you do it.  It may not be as physically painful as losing your toes but to lose your bark when you're a dog must be MASSIVELY traumatising, it would effectively de-dog them. 

I'm utterly horrified.  My chest is in pain, I feel sick to my stomach.  How do you bear it?
 
mollyblue

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Brian007 said:
 
I'm thunderstruck!  I had no idea that a dog could be debarked, let alone that you do it.  It may not be as physically painful as losing your toes but to lose your bark when you're a dog must be MASSIVELY traumatising, it would effectively de-dog them. 

I'm utterly horrified.  My chest is in pain, I feel sick to my stomach.  How do you bear it?
Click to expand...
They just snip the vocal cord and no more bark comes out.  Animal Control is the one who was pushing me in that direction... but my vet set me straight that a dog's job is to protect the property and to warn me when things are not quite right... if you take away a dogs ability to send up the warning signal, they go straight to their next line of defense, which is to take matters into their own teeth.  Not sure if that is true or not, but I am still glad I didn't do it.  I ended up having to rehome the dog (sucks that 3 complaints and they will euthanize the animal... it was the neighbor who needed euthanized!), but he ended up someplace that spoiled him as much as I did, and out in the country too, so he could be himself. 
 
Brian007

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What!  That's awful.  You get a measly £50 fine here.  They won't remove an animal unless it's being neglected, abused, or overcrowded.  And even then, it's removed to rescue.  What a weird place!   And, I'm in no way calling you weird for coming from there, it's just your animal laws are really harsh on the animals.  And, I'm evermore appalled by them.  I'm very pleased that I come from a nation of animal lovers who simply wouldn't stand for these practises.

And, I'm very SELDOM pleased to be British  
 

Very happy your dog kept his dogness though, but I also feel desperately sorry for you.  Which is an annoyingly British thing, being contrary  
 
 
kskatt

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Crazy4Strays said:
 
My friend has a senior cat, probably about 12-13 years old. She is having a lot of inappropriate urination issues, especially on rugs and carpeting and such. The cat is declawed. My friend is against declawing now and actually talked someone else out of declawing a kitten recently, but back when they got their senior cat, the vet really didn't explain pros and cons of declaw and basically they agreed to it on the basis of assuming that it was a routine procedure for indoor cats.

They took the cat to the vet, got her checked out, and have her on anti-anxiety medication. It doesn't seem to be helping. The cat is the only full time indoor cat, but occasionally one of their outside cats sneaks in the house. They probably have at least 4 outside cats. (They spayed and neutered kittens from a feral mama)

My friend is unsure how to go about checking to see if her cat is having declaw complications that make digging in the litter uncomfortable. 

Does anyone have any resources or knowledge on how a person could find out if their declawed cat was having complications and if so, how to fix it? Would they x-ray the paws to see if there was regrowth or bone fragmentation?

If there's no medical fix, is there a different kind of litter would be easier on the paws?

My friend's husband is considering euthanizing the cat if they can't sort out the issues, so I want to try to help them if I can.

I did suggest temporarily crating the cat in a large dog crate with a litterbox in the crate. That's what I did with my senior cat when he was having issues and once I let him out, he's been faithfully using the box ever since. Something about limiting their space can get them back to the box sometimes.
Click to expand...
You said, back when they got their senior cat, how long ago was that? Was she already a senior when she was declawed?

On the thought about an outside cat having caused the problem, how many litter boxes does she have?
 
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crazy4strays

crazy4strays

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They got her in 2004, if I remember right. So they've had her since she was a kitten and her declaw was probably many years ago.

They have only one litter box.
 
kskatt

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I am no expert, by any measure, on declawing, but it makes sense that issues would have shown up much sooner than this. Is there any chance they would give her an extra? I don't know if this would just suddenly happen either but, I've heard of cats that only poop in one box and pee in another.
 
howmany

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So cats can just get odd as the age and pee in odd spots, how long has the peeing inappropriately been happening ( sorry just skimmed thread) . The make shredded paper bedding for rodents cages that is soft and fluffy and about the same price as pricey litters, comes in purple white brown and sky blue.
 
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crazy4strays

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It's my understanding that some issues with declawing can happen years later. Similarly to amputated human limbs, there is phantom pain which can also get worse with age, muscle, joint or ligament damage. There's also the possibility of arthritis as the cat ages. 
 
kskatt

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Damn, I had hoped that making through meant it would be all right. I hate declawing! Arthritis from walking wrong, I hadn't thought that far. Crazy4Strays, you are so right, unfortunately.

Just having another cat in the temporarily, is very stressful and can cause unusual behavior. An issue at the litter box, with the other cat, would be topping on the cake. Please, try your best to get them to try a second litter box.

I bet you have lots of experience with rescues, having fostered. Is there one who might take her, push come to shove. Better than killing her. Thank you for trying to fins a way to help this poor kitty.
 
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