I really hope someone had a little CHAT with the maids 
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Pee NIGHTMARE!
- Thread starter thesighrye
- Start Date
She may still have a kidney issue because her pee doesn't have the normal stink to it. I know she was peeing on the floor before (actual puddles), and that has stopped. *knock on wood* What she's doing now is marking the bedroom door and the table we've used to block her access. I'm afraid that it is her kidneys and since she "lost" her smell, she is marking to establish dominance over Sophie. Especially since Sophie uses 3 of the 4 litter boxes we have. I guess it's just something else to tell the vet when she goes back in.
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- #43
Oy, I can feel your discouragement :/ yeah, just chat about it with the vet. If all is said and done and her kidneys are fine and she still does it, talk about Prozac possibly with them. But what you said makes sense. Perhaps this problem internally is making her insecure so she wants to mark...totally makes sense. When's the next visit?
I drop her off the morning of 7/25 for her teeth cleaning. That's when they will finish her booster shots and draw up another blood panel. In the meantime, I have used the same spray we use on the floor for the bedroom door and the table we use to block the door. I have to clean those carpets for sure but should do the whole apartment (in stages)...but I have to find time to do that around a mountain of homework due tomorrow. It's been one of those weeks!
I will keep the Prozac in mind even though she hates taking pills. Between this forum, my fantastic vet, my cat-loving/owning friends at work, and the research I do... somewhere we should come up with an answer soon. I just have to remember that we've had mostly wonderful 13 1/2 years together and as with any teenager, they push our buttons and stress us out. Hopefully it doesn't take long for her to leave this phase.
I will keep the Prozac in mind even though she hates taking pills. Between this forum, my fantastic vet, my cat-loving/owning friends at work, and the research I do... somewhere we should come up with an answer soon. I just have to remember that we've had mostly wonderful 13 1/2 years together and as with any teenager, they push our buttons and stress us out. Hopefully it doesn't take long for her to leave this phase.
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- #45
Did I happen to mention that the Prozac I have is liquid form?? It's super easy. I just mush it into her dinner and she chows down like nothing is different. I guess it's relatively taste/odor free.
It's tough dealing with this and balancing the rest of your life. I had to come into work late that morning I found all that pee....it's difficult.
It's tough dealing with this and balancing the rest of your life. I had to come into work late that morning I found all that pee....it's difficult.
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- #46
I figured since this was such a sore subject for all I would update with a happy shot of miss Bella up on her highest shelf in our bedroom, where she now has permanent access. Floor has been cleaned thoroughly, new rugs (much to our dismay, couldn't save the old ones that we had JUST bought) and Feliway plug in on my side of the bed/ room. That red thing is an airline blanket that has become her baby blanket since we've had her
Success can happen, everyone! Just keep at it. Thinking of you all
YES - one can work through these issues and be successful in making kitty happy. If all medical issues are ruled out and exhausted then the next step is making kitty feel more safe and secure. Sometimes just adding more vertical space is the hidden miracle that solves litter box issues. I like the shelf and vertical space you have offered Bellatrix. Looks as though she has made it to a happy next level in her life.....
Great update.
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So tomorrow is the big day at the vets. Cleo goes in for teeth cleaning and another round of lab work. She hasn't gone a full week without peeing or spraying in the bedroom since June when this began and it still doesn't smell like typical cat pee smell, so I think the vet will find that she is in the beginning of kidney disease. Hopefully the new food she gets switched to will be less than $50 for 8 pounds and will be ok for Sophie too.
Sadly, Sophie isn't too happy with Miss Cleo's health. Sophie usually doesn't like Cleo after she's been to the vet and has been given meds (she smells different) and it take about a week for Sophie to mellow out and be friendly with Cleo again. I've noticed this time that after a week she was better but not back to normal. Both have fought with each other more, to the point that Cleo has a nasty sore on her head and both are sporting scrapes under their chin. Luckily, they let me check those areas daily and clean as needed so I don't worry too much about them getting infected.
Who needs children when they have pets!
Sadly, Sophie isn't too happy with Miss Cleo's health. Sophie usually doesn't like Cleo after she's been to the vet and has been given meds (she smells different) and it take about a week for Sophie to mellow out and be friendly with Cleo again. I've noticed this time that after a week she was better but not back to normal. Both have fought with each other more, to the point that Cleo has a nasty sore on her head and both are sporting scrapes under their chin. Luckily, they let me check those areas daily and clean as needed so I don't worry too much about them getting infected.
Who needs children when they have pets!
Good luck!
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- #50
Hey, good to hear from you again!
So sorry to hear that your troubles are continuing. Let me know how the vet visit goes. At least if they find the onset of a kidney problem, it can be treated and hopefully this big mess will be over!
I just want to say thank you for staying strong and resilient with your kitty. I've heard of so many people deciding to throw in the towel with peeing cats and surrender them to shelters....and we all know what happens after that....When we were in the thick of it, my boyfriend actually uttered the words "it's me or the cat." He didn't mean it....but it can get to that point. It's scary.
You'll get through this! And keep us posted! You're a great catmommy!
So sorry to hear that your troubles are continuing. Let me know how the vet visit goes. At least if they find the onset of a kidney problem, it can be treated and hopefully this big mess will be over!
I just want to say thank you for staying strong and resilient with your kitty. I've heard of so many people deciding to throw in the towel with peeing cats and surrender them to shelters....and we all know what happens after that....When we were in the thick of it, my boyfriend actually uttered the words "it's me or the cat." He didn't mean it....but it can get to that point. It's scary.
You'll get through this! And keep us posted! You're a great catmommy!
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- #51
Thank youYES - one can work through these issues and be successful in making kitty happy. If all medical issues are ruled out and exhausted then the next step is making kitty feel more safe and secure. Sometimes just adding more vertical space is the hidden miracle that solves litter box issues. I like the shelf and vertical space you have offered Bellatrix. Looks as though she has made it to a happy next level in her life.....Great update.
We are so happy....this all seems to be a bad fluke that occurred in her after all those changes happened. Feliway is still plugged in, and I've even been spraying it on our cough where she has scratched (BRAND NEW last summer...the cover, though removable and replaceable, is already destroyed) and this morning saw her sniff it and rub her little face all over it. Success!!!So glad to keep hearing from you lovely people
I will shamefully admit that I have agonized over keeping her. Ok, the thought of giving her up and just typing that sentence has me in tears. That alone is one reason she is still with us. I know that if I were to give up on her, at 14 she would be put down and she wouldn't take to rehoming very well. But, she's my baby girl. I've gone through so much with her and for her that the idea of giving her up kills a part of me. Luckily, my husband understands and is willing to leave the litter box in the bedroom.
I go and pick my girl in an hour or so but the last time I talked to her this morning she did informed me of the following (I'm too tired/lazy to put it into sentence format, ha!):
*2 of the 3 kidney tests came back at almost identical to what they were on 7/4; she had yet to perform the 3rd one
*Cleo is missing 2 teeth - not sure if she never had them or what
*2 other teeth are currently being reabsorbed by her body (I didn't know what could happen)
*1 tooth had a hole in it but she didn't show signs of pain because of it - they are pulling it anyway so there won't be pain later
*we are switching to a urinary health cat food that is safe/smart for both girls - won't treat kidney disease but if she's considered "pre" kidney disease it can help reduce stress on the kidneys and push the onset of the disease off for awhile.
We are doing that food instead of food for kidney disease because Sophie can't have the treatment food and at this point there is no way to prevent that. They eat their wet food together and graze on the dry food between feedings. If I was to switch Cleo to that special food, they would have to be separate all the time or no food in between feedings.
I go and pick my girl in an hour or so but the last time I talked to her this morning she did informed me of the following (I'm too tired/lazy to put it into sentence format, ha!):
*2 of the 3 kidney tests came back at almost identical to what they were on 7/4; she had yet to perform the 3rd one
*Cleo is missing 2 teeth - not sure if she never had them or what
*2 other teeth are currently being reabsorbed by her body (I didn't know what could happen)
*1 tooth had a hole in it but she didn't show signs of pain because of it - they are pulling it anyway so there won't be pain later
*we are switching to a urinary health cat food that is safe/smart for both girls - won't treat kidney disease but if she's considered "pre" kidney disease it can help reduce stress on the kidneys and push the onset of the disease off for awhile.
We are doing that food instead of food for kidney disease because Sophie can't have the treatment food and at this point there is no way to prevent that. They eat their wet food together and graze on the dry food between feedings. If I was to switch Cleo to that special food, they would have to be separate all the time or no food in between feedings.
Thank youYES - one can work through these issues and be successful in making kitty happy. If all medical issues are ruled out and exhausted then the next step is making kitty feel more safe and secure. Sometimes just adding more vertical space is the hidden miracle that solves litter box issues. I like the shelf and vertical space you have offered Bellatrix. Looks as though she has made it to a happy next level in her life.....
So glad to keep hearing from you lovely people
You made me laugh and I think we appreciate that you think we are "lovely". :bigwink: And, really, those bad flukes DO happen with cats when things in their little world get turned upside down for any number of reasons. I just hope the bad flukes are extremely, and enormously spaced far apart. 
:lol3:Well, we got some pretty good news at the pick up appointment this afternoon!
All 3 kidney function tests were in the normal range and her pH level even improved! The vet said it most likely was caused by her teeth. She said the 2 that are being reabsorbed looked like they have been painful for awhile so while Cleo was under sedatives the vet drilled those down to the gum line so that they reabsorb and heal over faster. Plus she removed the 1 with the hole/cavity.
We are still switching both cats to a Rx urinary health food to prolong the onset of kidney disease. It's much cheaper than the calm stuff that didn't work (and now I know it didn't work on Cleo for good reason).
She is currently medicated and in her happy place. Fingers and paws crossed that our pee nightmare is over or will be as soon as her mouth heals!
All 3 kidney function tests were in the normal range and her pH level even improved! The vet said it most likely was caused by her teeth. She said the 2 that are being reabsorbed looked like they have been painful for awhile so while Cleo was under sedatives the vet drilled those down to the gum line so that they reabsorb and heal over faster. Plus she removed the 1 with the hole/cavity.
We are still switching both cats to a Rx urinary health food to prolong the onset of kidney disease. It's much cheaper than the calm stuff that didn't work (and now I know it didn't work on Cleo for good reason).
She is currently medicated and in her happy place. Fingers and paws crossed that our pee nightmare is over or will be as soon as her mouth heals!
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- #55
@GatosMama Ooooooh poor little baby! All these teeth issues...poor thing. It was probably causing the stress in her body, perhaps this is the underlying cause?
I am so thankful to hear that her kidneys are in good shape and the pH has even gotten better! This is good news, indeed.
Hopefully the Rx stuff will help...
I think it sounds like you're on the road to a solution. Every step you take is a step closer to that, don't forget it!
You're a great cat mommy, don't forget! Cleo loves you for it.
I am so thankful to hear that her kidneys are in good shape and the pH has even gotten better! This is good news, indeed.
Hopefully the Rx stuff will help...
I think it sounds like you're on the road to a solution. Every step you take is a step closer to that, don't forget it!
You're a great cat mommy, don't forget! Cleo loves you for it.
@thesighrye It sounds like her teeth issues were the cause of our litter box issues. She was on some good painkillers this weekend - she barely moved and I think the room spun when she did sit up because she would quickly lay back down. Even with that, she made it to her favorite litter box every time. I elected not to give her the last dose of pain killers this morning since I'm not there to watch her. It is rare that there is a negative reaction to the meds but I don't want to risk anything when I'm not home to help her. Plus it raises her body temp and leaves her defenseless if the other cat decides to get huffy with her. She was also petting her face on me this morning and ate like a champ; it seems she's over the pain hurdle. I think the Calm food did help her kidneys and that's why we are sticking with a dry food that promotes urinary tract health.
My vet is a genius! We are using Cleo's love of food against her when it comes to taking pill medications. The vet wants her on antibiotics for 10 days but said she would settle with 5 (to be given twice a day). Cleo puts up such a fight that it takes 2 of us to hold her down and force the pill in her mouth. I feel so bad because her mouth is sore and forcing her jaw open can't feel good. Well, those pills are capsules and my vet suggested mixing the powder inside the capsule with Cleo's wet food. We've done that 4 times now and she loves it! I don't know if the powder gives it a little more flavor or what but she has licked the bowl clean each time. No more fighting pills down her throat!
My vet is a genius! We are using Cleo's love of food against her when it comes to taking pill medications. The vet wants her on antibiotics for 10 days but said she would settle with 5 (to be given twice a day). Cleo puts up such a fight that it takes 2 of us to hold her down and force the pill in her mouth. I feel so bad because her mouth is sore and forcing her jaw open can't feel good. Well, those pills are capsules and my vet suggested mixing the powder inside the capsule with Cleo's wet food. We've done that 4 times now and she loves it! I don't know if the powder gives it a little more flavor or what but she has licked the bowl clean each time. No more fighting pills down her throat!
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- #57
AWESOME!!!!
@GatosMama
I am so happy to hear all of this from you. Getting over hurdles, big or small, is a wonderful feeling. It's definitely sounding like the pain was the cause of her acting out.
GREAT job being vigilant and now finding out what was wrong! It's times like these I wish our furbabies could speak in a language we understand. I'm positive they understand us to an extent, but I wish they could just be like, "Hey, mahm, my teeth freakin' HURT!" or "Mahm, you moved my favorite sleeping spot and that flooding scared me, I'mma piss on your rug meow," Lol life would be so much easier!!!
I am so happy to hear all of this from you. Getting over hurdles, big or small, is a wonderful feeling. It's definitely sounding like the pain was the cause of her acting out.
GREAT job being vigilant and now finding out what was wrong! It's times like these I wish our furbabies could speak in a language we understand. I'm positive they understand us to an extent, but I wish they could just be like, "Hey, mahm, my teeth freakin' HURT!" or "Mahm, you moved my favorite sleeping spot and that flooding scared me, I'mma piss on your rug meow," Lol life would be so much easier!!!
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- #58
Oh man, guys....
Had a bit of a setback this morning
BUT it's not as bad as last time...and here's what happened and what I think.
I was getting ready for work and Bella was looking up at me and pawing at the rug. This rug is a bathmat, used in addition to other small rugs to cover the floor so we're not stepping on cement. She wouldn't stop until I bent down and looked to find.....you guessed it. ;_;
I got my ass in gear and ran out to the store in the town over to get more Nature's Miracle to clean it up. I tossed the bathmat. It got a little bit on the corner of the small rug that was on it, and of course the floor, so I took the rug outside, doused that corner and left it there to do it's thing. I soaked the spot in the room, left the fans on, and closed the door for the day while we're gone. I scoured the rest of the area and this is the only spot I found, and it was within the last 12hrs as it was still pretty wet.
Here's what I've figured out. There have been absolutely no changes in our environment since this ordeal was settled except for two things. One, we have been getting massive thunderstorms lately and it has scared her into hiding every time, but I don't think that's exactly it. What it is...is the dog.
I mentioned earlier that we live in the basement apartment below my dad and stepmom. The space is all our own with the exception of needing to use their stove, so we don't need to go upstairs often. They have this dog that hasn't been anything less than a problem child lately. Disobedient, rude, does what it wants. Last week they were on vacation and, in turn, the dog went to a kennel owned by a family friend for the week. Ever since they came back, and the dog....the dog has been coming down to where our door is at the bottom of the stairs, sniffing, huffing, making all sorts of ruckus and basically stalking our cat's smell.
Bella has taken notice of this every time she does it, and in turn gets freaked out.
SO.....I've concluded.....it only makes sense. Her litterbox is in the space that goes under the stairs. There is a door that lies next to the door to go upstairs, and it is used for storage and her litterbox is there. It's the perfect (so we thought) space for her to go because it is private and has a built in half-oval type kitty door just for her to get in. Since she is getting freaked out by the smell of this stupid dog, what is she going to do? Go as far away from the door as possible, to the bedroom, where there is this tantalizing bathmat.
This has been the ONLY accident since things calmed down and this dog theory only makes sense.
We're gonna talk to them today and demand a baby gate gets put up. Just because they have a disobedient dog doesn't mean it needs to turn into our fault.
.....can you tell I don't like this dog? lol.
So that's that.....Phew. I honestly think this is a fluke and we'll be able to let her back into the room once the stuff dries.
Had a bit of a setback this morning
BUT it's not as bad as last time...and here's what happened and what I think.
I was getting ready for work and Bella was looking up at me and pawing at the rug. This rug is a bathmat, used in addition to other small rugs to cover the floor so we're not stepping on cement. She wouldn't stop until I bent down and looked to find.....you guessed it. ;_;
I got my ass in gear and ran out to the store in the town over to get more Nature's Miracle to clean it up. I tossed the bathmat. It got a little bit on the corner of the small rug that was on it, and of course the floor, so I took the rug outside, doused that corner and left it there to do it's thing. I soaked the spot in the room, left the fans on, and closed the door for the day while we're gone. I scoured the rest of the area and this is the only spot I found, and it was within the last 12hrs as it was still pretty wet.
Here's what I've figured out. There have been absolutely no changes in our environment since this ordeal was settled except for two things. One, we have been getting massive thunderstorms lately and it has scared her into hiding every time, but I don't think that's exactly it. What it is...is the dog.
I mentioned earlier that we live in the basement apartment below my dad and stepmom. The space is all our own with the exception of needing to use their stove, so we don't need to go upstairs often. They have this dog that hasn't been anything less than a problem child lately. Disobedient, rude, does what it wants. Last week they were on vacation and, in turn, the dog went to a kennel owned by a family friend for the week. Ever since they came back, and the dog....the dog has been coming down to where our door is at the bottom of the stairs, sniffing, huffing, making all sorts of ruckus and basically stalking our cat's smell.
Bella has taken notice of this every time she does it, and in turn gets freaked out.
SO.....I've concluded.....it only makes sense. Her litterbox is in the space that goes under the stairs. There is a door that lies next to the door to go upstairs, and it is used for storage and her litterbox is there. It's the perfect (so we thought) space for her to go because it is private and has a built in half-oval type kitty door just for her to get in. Since she is getting freaked out by the smell of this stupid dog, what is she going to do? Go as far away from the door as possible, to the bedroom, where there is this tantalizing bathmat.
This has been the ONLY accident since things calmed down and this dog theory only makes sense.
We're gonna talk to them today and demand a baby gate gets put up. Just because they have a disobedient dog doesn't mean it needs to turn into our fault.
.....can you tell I don't like this dog? lol.
So that's that.....Phew. I honestly think this is a fluke and we'll be able to let her back into the room once the stuff dries.
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- #59
What's amazing is it's almost as if she KNEW what she had done and was seriously letting me know. Didn't stop pawing the rug and looking at me til I bent down and looked, and then she scattered. If this isn't her way of telling me there's a problem, god, I don't know what is!
Smart cat....
Smart cat....
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- #60
Ok, now I'm updating AGAIN!
It was definitely the dog. We put the baby gate up and she has been unable to stalk the cat as she had in the past....and...pee in the litterbox this morning!
What's funny is I wasn't even expecting her to pee today...her bladder was QUITE empty, last I knew...
It was definitely the dog. We put the baby gate up and she has been unable to stalk the cat as she had in the past....and...pee in the litterbox this morning!
What's funny is I wasn't even expecting her to pee today...her bladder was QUITE empty, last I knew...
