Hello everyone!
We adopted a Persian cat several years ago when he was 1 year old. He is now 5. He was de-clawed when we got him (I don't agree with de-clawing, but it was already done). We started noticing problems soon after we adopted him. He began peeing on the carpet (wall-to-wall) and later on our living room area rug. The rug was so soaked with urine that the carpet cleaner told me to throw it away. He didn't just pee in one spot, but all over the entire rug. I bought a blacklight kit and using that, saw pee stains ALL OVER our entire house, on the carpets in every room, even beside the laundry machine. He does it when we are not home. I have never caught him in the act. I took him to the vet and they did a bunch of tests including blood and urine, and said everything is "normal." The vet thinks that it's a behavioral problem. His eyes also have excessive brown discharge that leaks out and he shakes his head and it goes all over the walls. He has basically destroyed our house with the urine and brown stains! Also, he was diagnosed with Feline Hyperesthesia, or "twitchy cat syndrome", so he acts peculiar and seems stressed. We have put out 2 litter boxes, taken him to the vet, we use "Cat Attract" litter, keep the environment as calm as possible, give him toys (including a tunnel that he loves), and we clean his eyes every day. My husband adores him, but he has ruined our house. We are actually about to put our house on the market, and we can't afford to replace all of the carpeting, and we will have to re-paint all of the walls... It's been a disaster. What do you all recommend? Should we try giving him anti-anxiety/anti-depressant medications? The vet had suggested meds for the Hyperesthesia, but we were hesitant to medicate him. How about for his eyes? There is SO much discharge that cleaning them once/day isn't enough. My husband and I both work full-time, so we aren't home during the day. We are going to be moving into a rented apartment soon, and I am terrified that our cat will destroy it, especially when paying a large security deposit. I don't know what to do. I don't want to give him away, but he's been more trouble than I had thought, and I've had Persian cats my entire life.
We adopted a Persian cat several years ago when he was 1 year old. He is now 5. He was de-clawed when we got him (I don't agree with de-clawing, but it was already done). We started noticing problems soon after we adopted him. He began peeing on the carpet (wall-to-wall) and later on our living room area rug. The rug was so soaked with urine that the carpet cleaner told me to throw it away. He didn't just pee in one spot, but all over the entire rug. I bought a blacklight kit and using that, saw pee stains ALL OVER our entire house, on the carpets in every room, even beside the laundry machine. He does it when we are not home. I have never caught him in the act. I took him to the vet and they did a bunch of tests including blood and urine, and said everything is "normal." The vet thinks that it's a behavioral problem. His eyes also have excessive brown discharge that leaks out and he shakes his head and it goes all over the walls. He has basically destroyed our house with the urine and brown stains! Also, he was diagnosed with Feline Hyperesthesia, or "twitchy cat syndrome", so he acts peculiar and seems stressed. We have put out 2 litter boxes, taken him to the vet, we use "Cat Attract" litter, keep the environment as calm as possible, give him toys (including a tunnel that he loves), and we clean his eyes every day. My husband adores him, but he has ruined our house. We are actually about to put our house on the market, and we can't afford to replace all of the carpeting, and we will have to re-paint all of the walls... It's been a disaster. What do you all recommend? Should we try giving him anti-anxiety/anti-depressant medications? The vet had suggested meds for the Hyperesthesia, but we were hesitant to medicate him. How about for his eyes? There is SO much discharge that cleaning them once/day isn't enough. My husband and I both work full-time, so we aren't home during the day. We are going to be moving into a rented apartment soon, and I am terrified that our cat will destroy it, especially when paying a large security deposit. I don't know what to do. I don't want to give him away, but he's been more trouble than I had thought, and I've had Persian cats my entire life.