cat peeing in his sleep

[wasabi_dodo]

hi there

i've got a young neutered stray cat (between 1-2 years old)who pees when he sleeps. is this normal?

and he has some rather violent twitches when he sleeps... which am told is normal?

hope you can help enlighten me!

many thanks

 

[lotsocats]

No, this is not normal. Although twitching during sleep IS normal, "violent" twitching is not. If the urination happens while the cat is twitching violently my bet is that the cat is having seizures. Please take your cat to the vet right away so he can be checked out and put on medication if necessary!

 

[purrfectcatlove]

Peeing in the sleep is not normal , at least not for me . I would go to the vet with him and tell the vet what is going on . The twitching can be normal , mine do that too sometimes . Sometimes you can even see how their feet are moving , I guess thats when they run in the dream

 

[wasabi_dodo]

hey many thanks for the replies!

i've been worried about him... thomas is his name.

i've never owned a pet and he kinda adopted me ie he followed me up the stairs in my apt building one day and i fed him. now, he knows where i live and drops by for his meals and when he feels like visiting.

he probably has a network of free food around the hood too!

i've only recently allowed him to sleep inside esp when it rains.
for a stray, i must say that he's very well behaved. doesn't go where i tell him not to like up furniture etc.

will definitely take him to the vet for a check up.

am just highly amused though some times rather disturbed by his twitching... he must have some fantastical dream chases indeed!

 

[blondiecat]

It is not normal for them to pee in their sleep. However with my Sammycat it is. He is a Manx that has nerve damage from where his backbone didn't form about 1/2 inch from the end of his body.

The vet has told me that since this little piece of spine is missing he will always have a little trouble with his normal body functions that he will out grow as he gets older(this was when he was a little kitten). He has since gotten better control of this but on occassions he will do the peeing in his sleep when he is dreaming and after something in his dreams. I just clean up the area and love him since he is a "special needs" kitty.

Please take your boy to the vet and have him checked out.

 

[blondiecat]

Oh I'm sorry

I forgot to say welcome they don't call me blondiecat for nothing

anywho, WELCOME TO TCS

 

[wasabi_dodo]

thanks for the welcomes!

am still very new to all this internet stuff (inc the cat business)! so if i've not followed any protocols please forgive me!

thomas is a free spirit and there is still much for me to learn in how to make his visits pleasant. but he's a gentle fellow and very affectionate.

to date, he's got his own food bowl, mix of tin and dry food and a box (which i've cut flat open for his 360 degrees dream chases) to sleep in.

am debating if i should get him a scratch pole or cat house, though he has not shown any interest in my furniture yet. he's pretty much a down to earth fella for the floor.

i doubt he would appreciate a collar ;p

 

[blondiecat]

Sounds like you have a pretty good start on what a kitty needs

I think I would at least get him a scratching pole so maybe he want start on your furniture

 

[wasabi_dodo]

righto blondiecat!

he's getting one.

 

[purrfectcatlove]

I also forgot to say WELCOME here on TCS

 

[wasabi_dodo]

this is a super site indeed! kudos to the people who make it work!

errmm... forgive my ignorance... but if thomas is 1-2 years old (that's what the vet said) does that really make him a kitten? how do you categorise his age?

i've actually given him a bath the first time he was allowed into the home. it was my way to let him understand that as a guest there are house rules to follow (esp since my flat mate is allergic to animals) and if he wants to lie on the sofa, he has to be super clean!

since then, he has been very coooperative and has stuck to the floor and the designated area where he can potter freely on his own... some times i wonder if he's half dog.

it's amazing how these wonderful creatures can creep silently into one's heart and before you know it... you have a collection of cat stuff. and he's not even mine!

i'm thinking of getting him a brush for his coat.

insidious creatures really... but what added joy to life indeed!

 

[sicycat]

That is so sweet that you took this cat in

Kittens are usually kittens until 1 year old I've been told. So he would be an adult cat.

Let us know what the vet says about him!

 

[wasabi_dodo]

hi guys!

i took thomas to the vet. and the vet said it's very rare for cats to have incontinence esp when they are fastidious about cleanliness. his bladder and organs seem to be in working order and is healthy by the looks of it.

thomas is on valium for 5 nights to see if it will help with the twitching and peeing when he sleeps.

so he's gotta put up with my company at night whether he likes it or not when he's knocked out

i just fed him his pill crushed with his food and gave him a quick water shower as he peed in the cage while we were in the car. that was prob due to the stress!

now he's licking himself dry and i'm wondering how long will it take to make him sleep!

it's a good thing my flat mate likes animals, just a shame she can't be near them for too long.

bet he can't wait to bolt out of the door tomorrow morning!

 

[lotsocats]

I'm glad you took him to the vet. You sound like you are becoming an excellent kitty mommy! Let us know whether the valium helps.

 

[wasabi_dodo]

it's been an hour since he had his valium. boy is he drowsy and not happy. walking around half drunk and very restless. i'm feeling disturbed with his half jumps... he might hurt himself.

 

[sicycat]

Is there a room you can put him in with food/water/bed etc where there's nothing to jump on?

 

[blondiecat]

I am glad that you took him to the vet's office. Hopefully the valium will work well for him. Like Sicy said is there any way that you can put him where there is nothing to jump on? Keep us updated on him

 

[purrfectcatlove]

Glad you went to the vet

.

How was the rest of the night with his medication ?

 

[hissy]

If you have a small room that is dark and quiet that would be best for him. The valium will make him feel wobbly- perhaps next time you can cut his pill in half before giving it to him and see if that works? I am surprised the vet didn't order tests on him though, peeing in their sleep is not normal.

 

[chrisstie]

Hello and welcome to TCS

I just read your post about your .. new house guest

I am also surprised the vet didn't do a big workup on him to see about the peeing in sleep thing, but he\\she may be trying a smooth approach.. So "if this doesn't work, perhaps this and this could be wrong" and the vet is simply narrowing things down slowly so your cat doesn't get upset.

You could always take him elsewhere for a second opinion, too, but unfortunately it is costly. If you can afford it, after you see what the vet says after your 5 days with the valium, I would consider a 2nd opinion.

In the meantime a brush would be a WONDERFUL investment for your animal. Keeping cats brushed will make them happy, make them love you, and keep them hopefully hairball free. The more control you have over your cat's coat, the less hair is free to muck around and get caught in his mouth.

Also, if you plan on hanging onto this guy, consider vaccinations in case he hasn't got them already. It'll keep you and him safe

Good luck with your baby, keep us updated on how he is doing, i'll say a prayer for you