stephanier.1765 Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Last week my cat was in obvious distress while urinating. She'd leave one tiny little puddle in one place, walk a few steps to leave another tiny puddle, and on and on. We were frantic to get her seen by a vet. Our regular vet was closed, our secondary vet wasn't answering the phone so we just started calling around until we found a place who would take her within the hour. Unfortunately, they couldn't get a urine sample so they sent us home with prescription food, antibiotics and pain meds. She almost immediately made a complete turnaround. By the next day, you wouldn't have even known she was sick. Yesterday was her re-check at the vet and they still couldn't get a urine sample. They want to still take a look to check for crystals so they sent me home with a little container of non-absorbing litter. Since it was late in the day, they wanted me to wait until today to try and get a sample. I took out all her old litter, gave her a clean box with the non-absorbing litter, and I've been waiting and waiting and waiting but, by golly, she will not go. Not at all! No poop, no pee, no nothing and time is quickly running out before the vet office closes for the day. Is there any trick to making this work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drama Llama Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 I have no cat experience, but when I was trying to get a urine sample from my kid we did all the yummy liquids, popsicles, watermelon, jello etc . . . Is there a cat equivalent? I am assuming not jello. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 Total cat newbie, but with warm water or unsalted broth added to fresh food, our Desmond produces urine like a racehorse. LOL. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 (edited) If she's refusing to use the different litter, then her little bladder should be nice and full. Can you take her to the vet now, so they can get a sample while you know her bladder should be full? Good luck! I hope she keeps improving. Edited February 17, 2022 by chocolate-chip chooky 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted February 16, 2022 Share Posted February 16, 2022 (edited) Double post Edited February 16, 2022 by chocolate-chip chooky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Camper Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 I just popped in to see how you were advised to collect a urine sample from a cat. Glad to hear it didn't involve a cup to catch it in! Learn something new every day, usually on this board! I hope your kitty continues to feel better. It's so rough when they are sick. 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 17, 2022 Author Share Posted February 17, 2022 3 hours ago, Baseballandhockey said: I have no cat experience, but when I was trying to get a urine sample from my kid we did all the yummy liquids, popsicles, watermelon, jello etc . . . Is there a cat equivalent? I am assuming not jello. 2 hours ago, Spy Car said: Total cat newbie, but with warm water or unsalted broth added to fresh food, our Desmond produces urine like a racehorse. LOL. Bill I usually add water to mealtimes to create some yummy gravy but because it was between mealtimes I didn't even think to try that. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I'm switching out the regular litter box with the sample litter box. (They don't want it sitting, not even in a refrigerator, so I can't leave the one for sample collecting out.) Hopefully, with her juicy breakfast and a morning full bladder, I can get some cat urine. Oh yay. LOL 2 hours ago, chocolate-chip chooky said: If she's refusing to use the different litter, then her little bladder should be nice and full. Can you take her to the vet now, so they can get a sample while you know her bladder should be full? Good luck! I hope she keeps improving. That's my next try, for sure! If it hadn't been so close to closing time, I would have tried today but I will definitely be trying it tomorrow. Stubborn little cat. She even got in the box but decided it wasn't up to her standards. Cats... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 (edited) Poor kitty. I would be worried about her holding it for too long and/or becoming litter box averse and triggering an issue with urinating elsewhere at this point. I’ve had one of those collection kits before and they give you so little of that litter that I’m not surprised the cat would balk at it. Is she a chill enough cat that you could give her back her regular litter and just hang out in the closed room with the litter box and her until she goes and try to get some thing like a long handled ladle underneath her when she pees to catch a little? Edited February 17, 2022 by KSera Typo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 3 hours ago, stephanier.1765 said: I usually add water to mealtimes to create some yummy gravy but because it was between mealtimes I didn't even think to try that. As soon as I wake up in the morning, I'm switching out the regular litter box with the sample litter box. (They don't want it sitting, not even in a refrigerator, so I can't leave the one for sample collecting out.) Hopefully, with her juicy breakfast and a morning full bladder, I can get some cat urine. Oh yay. LOL Best wishes for tomorrow. Bill 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 Is your normal litter box big enough to put the collection one in and does she have a certain spot in the litter box that she uses more? If so, put the collection box on top of her normal litter box ( on top of her normal litter) in her usually favorite to go spot. This works for the cat I sit who is extremely particular about his litter box. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 Poor kitty! One of ours had a problem a while back and they had trouble getting a sample from her. Since we have two cats who use the same litter box there was no way we'd be able to know whose pee it was. The vet kept her there for the day and gave her fluids. Even at that it took all day before there was enough in her bladder for them to take a sample. Cats being cats I swear they know and can stop themselves from producing urine. j/k of course but it sure seems that way. 😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 17, 2022 Author Share Posted February 17, 2022 16 hours ago, KSera said: Poor kitty. I would be worried about her holding it for too long and/or becoming litter box averse and triggering an issue with urinating elsewhere at this point. I’ve had one of those collection kits before and they give you so little of that litter that I’m not surprised the cat would balk at it. Is she a chill enough cat that you could give her back her regular litter and just hang out in the closed room with the litter box and her until she goes and try to get some thing like a long handled ladle underneath her when she pees to catch a little? I am kind of worried about her holding it too. It seems not to be a great idea for a cat who is having urinary problems to essentially encourage them to hold their pee. She is definitely not chill enough for me to put a ladle beneath her. Boy do I wish I could! She's not a big fan of having an audience while she's in her box. On the other hand, she follows me to the bathroom every time I go so it doesn't seem like that works both ways. LOL So far no urine today. I gave her a lot of food flavored water and she drank it all. She went inside the box but walked right back out and since she's napping now, it doesn't look like pee is happening in the near future. I'll give her to 3 or 4 and then call the vet to see if they'll try to get a sample there if she still hasn't gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 (edited) 16 minutes ago, stephanier.1765 said: I am kind of worried about her holding it too. It seems not to be a great idea for a cat who is having urinary problems to essentially encourage them to hold their pee. She is definitely not chill enough for me to put a ladle beneath her. Boy do I wish I could! She's not a big fan of having an audience while she's in her box. On the other hand, she follows me to the bathroom every time I go so it doesn't seem like that works both ways. LOL So far no urine today. I gave her a lot of food flavored water and she drank it all. She went inside the box but walked right back out and since she's napping now, it doesn't look like pee is happening in the near future. I'll give her to 3 or 4 and then call the vet to see if they'll try to get a sample there if she still hasn't gone. Yeah, I would start worrying about whether it had turned into a blockage, which would be an emergency (but much less likely in a female, iirc). I'd honestly be more concerned about the holding than knowing right now if she has crystals, but that's me. The treatment is going to be the same whether she has them or not. I would just assume she does and treat accordingly (by eliminating any dry food and feeding very wet food). Another idea would be to get some of the non absorbant litter from the pet store that is made for certain kinds of automated litter boxes. I'm guessing what they gave you is just a very little big of plastic litter pellets that's not even enough to fill the bottom of her box? That's what I was given anyway, and most cats with good litter box habits are unlikely to recognize that as an appropriate place to eliminate. I hope she goes soon! eta: I see they make a few kinds of non-absorbant sand litter. Maybe you could let her use her regular litter until you can get some of this? https://www.amazon.com/KIT4CAT-Hydrophobic-Litter-Sample-Collection/dp/B004T4NUOQ/ref=pd_bxgy_1/139-1744336-3287403?pd_rd_w=AkErF&pf_rd_p=6b3eefea-7b16-43e9-bc45-2e332cbf99da&pf_rd_r=116QA2X278SXYMRB9NSE&pd_rd_r=1ed04a73-3820-439d-812b-cae7d4844231&pd_rd_wg=iMduh&pd_rd_i=B004T4NUOQ&psc=1 Edited February 17, 2022 by KSera 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 17, 2022 Author Share Posted February 17, 2022 5 minutes ago, KSera said: Yeah, I would start worrying about whether it had turned into a blockage, which would be an emergency (but much less likely in a female, iirc). I'd honestly be more concerned about the holding than knowing right now if she has crystals, but that's me. The treatment is going to be the same whether she has them or not. I would just assume she does and treat accordingly (by eliminating any dry food and feeding very wet food). Another idea would be to get some of the non absorbant litter from the pet store that is made for certain kinds of automated litter boxes. I'm guessing what they gave you is just a very little big of plastic litter pellets that's not even enough to fill the bottom of her box? That's what I was given anyway, and most cats with good litter box habits are unlikely to recognize that as an appropriate place to eliminate. I hope she goes soon! You're absolutely right. The litter container only held 4 ounces. That doesn't even come close to covering the bottom and I even went out and got the smallest litter box I could find just for it to seem like more. However she's a cat that likes several inches of litter in her box. I'm willing to bet she thinks peeing in that little bit of litter is wrong and is waiting for me to put more in. She's acting ok but still I worry. The reason given to me as to why we need to know for sure if there are crystals is because she'll have to be on prescription food for the rest of her life if there are. Because they couldn't get a sample the first time I took her in, they didn't know if it was a UTI or crystals and treated her for both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSera Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 I'm not going to give any veterinary advice, but I will share that my cat who had urinary problems had crystals and we went the high moisture content diet route (avoiding foods with fish due to high mineral content) and have not had a repeat following that diet. We never used any of the prescription foods as my understanding is most cats don't like them and they may not be necessary. Fortunately for us, this turned out to be true. This is the vet advice we used for our cat's condition: https://catinfo.org/feline-urinary-tract-diseases/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 17, 2022 Author Share Posted February 17, 2022 2 hours ago, KSera said: I'm not going to give any veterinary advice, but I will share that my cat who had urinary problems had crystals and we went the high moisture content diet route (avoiding foods with fish due to high mineral content) and have not had a repeat following that diet. We never used any of the prescription foods as my understanding is most cats don't like them and they may not be necessary. Fortunately for us, this turned out to be true. This is the vet advice we used for our cat's condition: https://catinfo.org/feline-urinary-tract-diseases/ Thank you for that link! I finally took her in and they were able to get a urine sample. No crystals but still signs of bacteria. I need to do some reading on that. They just told me to call if she starts showing symptoms again within the next week or two and they'll prescribe more antibiotics. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanin Posted February 17, 2022 Share Posted February 17, 2022 1 hour ago, stephanier.1765 said: Thank you for that link! I finally took her in and they were able to get a urine sample. No crystals but still signs of bacteria. I need to do some reading on that. They just told me to call if she starts showing symptoms again within the next week or two and they'll prescribe more antibiotics. Did they culture the urine? My cat was on antibiotics over and over and it turned out the antibiotic was only partially effective. Things resolved when we got her on the right thing. It was very stressful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 19, 2022 Author Share Posted February 19, 2022 That's a really good question! I wish I knew the answer but if this is something that continues I now know to ask them. It's so much more stressful for the humans and the pets when the pet is a cat. They are so good at hiding their illnesses and then giving them medication is such a huge ordeal. It takes two of us. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted February 19, 2022 Share Posted February 19, 2022 One of our cats recently went through something similar. The wet food has helped a lot. I can’t remember how we got a sample, I’m assuming the vet must have handled it. When our dog got a UTI, the vet tech recommended we use a ladle to catch the sample. It worked really well. I bought one from the dollar store, caught the sample, then poured it onto the provided container. Just sharing in case anyone else happens to need this idea in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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