Litterbox problems :(

stlgrl5

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I am posting this for a friend of mine. Maybe someone can help!!

We are having a problem with Jazz (Molly). She is not
using the litter box. We thought at first she didn't
want to go down and use the litter box in the basement
so we have moved one upstairs. She does use that
litterbox, but she is also still urinating on the
floor. Has she had this problem in the past? I
really want to keep her because she is a very nice
cat, but I also don't want to have a house that smells
like cat pee. Any suggestions?
 

lotsocats

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Peeing on the floor is almost always due to a urinary tract infection. Please have your friend take her cat to the vet ASAP and tell her to tell the vet about the peeing so the vet will check the cat's urine for signs of infection or crystals. If the problem is indeed due to infection, there is nothing that will make the cat stop until the illness is cured. Strangely, people almost always resist going to the vet. They always insist that the cat looks fine and that the last time they were at the vet the cat was fine. (I don't know why people are so hesitant to take their cats to the vet over this.) But, when we finally can get them to go to the vet and have the cat's urine tested, they almost always come back and tell us we were right and that the cat did have a UTI.

If the vet doesn't find signs of infection or blockage, have your friend read this thread for ideas on stopping the inappropriate urination.
 
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stlgrl5

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Originally Posted by lotsocats

Peeing on the floor is almost always due to a urinary tract infection. Please have your friend take her cat to the vet ASAP and tell her to tell the vet about the peeing so the vet will check the cat's urine for signs of infection or crystals. If the problem is indeed due to infection, there is nothing that will make the cat stop until the illness is cured. Strangely, people almost always resist going to the vet. They always insist that the cat looks fine and that the last time they were at the vet the cat was fine. (I don't know why people are so hesitant to take their cats to the vet over this.) But, when we finally can get them to go to the vet and have the cat's urine tested, they almost always come back and tell us we were right and that the cat did have a UTI.

If the vet doesn't find signs of infection or blockage, have your friend read this thread for ideas on stopping the inappropriate urination.
How is UTI treatable?
 

tuxedokitties

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Treatment for UTI depends on the cause - the vet will test the cat's urine, to see if there's infection or urinary crystals present, and then will prescribe treatment based on the findings of the test. Treatment often consists of medication and/or a prescription diet. It's important to follow a vet's recommendations carefully to clear up any problems and prevent recurrences.

If a cat has a UTI, it's very uncomfortable for the cat (any human who's had a bladder infection can relate!), and causes her to always feel like she needs to urinate, and yet it's painful when she does, so that is what causes her to go outside her box.
 

smokiethecat

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How do you get a pee sample???Put her paw in a glass of warm water???HEEHEEE!
Seriously though,I'm curious how in case I ever go through that with my new babe.
 
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stlgrl5

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i think the doc sticks something in the kitty lol
 

lotsocats

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Urine samples are taken either by the vet squeezing the bladder until the cat pees (they hold a bowl underneath), or the vet will draw urine through an extremely thin needle that they stick into the bladder. The needle draw is better, but none of my vets will do it. Please do not try to express the bladder yourself. If you don't do it right you can cause the bladder to rupture.
 

avalon

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Originally Posted by tuxedokitties

If a cat has a UTI, it's very uncomfortable for the cat (any human who's had a bladder infection can relate!),
Oh yes, it happened to me when I was living in Barcelona (rotten water they have) and now it makes me a lot more sympathetic to any kitty with it...
 
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