Driving me nuts!

My five year old neutered male has suddenly taken to spraying on my futon mattress - also on the vinyl flooring near the litter box. He also goes in the litter box, but seems restless. This has been going on for a couple days now. It seems like spraying rather than urinating. I have ordered an extra litter box and some spray that will take care of the smell - he tends to spray in the same place over and over. I read that UTI can cause this; also behavioral probs. Any ideas?

Vet first, get him checked out, if he gets a clean bill of health, then try tackling behavioral causes.

Everything you describe though sounds like a cat trying to tell you he doesn't feel well.

He's going to the litterbox every FIVE minutes....other than that, is acting normally.

I would get him to a vet ASAP. It sounds like he could have a UTI with the potential for a life-threatening blockage.

It sounds like a UTI when my cats have had one. They go try and pee often squatting in the litte box and other places. Best have him checked out.

Originally Posted by BustersMom

He's going to the litterbox every FIVE minutes....other than that, is acting normally.

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If he's going that frequently, there's clearly a problem. Try to get him in to see the vet today - as cloud_shade pointed out, a urinary blockage can be life-threatening.

I got him in to the vet. There was a little blood and some crystals in his urine - gave him penicillin and antibiotic tablets, along with s/d food. She said it was a good thing I got him there early.

Originally Posted by BustersMom

I got him in to the vet. There was a little blood and some crystals in his urine - gave him penicillin and antibiotic tablets, along with s/d food. She said it was a good thing I got him there early.

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Thank you for the update! I hope he's feeling better again soon.

So, he doesn't like the s/d food...is there a reasonably priced, commercially available canned food that will work?

Originally Posted by BustersMom

So, he doesn't like the s/d food...is there a reasonably priced, commercially available canned food that will work?

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s/d is a prescription diet - there isn't a non-prescription food available that will dissolve his crystals. There are other brands of prescription foods available from vets, though - if he won't eat the s/d, let your vet know & ask if he can provide you with another brand. Even if your vet doesn't stock anything but Hill's (the maker of s/d), he can order another brand for you, or send you to purchase the food from another vet who stocks other brands. (If the vet gave you dry, s/d is also available in cans, if you think he might like that better.)

A link about prescription foods & the brands available (click here)

You might ask the vet about Royal Canin SO, which is another prescription diet that your kitty may like better (maybe they can give you a sample?). You might also ask if you could add something to the food (like cat milk) to encourage your kitty to eat it. Do ask your vet though, before you add anything, since they will be able to tell you if it will have an impact on the effectiveness of the food.