How can you help a cat with separation anxiety? (Urgent, please help!!)

[cassie inez]

My cat just turned 2 years old on March 14th, 2015. She was spayed at the age of 6 months. 

Up until this past December(2014) she had never been left alone for more than one night. My husband and I took a two week long trip out of the country and we left a neighbor in charge of her care, in our home. Upon our return, she was urinating very small amounts of bloody urine ever few minutes everywhere and anywhere. We took her to the emergency and for a followup appointment where we received pain and other medications to treat her. We were also sent home with a scent plug-in that was supposed to help with her anxiety when she was left home alone. For the most part, she was better, until my life began to get super busy with work again. 

At the start of this month (March 2015), I had to work a full week and immediately after that, my mother came to visit me and we traveled for about another week, coming home every night. Even though I was coming home every night, my cat began to get sick again and has been frequently urinating small amounts of bloody pee. I have an appointment set for tomorrow with a veterinarian, but I presume that the urinary tract infection  will be treated, but the anxiety of her being away from me will continue and later make her sick again from the stress. 

Other reasons I have assumed it is separation anxiety are:

1. I cannot leave my house without her wanting to come with me. She will follow me around my neighborhood no matter the weather. Today she followed me in the pouring rain as I walked to a neighbors house. 

2. Before this was an issue, she was never very affectionate. Now she will rub on me constantly and her new favorite spot to sleep is under the covers right next to me. Whereas before, she was content sleeping anywhere.

Side note: I do have a small dog that she is home with when I am away. I have considered getting another cat, for her to have an animal she can more closely relate to, but I am not permitted to have more than 2 pets.

I really need some good advice because I don't know how much more I can take of having to clean up after her and I don't want her to feel this constant physical and emotional stress. Thank you for your responses!

-Cassie

Sakura.png

• cassie inez
• Mar 31, 2015

 

[rlavach]

Aww, poor thing. Did the vet do a urinalysis during those instances? If so, were any crystals found? If no crystals, then it may be cystitis. I have a similar issue with my Rocky. He did have a completely blockage & a bladder full of crystals years ago. He went on the Rx food & was good for years. But now that I got married & moved him with me, every time we're away for a few days he has cystitis again (urinating small amounts of bloody pee), no crystals. I'm not sure if I'd blame this on separation anxiety exactly, but stress is a major factor in FLUTD (the category of urinary issues that cystitis falls under). 

Has your vet suggested any changes in his diet? Can I ask what he's eating? Diet plays a huge role in urinary issues. Have you tried to use the plug in (Feliway?) for a few weeks before & after any trip to see if it'll reduce the stress level? 

 

[cassie inez]

Hello & thank you for your response!

First, I am living in Germany with my husband. The language barrier is a little difficult to understand and explain the issue. I am not sure what exactly the German veterinarian did with the urine, but she did do some sort of test (however it was a simple test that gave her a result almost immediately). The appointment I have set for tomorrow is with an american veterinarian and I will be sure to mention having a urinalysis done. I will also be sure to mention cystitis tomorrow as well. 

I was feeding her "Newman's Own Organics" dry food only. I always feed her the recommended amounts. When she first showed signs of medical problems, I read that it is best to give them a combination of wet and dry food. Now I give her half "Newman's Own Organics" and half canned wet food, either the "Blue" brand, or the "Hills ideal balance" brand. 

The plug I was given is the Feliway brand and I didn't notice a huge difference, however, I did not leave her in a small area where the Feliway plug could fill the room. I also did not have it plugged in a couple of weeks prior to the trip and after the trip. I can go back to the vet and get a refill and see if that helps any.

I hope I answered all of your questions and thank you again for you help! I sincerely appreciate it!

-Cassie   

Newmans Cat food.jpg

• cassie inez
• Mar 31, 2015

Blue Cat Food.jpeg

• cassie inez
• Mar 31, 2015

Hills Cat Food.jpeg

• cassie inez
• Mar 31, 2015

 

[rlavach]

Oooh, Germany! I'm like 1/4th German, so always wanted to go. Anyway, yes, a urinalysis is just a test of the urine. Usually looking for blood, pH, crystals, white blood cells (sign of infection). Usually takes a few minutes & isn't usually too expensive to be done at your visit tomorrow.  My boy also only ate dry food up until about 8 months ago. My new vet explained to me the importance of wet food, as you know. She explained that moving him to an all wet diet was key. Although its more expensive on a daily basis, its cheaper in the long run if I don't have emergency vet visits!

She suggested I used a prescription wet cat food for cats with urinary problems. Hills C/D  and Royal Canin SO are both popular brands, not sure about their availability in Germany. But she told me, any wet is better than even prescription dry. So if I couldn't keep him on only wet prescription food, even regular wet food was better. She said to look for ones that were grain free & had meat as the 1st ingredient. Also, to add water into the wet food to increase his water intake. I tried all different types of water bowls & fountains, but nothing else works. I worked him up to 1/3c of water mixed into each meal. Not all cats will tolerate that much water. But even 1 tablespoon mixed in is better than nothing. Think about it, their bodies are so small that 1 tablespoon is like 1c of water to a human. So it does help to flush their system & keep them hydrated, which is important for cats with urinary issues. 

I personally haven't seen a major difference with Feliway either, but using it before, during & after a stressful time away is best. Only using it after won't help prevent the issue. Here, you can also get it on Amazon for a bit cheaper. You may be able to find it online cheaper too. Or, some calming treats from the pet store could help too? 

 

[cassie inez]

Germany is WONDERFUL! I would definitely recommend visiting here ^_^ I have loved living here for the past few years!

I will look into working more wet food into her diet and see how that helps. I will also look into those prescription foods for cats with urinary problems ( I didn't know those existed!). I will also take your advice on adding water with her food to help keep her hydrated. She actually prefers her food soaked with water, but I never thought about it as a way to hydrate her better. She used to not eat unless I added water to her food! I did hear about Sentry calming collars and I ordered some off of Amazon, to see if that would help her out at all. I will add calming treats to my list of things to purchase as well. At this point, I am willing to try any and everything to make her feel better! I really appreciate all your help today! I'm so grateful that there are helpful people in the world like you! After our vet visit tomorrow, I will be sure to post an update!

Many many thanks!
-Cassie

 

[puck]

Stress induced cystitis is very common in cats. You can't prevent the inflammatory response that stress causes in the bladder wall, but you can encourage her to urinate, or think of it as encourage her not to hold her bladder excessively long time periods. The longer the urine sits in the bladder the more concentrated it gets, and the more struvite crystals start to form just from accumulation in a bladder that isn't voiding frequently enough to pass urine through the kidneys and bladder at a healthy, "waste removing" rate.

When you know your schedule will be different, you will be traveling, or she'll be traveling (to vet, on trip with you, during a move etc),

plan on no dry and feeding canned only,

add a tablespoon of water to each 2oz of canned food, adding flavor enhancers to small volumes of water you offer often to increase her thirst (sodium-free chicken or beef stock to her water in a 1:1 ratio),

and consider discussing anxiolytics that are for short-term use (not SSRIs aka fluoxetine, amytriptyline) such as alprazolam (Xanax)

Apply a fresh facial pheremone-releasing collar a day or two before the "stress-inducing" change. This has helped perhaps a 1/3 of the cats I've seen with cystitis, FLUTD, partial urethral obstruction/inflammation, or inappropriate urination (normal amount and color, so no straining).

I keep my cystitis girl Tink's prednisolone Rx at the ready, to refill as needed, with a few on retainer at home, for when I have unplanned long work shifts or long weekend away, or when a patient or foster needs to suddenly come home, as interrupting the harmony at home can be enough stress to induce idiopathic cystitis also. Her corticosteroids keep the inflammation in check and she urinates well during these environmental/schedule changes. A short tapering cycle has worked well, 3 days on bidaily dosing, 3 days on once daily dosing, 3 days on every other day dosing. Cats don't get the manic, hungry, thirsty, crazed side effects on steroids that dogs experience either. They metabolize corticosteroids very effectively, with minimal side effects, systemic effect (no liver dz) or concomittant effects, but should be used with caution in heart disease cats.

Sometimes, the inflammation is severe enough, some blood is evident from the angry walls of the bladder and urethra. Blood is a brewing medium for bacterial growth. Most urinary problems in cats are non-bacterial, as they do not grow infection in their bladder as easily as a dog or human. But, where there is blood, and often where there are white blood cells, bacteria is evident also. My girl doesn't get bloody urine, and many cystitis cases don't. If yours does, antibiotics aren't a wrong choice, even if a prophylactic measure to ensure infection doesn't take hold in such an ideal environment.

 

[handsome kitty]

I have started feeding my cat Fancy feast soup at lunch time.  I add a little water to the pouch to rinse out all the flavor and get even more liquid into them.  I think this helps with hydrating sometimes the cats just lap up the liquid.

 

[cassie inez]

Hello! 

This morning I went to the American vet and they checked her vitals and ran an x-ray. The x-ray showed that there were no stones and that her bladder was not full enough to collect a urine sample for a urinalysis. Since the American vet was closed for the next five days, she recommended that I take her to my German veterinarian. After paying the bill for seeing the American vet and having the x-ray done, I called my German vet and took Sakura to see them. 

At the German vet, he emphasized that the bladder is the stress organ of the cat and that whenever she is stressed it will affect her. He said that I need to find the source of her stress and try to help her from there (finding the cause of her stress is easier said than done!). He gave me a refill for the Feliway plug-in. He sent me home with some anti-inflammatory medication for her bladder. He also sent me with two different pain medications. I can't remember it all, but basically, because she is so dehydrated (I'm assuming from urinating so often), I need to work on hydrating her and collecting a urine sample to take in. 

He also gave me a german list of personality traits or characteristics that I am going to have a german friend help me translate. I need to check off which ones best describe my cat & then take it back. From there, they are going to make her a personalized herbal mediation (or maybe it will be similar to catnip) that should help keep her calm and relaxed. 

Again, thank you for all of her help and information. Hopefully we can get her feeling better and hydrated to collect a urine sample.

-Cassie

 

[cassie inez]

@puck  & @Handsome Kitty

Thank you so much for your responses! I am going to take notes of everything that has been recommended to me and start a detailed notebook on her behavior and what I have tried and what seems to help. I will be SURE to try everything that you have suggested! This was all extremely helpful information!

Sincerely thankful,
-Cassie 

 

[Columbine]

Just skimmed this thread. I don't have much to add to the excellent advice you've already received. If you do look a prescription diets animonda integra protect is a German made range of prescription foods. It may be a little cheaper simply because it won't be imported. The same may go for a brand called Kattovit. Hills and royal canin should also both be available in Germany (based on my being in the uk - it seems unlikely for the food to be available here and not in Germany too).

Hope your little girl is well again (and stays well) soon

 

[rlavach]

So glad to hear you got some results from the 2 vets. Keeping a journal of your cats behavior is a great idea. Even though it seems kind of obvious that every time this happens is when your away, there could be other things in your daily life that aren't as easy to notice. If you can reel those back, perhaps it'll make vacations a bit less stressful. Usually dehydration is caused by not taking in enough water, rather than expelling too much, but anything is possible. Switching over to an all wet diet & adding in extra water, like mentioned, will really help. My boy now pees at least 3x a day & A LOT! You can actually hear the stream if you mute the TV! You'll get there. Your kitty is lucky to have such a responsible momma 

 

[pharber-murphy]

My cats calm down I turn on classical music. There's even a CD called "A Day in the Life" especially mixed for cats!

I haven't used Feliway, but the vets here use it. I use a spray called Pet-Ease Pheromone Plus from Nutri-Vet, which is a blend of pheromones, St. John's Wort, Lavender and Valerian Root. I spray it on their carrier blankets before we go to the vet. The vet has always commented on how calm they seem. It also comes as a diffuser. I find it very effective. It's available on Amazon.

Good luck with the anxiety issues!

Best regards.

 

[cassie inez]

@Columbine  Thank you for that information! I will look into those brands of foods!

@rlavach  Thank for the extra information! I can't recall a time I have ever really been able to HEAR her peeing, since the first time she got sick. Hopefully with all of this wonderful advice, we can change that!

@PHarber-Murphy  I actually have  thought about leaving on some music for her when I leave. I love classical music and actually have two cd's (that I let my neighbor borrow for her baby). I think I will ask for them back and see if that helps my Sakura at all. But that special mix for cats, sounds like it could help her. That spray also sounds like it could work great! I'll look into those also! Thank you so so much!

Everyone really has been wonderful & I appreciate all of your responses. I thank you all for taking time out of your personal lives, to help us!

-Cassie

 

[psychomama]

Aww, poor thing. Did the vet do a urinalysis during those instances? If so, were any crystals found? If no crystals, then it may be cystitis. I have a similar issue with my Rocky. He did have a completely blockage & a bladder full of crystals years ago. He went on the Rx food & was good for years. But now that I got married & moved him with me, every time we're away for a few days he has cystitis again (urinating small amounts of bloody pee), no crystals. I'm not sure if I'd blame this on separation anxiety exactly, but stress is a major factor in FLUTD (the category of urinary issues that cystitis falls under). 

Has your vet suggested any changes in his diet? Can I ask what he's eating? Diet plays a huge role in urinary issues. Have you tried to use the plug in (Feliway?) for a few weeks before & after any trip to see if it'll reduce the stress level? 

Proza

 

[pharber-murphy]

Sorry, that wasn't the full title of the CD - it's actually called A Day in the Life of Leo. I just did an Amazon search on it, and it returned two other CDs that are specially mixed for cats; one even claims to be for separation anxiety! Good luck with your little girl.

Best regards.

 

[Columbine]

Jumping off what pharber-murphy said about music cds, have you thought of trying 'cat tv' for your girl as a distraction. http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/shop/Cat-DVD-TV-show-Cats-Love is the one that I've come across (this shop also sells on amazon btw), but I'm sure there are others available too.

I hope you find a combination of stratagies that work for your girl. If no one's said it yet, Bach flower remedies or jackson galaxy's spirit essences are worth a go too....can't hurt and may help

 

[cassie inez]

@PHarber-Murphy  Thank you for clarifying the name of the CD! I'll look into the separation anxiety one. =)

@Columbine

I have debated leaving the television on for her, but I never thought about a cat specific show/program. Hopefully I find a combination of things that works for Sakura. ^_^ 

She is stressed out today because the neighbors cat tried to attack her again today. -_- She has been staring out the back door with wide eyes and she's been a bit jumpy. I've done my best to comfort her, but there's ot much I can do until the things I've ordered have come in. Again, thank you everyone for your help and concern!

-Cassie 

 

[psychomama]

Hello! 
After ️Psycho had his UTI my vet reemded Cosequin. It s for cartilage but it seems the lining around the bladder is made up of the same material and this helps build the lining up to prevent irritation. Comes in a capsule and you sprinkle the powder on food. ️Psycho eats it right up.

This morning I went to the American vet and they checked her vitals and ran an x-ray. The x-ray showed that there were no stones and that her bladder was not full enough to collect a urine sample for a urinalysis. Since the American vet was closed for the next five days, she recommended that I take her to my German veterinarian. After paying the bill for seeing the American vet and having the x-ray done, I called my German vet and took Sakura to see them. 


At the German vet, he emphasized that the bladder is the stress organ of the cat and that whenever she is stressed it will affect her. He said that I need to find the source of her stress and try to help her from there (finding the cause of her stress is easier said than done!). He gave me a refill for the Feliway plug-in. He sent me home with some anti-inflammatory medication for her bladder. He also sent me with two different pain medications. I can't remember it all, but basically, because she is so dehydrated (I'm assuming from urinating so often), I need to work on hydrating her and collecting a urine sample to take in. 


He also gave me a german list of personality traits or characteristics that I am going to have a german friend help me translate. I need to check off which ones best describe my cat & then take it back. From there, they are going to make her a personalized herbal mediation (or maybe it will be similar to catnip) that should help keep her calm and relaxed. 


Again, thank you for all of her help and information. Hopefully we can get her feeling better and hydrated to collect a urine sample.


-Cassie

 

[samus]

Kattovit and Animonda Integra Protect are also pretty easy to get at the local pet food store (Berlin) without a prescription. Not sure about Royal Canin, but I know my vet had it there.

Is there a chance her eating/drinking habits are different when you're out of town or gone longer than normal? (Like, did your petsitter feed on the same schedule you normally do, etc.)

A fountain might get her to drink more, by making the water taste fresher.