Sam peed in the dryer

I went downstairs to do laundry today and there was a puddle in the dryer (the door was left open). Two weeks ago, he peed in my kid's toybox. He has no UTI and his box is cleaned regularly. They have a litterbox in the basement as well. Ive cleaned the dryer out and shut the door to keep him out of the basement, yet everytime I open the door, he shoots down in front of me. Two questions: What on earth is possessing him to pee in strange spots? and how can I keep him from running downstairs every time the door is open?

Abby he probably does have a UTI- usually when they pee on smooth surfaces, it is a health issue. The best way to find out if a cat has a UTI is by a needle draw straight from the bladder that is the cleanest catch they can get. I would take him back to the vet and ask for a cystocentesis. It doesn't really hurt the cat, and is the best diagnosis tool out there.

What causes a UTI? Diet? Not enough exercise? Stress?

A lot of things, health issues, diet, stress. If owners travel a lot , some cats get so stressed they block themselves. Owner comes back to find cat peeing out of the litter pan, or unable to pee at all. Cats can form crystals in their bladder that can block them up

I called the vet and he has an appointment for Monday. That was the earliest they could see him. I switched them to all dry food about a week ago, perhaps he isnt getting enough to stay hydrated?

Are these crystals visible? When I was cleaning it up, I did notice it had a salty-like texture. I hadnt been by the dryer since yesterday morning though and figured it was just drying out. Yuk...

Why did you switch them to dry food?
Mine gets both dry and canned food.
Maybe you should try giving him canned food agian?

I switched them because the vet says Sam is getting too fat and recommended that I not feed him canned food except as a treat. They were eating 2 cans of it a day plus dry.

Originally Posted by Abby7625

I switched them because the vet says Sam is getting too fat and recommended that I not feed him canned food except as a treat. They were eating 2 cans of it a day plus dry.

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Two of my kitties went on diets about a year and a half ago. The way I did it and still made them happy was to put them on Science Diet lite and cut them back little by little on the amount they got, cutting the total amount for the day in half and feeding half in the morning an half in the evening (about our dinner time). They actually regulated the amount they ate all day so that there was always a little bit in the bowl. I slowly cut back the amount ever 5 days or so.

However, I did NOT give up their wet food. They truly count on that stuff, plus, it makes them sleep better at night (they sleep with me, so that's important to me! ). I just cut them back on that little by little, too.

How many cats are you feeding 2 cans? You should feed each about a 1/4-1/3 of a 6oz/5.5oz can per cat a day. They really don't need more than that, even if they're NOT on a diet. Don't cut him off cold turkey, he could very well be rebelling in some way that you've done so. I know mine freak out if ever I run out of wet food and they are deprived of it for even one evening. There are many wet foods now that are "lite" or "diet" that you can try for your overweight kitty, but only give him just 1/4 to 1/3 a can and he'll learn to savour it

Just imagine...every day you have a nice juicy steak, or a piece of chicken, or a filet of halibut for dinner. Then suddenly, you're cut off and get nothing but beans and rice. You'd be pretty ticked off, too, wouldn't ya?

I was feeding 2 cats, one can per cat per morning and evening, so that would be 4 cans per day total. This was the "lite" food for overweight, inactive cats. Like I said, the vet recommended that I change them over to dry food. I never said I liked it, but I do want to keep my cats healthy and not-so-overweight.

Personally, I like the canned food better (even if Sam does eat it with his paws and flings it everywhere ). Seems to be more filling and tastier-some of it actually smells decent as well. Dry food reminds me of eating cereal out of the box--not filling and boring.

Hmm when I feed, I use the small cans, and two cans are split between 8 cats in the morning, afternoon and again at night. Cat's have very small bellies. My vet likes to say that people tend to feed the bowl, and not the cat- My kids get about a tablespoon of wet 3 times a day, and dry food is down for them most of the time

Well, no wonder Sam is so.......large? I will cut down on the canned food. I always thought cats stopped eating when they were full. He snagged a piece of cubed steak I was cutting up this morning and took off under the bed with it so he must be craving real meat. I finally got it away from him, half eaten of course..it was raw, it wont make him sick will it?