busymama7 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 We have a cat(male, neutered) with peeing issues. We find pee on all kinds of things. We've switched liters, kept him outside most of the day, locked him in a large kennel type thing at night etc. I was just about done with him and really try to keep him outside but he slips in. Just now I was reading with my kids on the couch and and hopped up, turned around and PEED on my leg! Grrrrrr. He's never done anything like that before although I have caught him peeing in the house before. Once he was left in the bathroom with his litter and he still peed all over. I really think I'm going to have to get rid of him but I do feel guilty about it and the kids aren't going to be happy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Have you talked to your vet about this? Has the cat had a complete exam by the vet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Have you taken him to the vet? He needs to be screened for bladder infection and stones. That is step 1. I have other ideas but this has to be ruled out first... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busymama7 Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 Ok thank you! I can do that. I just assumed it was behavioral. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 always rule out medical causes before dealing with behavior is my rule of thumb with animals. Cats esp hide symptoms so much. You'll need urinalyis (possibly via cystocentesis), possibly x rays. Vet may want bloodwork if you haven't done in in past year or so to gauge kidney & liver function more accurately. GL & let us know what the vet says. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Elle Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Our cat did that years ago. It turns out she had a bad bladder infection caused by crystals in her urine. A change in her diet has worked miracles. One important thing with dealing with cat urine is to make sure all odor is eradicated otherwise a cat will continue to go back to that spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busymama7 Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 always rule out medical causes before dealing with behavior is my rule of thumb with animals. Cats esp hide symptoms so much. You'll need urinalyis (possibly via cystocentesis), possibly x rays. Vet may want bloodwork if you haven't done in in past year or so to gauge kidney & liver function more accurately. GL & let us know what the vet says. Sigh. That sounds expensive :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 It can most definitely be medical; I'd bring him for a visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Sigh. That sounds expensive :( sadly, yes, this is sucky part of responsible pet ownership. I know lots of people like to get pet insurance now. I prefer to put aside money each month. For a cat, I usually suggest $25/month from kittenhood in addition to the regular budgeting for food/litter & routine annual vet check. (& hope that they don't need major intervention early in life. It's usually not till middle age that big things start cropping up like a dental, infections etc. Then arthritis or kidney failure etc start to ramp up the bills in the last 1-3 years of life...but hopefully by then there's a sizeable bank account to take the sting out of the big bills.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Is he declawed? They can have issues from being declawed that make it extremely painful for them to use the litterbox. A lot of cat peeing issues actually stem from the declawing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Is he declawed? They can have issues from being declawed that make it extremely painful for them to use the litterbox. A lot of cat peeing issues actually stem from the declawing.This and they tend to be more aggressive also. My family doesn't declaw due to this and well it's just mean :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busymama7 Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Is he declawed? They can have issues from being declawed that make it extremely painful for them to use the litterbox. A lot of cat peeing issues actually stem from the declawing. No he's not. He's indoor/outdoor so declawing was never a consideration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Is he declawed? They can have issues from being declawed that make it extremely painful for them to use the litterbox. A lot of cat peeing issues actually stem from the declawing. Having worked in rescue for many years, I've seen absolutely zero proof that this is true. It's one of those myths that people who work in rescue despise, because it causes more harm than you might believe in getting declawed cats adopted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 This and they tend to be more aggressive also. My family doesn't declaw due to this and well it's just mean :) See my response above (I wish multi quoting worked!). The same response applies to the myth that declawed cats tend to be more aggressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 We have 2 declawed cats that came from the shelter like that. They have zero litter issues and are the opposite of aggressive? I have never heard anything like that about declawed cats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I did have a cat that had peeing issues only when he had urinary track issues. He was perfect after treament. So another vote to get that checked out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 We have had declawed cats and just went based off of our experience (the aggressivness part), but I will also add that the declawed cats we had (brothers) were not declawed by a vet and were declawed as adults. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 We have had declawed cats and just went based off of our experience (the aggressivness part), but I will also add that the declawed cats we had (brothers) were not declawed by a vet and were declawed as adults. That just sounds abusive to me and it's not surprising they were aggressive. I can't even imagine how a non-vet would declaw cats. :crying: Our 2 cats came declawed from a shelter as kittens. It was done as a teaching program at a vet school. So they came declawed and neutered. We had an elderly declawed cat at the time (who was also in no way aggressive, and he was the one that had peeing issues when he had a bladder problem), so getting them that was a good fit at the time. For various reasons, we've had 4 declawed cats over they years and none of them were aggressive. All were declawed by vets as kittens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Just a note that declawing is in the process of being reviewed in many places and is already banned in some. It is actually more correctly viewed as toe amputation.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Having worked in rescue for many years, I've seen absolutely zero proof that this is true. It's one of those myths that people who work in rescue despise, because it causes more harm than you might believe in getting declawed cats adopted. I only have my own experience to go on, but we had one cat who was declawed and she was the sweetest thing. No aggression at all and she didn't have any litter box issues either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Just a note that declawing is in the process of being reviewed in many places and is already banned in some. It is actually more correctly viewed as toe amputation.... I'm aware of that. My youngest cat declawed is 12 and came that way from the shelter. My parents declawed the previous cats I had in the 80's and early 90's. I'm not trying to say declawing is some glorious thing by any stretch. I wouldn't do it if I got new cats/kittens now. However, there are also millions of cats destroyed or die every year homeless. If it came down to a kitten being declawed by a trained vet under sedation vs. another cat dying on the street or being destroyed in the shelter, given the experience I've had with my very lovable declawed cats, I would chose the declaw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I wouldn't dissuade anyone from adopting a declawed shelter or rescue cat but I certainly hope the procedure itself is banned across NA. i don't see the either or of death or declawing.... There are tons of things that should be done beforehand to modify any problem behaviors. To me it's like saying - that child whines and yells too much so I'm going to cut out its tongue. Oh well, we do that with debarking dogs, another cruel and unnecessary human intervention. :( Gah, people! OP - any updates on your kitty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 My cats get declawed and I will always have declawed cats. My one cat had to have all four declawed. First we did the front. But she is an oriental and very flexible and would scratch with the back claws (we have to give her medication). As I am on lifelong blood thinners, vets will do declawing for me. None of my cats had any pee problems or aggression issues that had anything to do with declawing. My one cat ended up having pee problems when he had a urinary track infection- when it was treated and resolved, the problems stopped completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 However, there are also millions of cats destroyed or die every year homeless. If it came down to a kitten being declawed by a trained vet under sedation vs. another cat dying on the street or being destroyed in the shelter, given the experience I've had with my very lovable declawed cats, I would chose the declaw. That dichotomy is 100% false. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 That dichotomy is 100% false. I know a couple people who have immune system issues and nursing homes that have declawed cats in more recent years because they could otherwise not have a cat. I personally do not have a problem with that, given my own experience. I also know one family that had a very scratchy cat despite best efforts and ended up with a family member in the hospital with a severe infection. A vet agreed to declaw this cat that would have probably not been able to rehome, and they had no problem after. I absolutely think it were great if it were banned for general use, but I would also say sympathetic to situations like above. Anyway, too many posts away from the OP. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Having worked in rescue for many years, I've seen absolutely zero proof that this is true. It's one of those myths that people who work in rescue despise, because it causes more harm than you might believe in getting declawed cats adopted. Have you watched this? http://pawprojectmovie.com/ It used to be on Netflix, but I'm not sure if it still is. While declawing might not cause issues in every cat, in some it can have devastating effects. If a cat is having pee issues, it's definitely something the owner needs to consider if they have a declawed cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 Have you watched this? http://pawprojectmovie.com/ It used to be on Netflix, but I'm not sure if it still is. While declawing might not cause issues in every cat, in some it can have devastating effects. If a cat is having pee issues, it's definitely something the owner needs to consider if they have a declawed cat. I base my opinion on years of volunteer work in shelters and with rescue groups that brought me into direct, hands-on contact with hundreds of cats, many of whom were declawed. I don't form opinions based on documentaries produced by groups with clear cut agendas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mergath Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I base my opinion on years of volunteer work in shelters and with rescue groups that brought me into direct, hands-on contact with hundreds of cats, many of whom were declawed. I don't form opinions based on documentaries produced by groups with clear cut agendas. The only agenda they have is to ban declawing, because it's harmful to the animal. I know I wouldn't function very well if someone removed a good part of each of my fingers. In my mind, it's like saying, "I'm going to adopt this child, but first I'll have her fingers removed so she can't wreck any of my stuff." If a person doesn't want to deal with the natural behaviors of an animal, they need to find a different animal to adopt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 The only agenda they have is to ban declawing, because it's harmful to the animal. I know I wouldn't function very well if someone removed a good part of each of my fingers. In my mind, it's like saying, "I'm going to adopt this child, but first I'll have her fingers removed so she can't wreck any of my stuff." If a person doesn't want to deal with the natural behaviors of an animal, they need to find a different animal to adopt. I believe two different issues are being discussed here. The frst is "is declawing good/bad or humane/inhumane." I haven't expressed an opinion on that one. The second issue is "do declawed cats tend to have more litter box issues or more aggression issues than non-declawed cats." And IME the answer to that one is absolutely not. Many anti-declaw groups spread misinformation in an attempt to scare people away from declawing. I don't agree with that tactic for several reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted January 28, 2015 Share Posted January 28, 2015 I would get a declawed cat if the declawing was done by a vet and as a kitten. The 2 cats I was referring to we got because the previous owners had dumped them into the dumpster at the local bar. We had gotten them out and then took them to the vet because they were very sick (infections caused by the "DIY declawing"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I had a cat who normally used the litter box correctly ... one night he peed in the bathtub while I was in the bathroom, and I could see the blood in his urine. Yikes! Talk about sending a cry for help via "misplaced" pee! Anyway, yes, step one with any litter box issues is going to the vet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Sigh. That sounds expensive :( Ask around about local vets extensively, if you don't have a regular one. Prices can vary quite a bit, and there are vets out there who will work with you and be willing to check simple (and less expensive) things first. Ask around, read yelp reviews, ask around again. When you bring her in, be upfront about the fact that money is an issue, and you need to be aware of choices and costs. My cat is 14 years old, and she's never had bloodwork done. Now, she hasn't had urine issues, either, but another poster mentioned the vet might bloodwork if you haven't done it in a year or so - I just wanted to say that not every vet expects it routinely. Others might expect it but will understand if you can't get it done. Some vets will just do a simpler test and offer antibiotics to see if the problem clears up before moving on to more complex tests. She does get shots and we do other stuff as needed (like allergy shots that clearly make a big difference in her well-being, and dental cleaning when she had kitty plaque, lol). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 I don't believe in declawing cats, but I did have one cat that we declawed when she was something like seven. I felt terrible doing it, but if declawing hadn't been an option, we would have had to have gotten rid of her. She was sweet as could be, but was clumsy and was constantly jumping into laps/ furniture, etc and feeling like she was slipping and then gashing. We'd tried several different things. I needed stitches several times as a result of her accidental clawing. We decided when we had a baby that she just wasn't safe. None of our other cats have ever been declawed. We had no litter box or aggression issues from her. Another vote for a vet work up. I've had several cats over the years that have started peeing in inappropriate places (dining room table was one memorable example) as a result of bladder infections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 He needs a thorough vet work up . . . and then, after all that, decide what to do. Dh is a vet. I adore animals. We have a pack of dogs and a herd of cats. All indoors. No one is allowed to pee all over my house. Period. I can tolerate & clean up after the occasional incident . . . I can survive puppy hood . . . I let an aging dying dog wreck one room's carpet and another couch . . . (disposed of them after it was over) . . . I am OK to make sacrifices and pay some serious $$ to replace wrecked stuff . . . but, no, I won't live year on end while a pet destroys our home. If it can't be fixed (after resolving all reasonable medical and behavioral interventions), then humane euthanasia is an option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 Ask around about local vets extensively, if you don't have a regular one. Prices can vary quite a bit, and there are vets out there who will work with you and be willing to check simple (and less expensive) things first. Ask around, read yelp reviews, ask around again. When you bring her in, be upfront about the fact that money is an issue, and you need to be aware of choices and costs. This is so true! The vet nearest us wants to do every test, and will try to shame you if you don't. For example, when we moved here our cat had been diagnosed with hyperthyroid and we had a treatment plan that was working well for her -- he wanted to start from scratch and re-run all the tests. Once when we were between vets we needed an access lanced -- he wanted to keep that cat for a couple of days for observation (so glad I called ahead on that so I knew to go elsewhere). OTOH, the vet we currently use calmly discusses options, notes what we did (and declined) and why we did it in the cat's records, and sends us home with as much information as possible to make future informed decisions. Sometimes this means we have to watch for certain behaviors (currently watching for tooth and gum related issues). It works well for us since I tend to be pretty proactive about the cats' health. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted January 29, 2015 Share Posted January 29, 2015 IMO there's a difference between a running a bunch of tests just to see what pops up and baseline blood and urine. Past middle age in a pet i expect to run blood and urine about 1-2 yrs, then increasingly more frequently for routine, and more if there are symptoms of illness. Vets can't diagnose otherwise, esp since their patients don't speak. In senior pets, I do a more thorough geriatric panel. And many conditions which "suddenly" appear would have shown on such tests and can be easily treated and prevent major bills or hard decisions down the line. Routline well visits and lab work can save a lot of $ and heartache. With other tests, I weigh things. There's no point running expensive diagnostics for a condition you're not going to treat anyway. In that case, it might be better to treat symptomatically... Bottom line is a solid relationship with a vet whose judgement and business practices you trust and who understands your goals and limitations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.