Urinating in the sink, vet visit-- I need reassurance!

Hi everyone,

This morning we came to the realization that our female cat, Ruby, (she's about a year and a half old) has been urinating in the downstairs bathroom sink (it is right next to the litter boxes). We have two cats (litter mates).

Recently, we had both (dh and I) thought that there seemed to be fewer clumps in the litter box, but we weren't sure. About 3 months ago we switched to WBCL, and that seemed go fine because we made a very gradual switch. However, since the litter is flushable, we are more likely to scoop frequently whenever one of us is in there, so it is harder for us to keep track.

A few days ago I saw her in the sink in "the position", and thought it was odd, but when I went over to her, the sink was dry, so I dismissed it and didn't think about it again. Apparently, however, my husband had suspicions, which were confirmed this morning when he caught her in the act.

I'm very concerned about her. I've contacted my vets office. Tomorrow morning I will be bringing her in and leaving her there. I'm a little unclear on exactly what will be happening--I guess it is to collect a urine sample? I'm wondering though, if she would just be freaked out at being there all day and just not go? Then what?

I'm also worried about having her away from her brother all day. they've never been apart before. I've always just taken both of them when one has needed to see the vet. Any suggestions for making the homecoming a successful one?

The vet tech. on the phone said that the dr. would talk with us about how to handle the problem, if it turns out that there's no underlying medical cause.

Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated! I'm really worried and would like to figure it out and get it resolved as soon as possible.

thanks,
Jill

You may think this odd, but my first thought is if there's no underlying medical problem that "She's peeing in the sink, how hard would it be to transfer that habit to the toilet???" Just a thought

There is a way to avoid having to leave your cat at the vet all day (if your vet will agree to it).

When my cat was having problems like this, I collected the urine sample myself and brought it in to the vet. The vet said as long as it stays refrigerated and I bring it in within 24 hours she could test it for bacteria and crystals. She gave me a syringe and a small container for the sample and lucky for me he peed in an empty litter box and I got the sample.

I know your worried but think of it this way, at least she peed in the sink and not your furniture.
Good luck with the vet

How many litter boxes do you have for your two cats? Do you have two or four?

Nano used to urinate in the bathtub...things are working well now that there are two litter boxes for her. One is used for #1 and the other is used for #2, so to speak.

That would be my immediate reaction -- she is avoiding the litterbox(es) but is still aware that she shouldn't soil other areas of the house. A sick cat would have somewhat less control.

My mom's cat peed in the sink and the shower when she had a urinary tract infection. A round of antibiotics cleared things up, and she was back to normal. If you are concerned about your cats getting along, or not getting along rather, after you bring her home, you might want to put a little vanilla extract under both of their chins and near their tails. That makes them smell the same so that there isn't any agression caused by Ruby smelling like the vet's office.

As for the actual vet visit, I would still bring her in. In addition to collecting a urine sample (which is sometimes done manually by expressing the bladder and sometimes done with a need to avoid contamination), the vet will probably do a full exam. He/she will feel Ruby's kidneys and bladder to see if there is anything unusual or tender. If she is dehydrated, he may have to give her fluids. Chances are that it will be a minor bladder infection that can be treated with antibiotics. The vet will talk to you about any other changes that can help Ruby, such as food changes or adding a kitty water fountain to encourage her to drink more.

If you have questions, please ask your vet. They can be very reassuring and it will lower your stress level. Our kitties pick-up on our stress, and it can freak them out too. So stay calm, and good luck to you and Ruby!

Thanks everyone, for the advice. My husband just picked up Ruby from the vet. She does not have any kind of infection, so it appears that it is probably behavioral.

It may have been wrong to do this, but we tested a theory about it last yesterday and today. We put a box of kleenex in the bathroom sink (the bathroom where she's been going). when I came home from work yesterday, she hadn't gone all day, but very shortly thereafter she did use her box, 2 times, to take care of both kinds of business. This morning when we woke up, she hadn't gone (our other cat had), but I believe she did right before I left for work because I found a clump in the box. So, for now, keeping something in that particular sink does seem to be helpful.

The vet needed to extract a sample because she didn't go while there (no surprise, since I believe she had used the box this morning).

So... currently we have 2 boxes for the 2 cats, and as of about two months ago, they are in the same room. However, they only choose to use one of the boxes. So, we may need to think about finding an alternative location for the other box, as maybe that has something to do with it. I don't know, though, because we haven't had any problems until this came up (and we suspect that this may have been going on for as long as 2 weeks, but no longer). I don't see that she totally hates the litter or the box, because she will do #2 in there like usual, no problem. The cats themselves get along great and there don't seem to be any problems between the two of them.

We will just have to watch her closely and try to problem-solve. I will welcome any and all further suggestions. Thanks!!!

About the homecoming-- dh just got home with her a few minutes ago, so I will call him later to ask how it is going!

My mom has peed down the bathroom sink for about 6 years, no health issues, just prefers it...

Edited to fix...my MOM'S CAT...not my mom!

I also have a cat that pees in the sink from time to time. We've had him checked out and he has no health issues. Just likes the hard surface of the sink. We redirect him to the litter box when we catch him and that helps to some extent (he doesn't do it as much as before). As my husband puts it - he's grateful that if he has to misbehave, that it's the sink and not a sofa.

5 catsandcountin-- LOL! When I started to read your post I couldn't believe it and didn't know what to think, until I continued reading! Too funny!

Last night she did it in the sink again. We had had some cleaning help yesterday. Dh had brought Ruby home while they were there, so he then left the house with our daughters for awhile. The cleaning crew didn't know to put the kleenex box back in the sink, but for some reason they always stop up the drains in the sinks before they leave, so when dh came home he found a little puddle in the sink.

Several people have said to me, 'at least it's the sink'-- and I agree, as long as it doesn't change to other places, or other sinks that we actually use (like the kitchen sink!).

I wonder why cats know to go in sinks (being that they drain)! What's with that? There are plenty of other hard surfaces around the house, that is for sure!