- Joined
- Feb 15, 2012
- Messages
- 60
- Purraise
- 17
Hi gang,
Zach (age 5-ish years) went to the vet today as he has been crying in the litter box and leaving small tinkles on the carpet right outside the box. He is also back to howling at night as soon as we've all gone to bed, which he hasn't done in a couple of years. The vet wasn't able to get a urine sample because his bladder was so small and so empty so we can't completely rule out an infection, but she suggested he has interstitial cystitis and prescribed an NSAID for 3 days and gabapentin as needed to ease the discomfort in the mean time. I will have to bring him back in later this week when his bladder is more full. Full disclosure: he has had struvite crystals in his urine in the past. He also doesn't take kindly to any added moisture in his food.
She said that interstitial cystitis is typically a stress-related issue and gave me an article called "environmental enrichment for confined cats." We haven't had any changes in our lifestyle or environment so it seems a little odd that he would be stressed out now. We have one other cat (age 8+) and two small dogs. One of the dogs is a little smaller than Zach and they are good friends.
I have reviewed the forums about dietary and medical interventions. What kinds of things can I do to create a more relaxing (or more stimulating?) environment for him?
Mrs H
Zach (age 5-ish years) went to the vet today as he has been crying in the litter box and leaving small tinkles on the carpet right outside the box. He is also back to howling at night as soon as we've all gone to bed, which he hasn't done in a couple of years. The vet wasn't able to get a urine sample because his bladder was so small and so empty so we can't completely rule out an infection, but she suggested he has interstitial cystitis and prescribed an NSAID for 3 days and gabapentin as needed to ease the discomfort in the mean time. I will have to bring him back in later this week when his bladder is more full. Full disclosure: he has had struvite crystals in his urine in the past. He also doesn't take kindly to any added moisture in his food.
She said that interstitial cystitis is typically a stress-related issue and gave me an article called "environmental enrichment for confined cats." We haven't had any changes in our lifestyle or environment so it seems a little odd that he would be stressed out now. We have one other cat (age 8+) and two small dogs. One of the dogs is a little smaller than Zach and they are good friends.
I have reviewed the forums about dietary and medical interventions. What kinds of things can I do to create a more relaxing (or more stimulating?) environment for him?
Mrs H