I just want a clean house!!

I've had my 2 wonderful cats for 12 years. However, the male cat has been having more and more frequent uti's. He's already on special food, has been castrated b/c of frequent blockage. But as we all know, when a uti is present, he pees out of the box. I am SO tired of cleaning up only to have the smell and stain linger. I now have a baby and it disgusts me to know that he's probably crawling over dirty spots. We are getting new carpeting next week and really looking for ideas to keep him from peeing on the carpet every time he gets a uti. He's about 16y.o. and I'm afraid that as he gets older this will get worse. I'm a firm believer in dealing with whatever you bring upon yourself, but I'm getting pushed to my limit on living in a dirty house. The thought of giving him up has crossed my mind, but don't know if I could deal with the guilt. Anyone BTDT? Have ideas, advice?

What are you using to clean with? It may not be removing the smell entirely and he still smells the urine.

Also have you been to different vets or just one? If it has only been one, it is definately time for a second opinion. Has the vet offered any explanation as to why the uti is recurring?

I don't know the layout of your home, but it is possible to restrict him to parts of the home without carpeting? Also maybe extra litterboxes if you don't already have them.

Please understand that a 16-year-old cat with urinary problems has virtually no chance of adoption -- if you give him to a shelter, you are almost certainly condemning him to euthanasia. You might be able to find a no-kill shelter that would give him a home for the remainder of his life... but he deserves to stay with the family he loves in his old age.

Have you gotten an opinion from a second vet, and maybe a third, just to be sure? I would make sure you've exhausted all the possible diagnoses and treatments. It may be that the UTIs are symptomatic of an underlying problem that needs to be addressed. (For example, I know that people with diabetes are very susceptible to UTIs... maybe it's the same with cats.)

If it turns out that there is no veterinary solution, maybe you can adjust to your kitty's illness. Have you thought about putting in laminate wood flooring instead of carpet, so it would be easier to clean? Or maybe you can set up a special room where he can live... even a laundry room could be kitty-proofed for him. If you also install a screen door on it, he can stay out of trouble, yet still feel a part of the family.

I hope you're able to find a vet who can solve your kitty's problems. Please give him a pat for me...

Thanks Silverbook....we've tried different cleaners and just discovered Natures Miracle. And yes, b/c of old spots, he's going back to those b/c of the smell. Unfortunatley, we have a small house and it's all carpeting, thought about getting hardwood, but he'd still pee...we'll be cleaning and painting the subflooring when we get the new carpeting so hopefully it will take care of it initially.

According to our vet, there is no cure for uti's, b/c they don't know the cause. If they knew the cause, then they could cure them. Same with humans. Usually it's crystals in the bladder or even stones, but kitty doesn't have either, was checked recently. I do trust the vet, and have had others b/c of moving around in the past few years.

Just wondering if this is the beginning of a long fight or if uti's clear themselves. Do they become more frequent as the cat gets older? (good ? for the vet tomorrow)

I do hope that taking up the old carpet and being able to clean the subflooring will help.

I'm not exactly sure about uti's. My cat is about 16 and he just had the first uti that I can ever recall him having.

try zero oder
www.zerooder.com I think is the website.
It is awesome! Took the smell out of my old carpet and it removes stains too!
(thanks for the tip Hissy!)

I would suggest that at 16 years old you need to make some changes for your senior guy. First off follow the website above and order their product. Also on this page here, scroll down to the Black Light Shop and order a black light flashlight.

http://www.meowhoo.com/Basic_Pet_Sup...rol/index.html


Throw all the litter pans away, every one of the them. Go to an automative store and buy a flat drain pan with small sides. Buy two or three (they are fairly cheap) Get some clumping non-scented litter. Come home and fill the pans and put them out for him to use. He more than likely is quite sore and stressed, and high-sided litter pans are unrealistic for senior cats. Many of them have arthritis setting in, their muscles aren't toned, and they don't want to jump or climb over to much especially when they have to go.

I suspect there is more going on with this cat and wonder if you have had a complete evaluation on him recently? Within the last 2 weeks? Full blood panel and neurological exam would be my suggestion. He is getting up there in age, and although we would love for them to grow old gracefully, they rarely do.

Good luck

Unfortunately with the problems you have 2 choices:

1. Keep your cat confined to one room that is easy to clean.
2. Keep him caged and let out supervised.

My 13 yr old cat was dying of cancer. He started having problems getting back to the litter pan on time. So I had no choice but to keep him in a bedroom where he had easy access to the pan and used it. He kept going downhill and I finally made the decision to put him to sleep. I didn't want him to suffer any more.