Strange Litterbox Behavior

[worriedsomuch]

I'm not sure if I should have placed this in health forum but since it seems behavior related, I figured I'd give it a shot. Last week, New Year's eve to be exact, I noticed my cat Grace go into the bathroom to use the litterbox. I heard her scratching around briefly and then nothing. Then I heard the scratching in the litterbox in the other room. I wasn't sure what was going on and why she left one box to go to another. It didn't appear she had peed in the first box but it did look like she did in the second. So then I got all paranoid that maybe she was constipated, had a blockage, or was peeing too much. So I watched her the next day and saw her pee and poop fine, no issues. She also didn't go in the box again for hours. Then oddly enough as I kept an eye on Grace, I saw her sister Delilah doing the same thing. She went in the first box, dug around a bit, and then decided to use the second one. It really left me perplexed. I called the vet about it last Friday about the quirky litterbox behavior and he actually said there is a phenomenon around this time of year with the days being shorter that cats can have some seemingly odd or even "bad" behavior. I had also mentioned to him that my young cats who are almost 2 have been particularly fresh lately and chasing everyone around, even into hiding at times with some snarling and hissing, which he attributed to this phenomenon. He also suggested more toys which they have plenty of. He said since both were doing the litterbox thing too, it was probably nothing of concern. He also said given their age, (they'll be 6 in April) that he doubted there was anything health related going on. He said his only concern would be UTI but he asked me some questions regarding that and I said no to all of them.

Fast Forward to yesterday after it seemed that the litterbox issues had resolved themselves, as in no one was "testing" one box and going to another, it happened again. I got home from work and Delilah was digging around in the box. Then she ultimately got out of the box and decided to use the other one. I didn't see her in it for the rest of the night except to poop but my cats always pee in one box and poop in the other.  Does this seem abnormal to anyone? I'm kind of scratching my head but worried at the same time too. Delilah is overweight so I do worry that she could have something else going on. I also noticed that the waterdish was almost empty but I only have one in that vicinity and 3 cats drink out of it. Plus I hadn't changed it in a couple days. Delilah is due for a physical and I'm considering a blood workup to be on the safe side but I'm not sure if waiting is a good idea if something else is going on.

 

[feralvr]

I have seen my cats do that "test" of one box and leave to go to another. I just think it is a "finicky" kitty thing. :lol3: Usually if I see this happening, then I know it may be time to dump and scrub that box. My cats seem to love fresh, clean litter (and spending mom's money on litter ) I also scoop ALL THE TIME. I always worry that if I have to go away for a few days how will they survive only getting the boxes scooped three times a day. hee-hee. They always survive though. :nod: I really don't think it is anything to be concerned with right now. You watch your kitties like a hawk (like me ) and I know that you will know if something is really, really wrong.

Maybe try dumping out that box and putting in fresh and see how it goes. Was the box scooped out and clean of other "deposits"? Is this the same brand of litter you always use? Was the box just dumped/scrubbed or is the litter older? Just some thoughts. OH - as for the water - since you hadn't changed it in a couple of days then that would explain it being so low. I always change out my water dishes twice daily. As you can see, I tend to overdo things....... make things harder for myself. :lol3:

p.s. Interesting and good to know on that "phenomenon" - explains A LOT !!!!!!!!!!

 

[vweber63]

Oh wow, I think I have to go with your vet on this ONLY because my cat is doing the exact same thing!  It's crazy and it does not seem to matter if the box is clean or day old.  Another thing she does is after she finally uses one she runs like a bat out of hell to her safe place.  She has also been acting like her food is biting her, she asks for it and then gets close to the bowl, then shoots straight up in the air and runs off.  I hope your vet is right because it would explain so many things right now...I am curious to what others have to say about this. Thanks!

 

[worriedsomuch]

I have seen my cats do that "test" of one box and leave to go to another. I just think it is a "finicky" kitty thing.

Usually if I see this happening, then I know it may be time to dump and scrub that box. My cats seem to love fresh, clean litter (and spending mom's money on litter

) I also scoop ALL THE TIME.

I always worry that if I have to go away for a few days how will they survive only getting the boxes scooped three times a day. hee-hee. They always survive though.

I really don't think it is anything to be concerned with right now. You watch your kitties like a hawk (like me

) and I know that you will know if something is really, really wrong.

Maybe try dumping out that box and putting in fresh and see how it goes. Was the box scooped out and clean of other "deposits"? Is this the same brand of litter you always use? Was the box just dumped/scrubbed or is the litter older? Just some thoughts. OH - as for the water - since you hadn't changed it in a couple of days then that would explain it being so low. I always change out my water dishes twice daily. As you can see, I tend to overdo things....... make things harder for myself.

p.s. Interesting and good to know on that "phenomenon" - explains A LOT !!!!!!!!!!

I'm glad to see I'm not the only one then who has cats that "test" the box. And you are right, I do watch mine like a hawk too

I scoop frequently any deposits but I don't use clumping litter so I can't scoop out the pee. I did recently clean the boxes but it was at least a couple days later when they were testing, though and they do like the Fresh Step litter a lot so I was wondering if that could be it. I have been monitoring the water intake and it seems normal. Yesterday no one seemed to "test" anything. It seemed both Grace or Delilah went pee around 6 PM as I heard scraping but I was not able to run and check as I had dinner on the stove. Then it seemed someone went again around 10 PM so hopefully 4 hours in between is okay. Usually it's not like that though. They sometimes go up to 12 hours in between urinating.

 
Oh wow, I think I have to go with your vet on this ONLY because my cat is doing the exact same thing!  It's crazy and it does not seem to matter if the box is clean or day old.  Another thing she does is after she finally uses one she runs like a bat out of hell to her safe place.  She has also been acting like her food is biting her, she asks for it and then gets close to the bowl, then shoots straight up in the air and runs off.  I hope your vet is right because it would explain so many things right now...I am curious to what others have to say about this. Thanks!

Yeah I'm not sure it matters if the box is clean or day old either. I also have my Grace who runs out of the box after going. This happens after she does number 2 and she gets the "crazies" as I call them like she's excited she went or something

She also sometimes gets the crazies after licking crumbs out of her bowl when it's empty. Sometimes I just wish I could understand cat behavior. It puzzles me at times.

 

[flintmccullough]

Mine do the same thing, and it seems like, sometimes they do it, sometimes they don't, lol, never paid attention, to the time of year. 

All my boxes are in the bathroom, they are the same exact size boxes and the same exact litter in each one. I too, was worried, the first time they started that, as I have a crystal kitty, and I watch him like a hawk, and I was worried too, maybe one of the others had crystals or urinary issues or constipated, so I watched them too.

They eventually pick one box, and as long, as they pee or poop normal, and act normal otherwise, I just put it down to, who the heck knows why, lol.  I also notice, they all seem to do it at the same time, if one does it, they all do it.  Maybe your vet is right, its that time of year. 

They did it this morning, looked in each box a couple of times, then picked one, and did their normal pee or poop. My crystal kitty, will pee in one box, then get in another box and poop, but he does this all the time, like clockwork, every day. I check to see that he peed a big spot, and poops are OK, and figured, thats just how he is. 

Just a suggestion, you should place several water bowls around the house, and this is per my vet, because of the crystal kitty, sometimes they drink out of one bowl, sometimes another, and they should have fresh water every day, the crystal kitty has to have it this way.

Read somewhere the other day, that dogs pee and poop, in a certain area, or face a certain way, depending on the vortex something, kinda like the earths magnetic something, as in they have to face a certain way or direction, so maybe its the same with the kitty boxes, one has more pull than the other, and they are looking for it. 

Anybody else heard about the dog thing?  

 

[worriedsomuch]

Mine do the "pee in one box, poop in the other too." I also do have other water bowls in the house. It's just that this bowl is the one everyone generally favors. I never heard about that with dogs but animal behavior is interesting, that's for sure.

I actually have an update and here is where it gets really bizarre. So I get home from work yesterday around 3:15 and I was already off to a bad start as I found some vomit and a small hairball on the bed. I have no idea who did it but I really worry when I find any vomit whatsoever. Then there are deposits in the box so I clean them. Then I had to use the bathroom but Delilah is in there digging away so I didn't go to peek in there figuring I'd disturb her. Usually when she digs that much, it's a poo. Finally she exits the bathroom and I go in there. I immediately scoop the box and notice she did mere pebbles which made me think, this is odd since she usually poops like a dog. My other cats were not in the area as they were bird watching so when I go out, I headed into the other room where there is another litterbox so I say to myself, "well did she just go again?" I had just cleaned that box so I could tell it was disturbed. I figured maybe she had peed because there was no poop this time. Well, then her sister Grace comes over and decides she has to poop in that box which is pretty common since they seem to be on the same schedule. I don't know if it's genetics or what. So as soon as Grace is finished, I hear digging again and think "you've got to be kidding me." Sure enough Delilah is in the box digging around again, just digging, not squatting, not going, just really odd. I did have a thought that she was cleaning up after her sister, but who knows. So I go to scoop that box and I turn around and Delilah is back in the bathroom, digging again! So (if you are still following) she is in the box for the fourth time. I really started to get nervous. Soon as I flush the deposit down the toilet, Delilah heads back in the other room to dig again so there it is #5. I felt like I was in a time loop or something, it was just so bizarre! Finally she comes back in the bathroom, digs again, and this time does one of her normal stinkies but then even after she was finished for good measure, she headed into the other room for the final time and dug some more so all told (in a matter of 10-15 minutes) she was in the box 7 times! It would almost be funny if it wasn't so darn strange. I was practically in tears at that point and immediately rang up my vet up. Unfortunately he was extremely busy so they told me it might be a couple hours before he calls back. I wasn't sure if I should rush her in, if it could be a blockage or what. At this point, she doesn't go back to the box but instead jumps up on the couch and goes to sleep for a bit. Of course I can't sleep because I'm so anxious. Finally around 6:15, he calls me back. At this point she hasn't been in the box for 3 hours which is a good thing. So I talk to him and he immediately eases my mind. He tells me he thinks this is purely behavioral based on what I describe. He told me "girls don't get blocked." Now is this true? I did wonder. Then he said if she had been in real distress that I'd see her sitting in the box, probably just one and not doing anything or straining. He said usually they don't dig, they just try their best to go. He said the digging sounds like she is being quirky. He could only potentially chalk it up to she had a stomachache maybe too and was determined to go since I described the pebbles and then the normal bowel movement. He again discussed this time of year and such and told me about his cat who has taken to sleeping in the litterbox at times. He then said next time to distract her with a toy.

So I did feel a bit better and everyone retired to bed around 10:30 and Delilah never went back in the litterbox to play or otherwise. This morning I got up and they'd definitely gone during the night as I scooped it. Delilah was in good spirits, running around, playing with a feather toy and wanting to be fed. Then guess what, 5 minutes after I scooped, as I am finishing getting ready for work, she walks in the bathroom, puts just her paw in the box, digs, then climbs in, digs a bit more and leaves. It's mind boggling! I have never seen this behavior before. I mean I thought "litter box hopping" 3 times every few days was odd enough but continuously? Delilah was also at the water bowl twice this morning but the water intake does not seem to be excessive based on the water levels. She seemed more like she was playing with the water too, then drinking as she was only at it for a couple seconds at a time. Obviously I want to trust my vet but at the same time I am wondering if this could be something medical. I am taking her in for that physical as she has been having asthma flares lately so I want that addressed too. I'm just still unsure if I should try to get her in today or tomorrow and push it up. I was going to wait until next Friday.

 

[vweber63]

I'm not sure where to put this but I have a PS to my post and that is I have started putting puppy pee pads under the litter box and they help so much with the mess of missing of the box, or splatter from going on the lip.

 

[worriedsomuch]

It's not even that mine is making a mess. She is just infatuated with the box. I think we posted at the same time, so see my post above yours.

 

[flintmccullough]

Usually, when they pee, they will just get in and squat. When they poop, they will dig, dig, dig.

When they have a "bathroom" issue, they don't rationalize, like we do, like, oh, it hurts to pee, it burns when I pee, I can't poop, I am constipated. Instead, they blame it on the box. That box, is causing my issue, I will try another box. Thats why kitties who have urinary/bladder issues, go outside the box, thats your fist clue, they have an issue, they blame the pain on the box.

That a kitty is getting in and out of the box, and digging, digging, digging, then only doing little marbles, that indicates they are constipated, ya know what that is like, ya sit and sit and sit or strain, and only a little hard one comes out. 

Its not true, that female kitties cannot get blocked. Males are more prone, because, crystals are about the size of a grain of sand, the penis, yes, correct term, has a very very small opening, well, like a man, so male kitties, tend to get blocked more. A female kitty has a larger opening, well, like a lady, so if they have crystals, its easier for them to pass. However, they, male or female, can get UTI's or bladder issues. If the urine is too concentrated, as in, they are not getting enough water, the concentrated urine, burns the bladder walls, and they feel like they have to go all the time, even tho there is very little in there. Hence, the getting in and out of the box, they are not blocked, but they have a bladder infection. Its the same with people, if ya ever had a UTI or bladder issue, its very painful, it burns when you pee, and it feels like ya gotta go real bad, even tho, ya just went.  So even if a female kitty is getting in and out of the box, you still want to have it looked at, and ask for a urinealasys, same as a human doctor would do, when they make ya pee in the cup, then test the urine. With kitties, they do a clean catch, cause, kitties don;t pee on command, they insert a needle into the bladder. 

If a kitty is getting in and out of the box, ya got a prob somewhere, constipated or urinary issues. 

Just like a human, you have to add water to their foodies, to increase the water intake. A human doctor, will tell you to drink more water. 

 

[laralove]

 
Another thing she does is after she finally uses one she runs like a bat out of hell to her safe place.

Oliver has been doing this! He doesn't run to his safe place, but after he's been using his litter box upstairs, he runs off making this sort of high pitched sound, but then starts to come back before running off again. Doesn't do it every time and never does it after using the one downstairs. 

He also does this when I'm in the kitchen now. Normally, he'll stand there contently (I think hoping I'm working with raw meat and will give him some), but now he'll randomly run off making that sound, then come back and do it again. Over and over. 

This has been happening the past few days. I didn't think too much of it because he's fine otherwise and just went to the vet last week.

 

[feralvr]

I would be a bit concerned too if one of mine kept going in and out a box like Delilah was doing. I am sure you are keeping a close watch on her! If this continues, and this is not a normal litter box behavior of hers, then maybe a urinalysis may be in order OR she could be constipated?? She did have the recent diarrhea issue and maybe the meds made her constipated. :dk: Have you ever tried to give them Libby's plain canned pumpkin? If you see really hard poops or them straining to poop, the canned pumpkin (about 1 tbsp. a day) will help get them over the hump. Some cats readily lick it off your finger, some need to be gently syringed to eat it. It very well could be hard poops that are causing her to dig around in her box. My Pipsqueak has some digestive issues from time to time. Diarrhea and constipation. He will dig and dig like that and then I know he needs the pumpkin. I think we all get to know our own kitties and their litter box habits and when things change, we become alerted !!!!!!!!!! Hope today there is NO digging about.

Males do tend to get blocked much more easily than females. Mucus, crystals and even tiny bladder stones can clump together to form an actual plug in the narrow male cat urethra. The opening is so small that it does not take a lot to completely or even partially obstruct urine flow. Only a few drops of urine are produced or sometimes no urine at all is produced. Female urethra is shorter and broader and thus far more difficult to obstruct so it is more rare BUT they can get inflammation, irritation from the crystals passing through and appear to be blocked by frequent trips. Still requiring prompt medical attention.

p.s. I gave a little giggle on your comment about Delilah pooping like a dog. :lol3: My Perla - the house rincess: - has the BIGGEST poops of all of my pets. Small dogs included. But she only goes once a day. She is ONE big girl though - about 14 pounds.

 

[laralove]

 
If a kitty is getting in and out of the box, ya got a prob somewhere, constipated or urinary issues. 

 But her cats are going, they're just changing boxes first. 

 

[worriedsomuch]

@FlintMcCullough See that's the thing though, there is no squatting behavior. If I saw her in the "pee position" and nothing was coming out, I would have probably grabbed a cab and got her to the vet. She wasn't doing anything, just digging until she finally pooped. Then this morning, she just sort of scratched her paws in.  My first thought was too that she is in some kind of pain, like does she feel like "she has to go?"  Then after the digging, she thinks, "well wait no I don't." I was thinking either a stomach issue or bladder too. I know my cat with diarrhea was going in and out of the box, in the poop position, but nothing was coming out. The vet said she was so sore that she probably just felt like she needed to go even though she didn't. Once the diarrhea was controlled, she was fine. See I didn't think that he said females could never get blocked. I remember him saying maybe "not likely to happen." I don't think she's blocked. Wouldn't she be spending more time sitting there like he said? Also wouldn't some dribble even come out? I would imagine too she wouldn't be so dapper as she was this morning if she was suddenly blocked up. I'm just so confused on what I should do. Is it very painful for them to get the needle of urine? I'm inclined to do this as I am going to keep a close eye out tonight (I'm at work now so hopefully she's okay). The vet is open half a day tomorrow so I could take her if need be.

@Feralvr Delilah did have the diarrhea too but Adele was the one who had it bad. Delilah had it the beginning of December and it quickly rectified itself on its own. I have used pumpkin in the past when both Grace and Delilah were having constipation and it worked well. She did end up going though a very normal (maybe a tad smelly) poo after the whole thing so my thought was she was just intent on going like the vet suggested. I don't know though. I'm very uneasy. I did think, what if this needs a vet now? If she is acting out of sorts when I get home, I may see if I can get her in but if she seems okay I might wait until tomorrow morning. It is sort of hard for me because I don't drive (seizure disorder) so I unfortunately have to ask for a ride or pay for cabs.

Oh and Delilah is a big girl too! She is about 14 pounds as well, maybe 13 but she's fat so I worry because I know she's overweight. I sometimes joke that she is the large version of Grace since they look identical but Delilah is just wider. I am so worried about her because she has been doing the digging thing now for at least a couple weeks but not seven box hopping trips in a row.

@LaraLove Yes she is definitely going, not constipated (if she was) anymore and the litterbox was wet this morning so I'm assuming one of the three pee spots was her. I am going to be on box patrol making sure she pees in front of me though to be sure.

 

[laralove]

Good vibes for you, WorriedSoMuch. Keep us updated! 

 

[vweber63]

Wow calm down, LOL my cat is doing the almost exact same thing and the digging drives me nuts, but there is nothing wrong with her.  She does get UTIs and has had 2 since I rescued her 5 or 6 years ago.  But this behavior has nothing to do with that, in fact it started a week or so after she completed her antibiotics for it.  I am still hoping your vet is correct and it'll get better as the time for the phenomenon passes.  This is the first time it's ever happened and I have had her a long time, maybe it has to do with the vortex causing the cold weather everywhere.  She's happy and playful and not sick or hurt so I'm of the 'wait and see' age so that's what I'll do.  Good luck with yours and if you do find a 'reason' or 'solution' to this please update us!

 

[di and bob]

My cats both think that when mommy goes into the bathroom they have to go too. Often they will, but many times they get in, scratch around and leave, I believe because they really didn't have to go. They'll do this when I'm cleaning the litter boxes too, like they just HAVE to be the first to use it, and if they don't have to really go, oh well, lets just scratch some litter over the side!

 

[laralove]

 
My cats both think that when mommy goes into the bathroom they have to go too. Often they will, but many times they get in, scratch around and leave, I believe because they really didn't have to go. They'll do this when I'm cleaning the litter boxes too, like they just HAVE to be the first to use it, and if they don't have to really go, oh well, lets just scratch some litter over the side!

Haha! That sounds a lot like Oliver. Only I don't have a litter box in my bathroom (no room). So, instead, every morning, after I get up he knows I'm going straight to pee. He'll jump up on the toilet seat (while I'm sitting on it!) behind me and then jump up into my pedestal sink, and lay there, staring at me. XD

And when I change his litter boxes, he's not trying to be the first to use it (because he's the only one to use it), but he's sure to get into it WHILE I'm cleaning it. Sometimes to use it, sometimes not. 

The day before yesterday, I started with the box upstairs and he jumped in and peed just after I started. :|

Then I did the one downstairs, immediately after, and he jumped in and pooped. :| :| :|

Really, Oliver? Really?

 

[flintmccullough]

Laura, let me re-phrase, if the kitty is getting in and out of the box, and not going, pee or poop, then, ya got a problem, they are consitpated, or blocked, or have a bladder/urinary issue. I have a crystal kitty, I monitor him like a hawk.  

Worried, I am kinda getting confused, lol, is Delilah the one with the problem/concern, or is it Gracie? Is the kitty peeing normally?  If the kitty is doing a few pebbles, that, is not normal, and she may be constipated. What do you feed?

I have had to do the bladder needle a few times, with the crystal kitty. Its uncomfortable, but no more so, than a shot, he never acts distressed afterwards.

The vet can feel her bladder, its kinda about where their tummy is, a little behind. If you feel, what feels like a golf ball in there, then they are blocked. If she is getting in and out of the box, and not peeing, or peeing very little, she may have a bladder infection, it feels like she has to go, even if she doesn't. If she is pooping little pebbles, then she may be constipated.

An x-ray, would show, if she is blocked, as in, a full bladder and it would show, if she is constipated.

A urinalsys would show, if she has a UTI or bladder issues, the bacteria shows them that, they kinda do the same test, as a human doctor would.

   

 

[worriedsomuch]

 
Wow calm down, LOL my cat is doing the almost exact same thing and the digging drives me nuts, but there is nothing wrong with her.  She does get UTIs and has had 2 since I rescued her 5 or 6 years ago.  But this behavior has nothing to do with that, in fact it started a week or so after she completed her antibiotics for it.  I am still hoping your vet is correct and it'll get better as the time for the phenomenon passes.  This is the first time it's ever happened and I have had her a long time, maybe it has to do with the vortex causing the cold weather everywhere.  She's happy and playful and not sick or hurt so I'm of the 'wait and see' age so that's what I'll do.  Good luck with yours and if you do find a 'reason' or 'solution' to this please update us!

Did your cat do it to the extent Delilah did it, as in back and forth from box to box 7 times? I think maybe scratching a bit in one box is probably nothing to worry about but doing it so many times in a row does make me wonder. I would like to wait and see but her behavior this weekend makes me think the vet visit is warranted.

 
My cats both think that when mommy goes into the bathroom they have to go too. Often they will, but many times they get in, scratch around and leave, I believe because they really didn't have to go. They'll do this when I'm cleaning the litter boxes too, like they just HAVE to be the first to use it, and if they don't have to really go, oh well, lets just scratch some litter over the side!

That's what Delilah did at first, scratched a bit and then used another box but now it's more like, back and forth, back and forth. I had a cat like that though too. He would have to be the first to use it as soon as it was clean. I think because he was the alpha cat.

 
Laura, let me re-phrase, if the kitty is getting in and out of the box, and not going, pee or poop, then, ya got a problem, they are consitpated, or blocked, or have a bladder/urinary issue. I have a crystal kitty, I monitor him like a hawk.  

Worried, I am kinda getting confused, lol, is Delilah the one with the problem/concern, or is it Gracie? Is the kitty peeing normally?  If the kitty is doing a few pebbles, that, is not normal, and she may be constipated. What do you feed?

I have had to do the bladder needle a few times, with the crystal kitty. Its uncomfortable, but no more so, than a shot, he never acts distressed afterwards.

The vet can feel her bladder, its kinda about where their tummy is, a little behind. If you feel, what feels like a golf ball in there, then they are blocked. If she is getting in and out of the box, and not peeing, or peeing very little, she may have a bladder infection, it feels like she has to go, even if she doesn't. If she is pooping little pebbles, then she may be constipated.

An x-ray, would show, if she is blocked, as in, a full bladder and it would show, if she is constipated.

A urinalsys would show, if she has a UTI or bladder issues, the bacteria shows them that, they kinda do the same test, as a human doctor would.

   

Well she definitely is not constipated. She's gone to the bathroom, number 2, every day. She also isn't blocked as I was on litterbox patrol all weekend. However, her behavior is still erratic. Delilah is the one with the excessive digging. Ironically it started with Grace but then Delilah started. Grace has been constipated before though which is why I mentioned her. However, Grace actually was doing the digging thing this morning too.

What happened this weekend was I made sure to keep a close eye on Delilah to ensure she was peeing. Well around 7 PM on Friday evening, she urinated just fine. She didn't even do any digging and I didn't see her in the box at all for the rest of the night. Also, she didn't use the box at night. However, I awoke the next morning and Delilah's sister, Grace, went to the bathroom like usual but I noticed Delilah wasn't going. As the day progressed, I grew very concerned. My vet is only open until noon on Saturdays so by 3 PM, I wasn't sure what to do. Now I do have one cat who sometimes pees just once a day but I'm pretty sure Delilah is a 2-3 times per day cat. Needless to say she wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with the litterbox. She pooped in it around 2 PM, but then she avoided it like the plague. It was mind boggling. She went from obsessed to not interested. I was at my wit's end. I rang up the ER vet around 5 PM, and was given some advice over the phone. They told me that they felt she would go before the night's over but of course if she didn't go by the following morning to take her in, as in 36 hours. Well anyway, after I was in tears, getting their food because she was acting just fine. I noticed she had disappeared. Finally I called her and she walked out of the bathroom. She was in there, finally peeing. I was so relieved! I think I interrupted though because she went back in after eating and did some more pee, a steady stream of it. She clearly had a lot in there that she was holding for whatever reason. Then Sunday morning, she goes pee around 9 AM but not before digging, getting out and then going back in. She repeats the same behavior around 5 PM when she goes again. So I'm really not sure what is going on. This morning, I was awakened by incessant digging and then I distinctively heard her go to the next room, dig some more, and then return to the original box and dig some more. So I jumped out of bed and saw that she had pooped but was just doing the digging behavior. Then her sister was doing the same thing right after her. I am already taking her to the vet because honestly I just can't take the not knowing anymore and it's really affecting me.

 

[worriedsomuch]

I just thought I'd update. I took Delilah into the vet yesterday and the vet thinks this is purely behavioral. He said based on what I described (and this is another vet in the practice, different than the one I spoke to on the phone) that if this was a UTI, she'd be visibly uncomfortable. I'd see her squatting in the box with nothing happening or a dribble coming out. He also again doubted kidney disease due to her age and overall appearance. He palpated her kidneys and said they felt normal to him. He said it's difficult to feel the right one because of the positioning but he said the outer rim felt normal. He asked me if she'd been drinking excessively and peeing more than normal, which as far as I know, is no. When I observed her, she is always digging. He also said digging isn't a usual complaint by people with cats with kidney disease. I actually had a cat that sadly passed from it and his first symptom was "accidents." I asked if we should do bloodwork and he said he didn't think it was necessary. Her bladder was empty (so she certainly is not blocked or blocking) so he couldn't get a urine sample. I think I would have liked to at least have her pee checked but I'm not sure what I'll do. I could either bring her back or try to get one myself which I imagine would be difficult.

The crazy thing is Grace was back at again yesterday too. She went back and forth to the box 4 times before finally settling on one and doing poop. The vet thinks, since Grace started it, it's a form of mimicry and a matter of wanting to get more scent in the box. He was really excellent to me and answered all my questions. My only concern was in the last 18 months, she lost 2.5 ounces. He told me this was insignificant as weight can fluctuate up and down a couple ounces every so often. I was told the same thing when I brought Grace in and she went down 2 ounces after just a month. So I guess I should go with the vet's word on this because I either have two sick cats or two cats who just like digging in the box and/or are going through a phase.

I've considered what could have triggered it and thought of 4 possibilities. One is that I had to throw their scratching post/cat tree away right before Christmas as it was very frayed with strings hanging off of it that could be dangerous so I am going to buy a new one. The second thing is I've let them play in some boxes I have lying around from Christmas deliveries I had since they have so much fun in them, which is maybe why they like playing in the box? The third thing is I watch them conscientiously and rush to scoop and fix the box so maybe they feel they need to add their scent back in. the vet also said I should just let them do their thing as watching them could just make it worse. The last thing (which I believe could be it) is my two youngest cats who Grace and Delilah don't always get along with lately have decided they like going in Grace and Delilah's box to do their business. Before they always stuck to the one in another room. So it's possible that is causing the extra digging like they are trying to "erase" their smell. Thankfully there was no digging this morning so I slept well. Then Delilah went in the box and actually did her business (numbers one and two which is surprising together), got out and just went to look out the window so I was glad. I do hope this behavior eventually ends though because I know I will still worry as long as they are doing it.