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At wits end...cat still peeing
I need some more suggestions please! I'm at my wits end and I have no idea what to do about her right now.
Violet has been peeing all over the house for quite a few months now. We haven't been able to ID stresses that could cause it. She typically pees sporadically, perhaps 2-3 times a week in different locations. This past week (since Monday), she has peed 2-3 times PER DAY in the same locations, despite steam cleaning with enzyme remover solution. Here is a list of everything I've discussed (and done) with my veterinarian so far:
-Urine test for crystals
-Blood work
-Feliway for the past 3 months
-Enzyme spray when cleaning pee spots
-Pulled up carpet to steam clean padding underneath
-All can food diet
-Kitty diet - she's lost a whole 2 lbs! (Vet said perhaps weight causing discomfort so she was urinating..but still urinating after weight loss)
-Additional litter boxes
-Tried "re-training" her on litterbox, but she tore her nose up while being confined to a small space, so I had to remove her to stop her from hurting herself more.
-Antibiotic shots (x2)
-Mom took dogs & other cat for 5 days to see if she seemed less stressed/didn't pee during that time, but she continued to do so
I think that's it, but I might have forgotten something. I've tried so much. The next step my vet recommended now was to do an X-Ray of her bladder to see if there are stones in there that weren't detected, and to culture a urine sample. After that, they said they cannot think of it being anything else but behavioral. Please, if you have any other suggestions or experiences to share with me that I can do, or discuss with my vet, please tell me. I am getting desperate.
Violet background: I adopted her from a rescue. I was told she was abused, and that was why she was having behavioral problems (aggression). I later found out she was actually a feral barn cat prior to being taken in by the rescue. This particular rescue does not have a "surrender" policy, and I am afraid she will just sit in a cage again if I could surrender her back to them. She was in a cage with them for over a year because she's so impossible to be around. Scratches, bites, draws blood, and just overall aggressive to people. You may also look at past posts for more info on Violet... Thank you much for any suggestions or additional things for me to try to help her behavior.
Re: At wits end...cat still peeing
have they done steroid shots?
No! Let me look these steroid shots up. I'll discuss with my vet next week when I take her back in.Thanks both!
I hope you solved the problem since it has been a while since your last post but if not here is my advice. Do not do the steroid shot unless you culture the urine first. If she has an infection this could make it worse. Look into different kinds of litter. Some litter foams when the cat pees, which can be unpleasant. Some cats dislike odors, and so on.... Clean litter daily. Keep multiple boxes in the house. You should have 1 litter box per cat plus 1. So if she is the only cat, you need two. If you have 3 cats, you need 4 boxes. Some cats can deal with less, but others can get temperamental. Also, be aware of the locations that the boxes are in. I knew one cat who would not use the litter box because it was in the laundry room. The dryers buzzer freaked him out some much that he associated it with the litter box.
You can also try wet food. Their is an interesting study about it. It is not the "food" that does help, but the "ritual" with perparing the meal that may help de-stress the cat. Instead of the cat only getting attention for a couple seconds when you scoop dry kibble, the cat gets a couple minutes attention while you pick up the bowl, pop the can lid and dish out the food, etc... It has been noted to help some cats.
I think this was already addressed, can you remember back to when this started? Did you have any change to the house or environment around then? A new boyfriend, new perfume or lotion, new bed sheets, new couch, new kitten or dog, neighbor kids too loud, move any furniture, etc....? Even the smallest thing might be a trigger. Not to say you should get rid of a boyfriend, hahah ;-)
If you have not already done the blood work, urinalysis, culture, and radiographs, I would highly recommend them. Another good idea would be to get an ultrasound of your cats bladder. A common condition exists in which the wall of the cats bladder gets inflamed. This can be caused by stress, and can cause cats to go outside of the box. Your vet can discuss this with you further. If the do not have an ultrasound machine, they can refer you to somewhere for a consultation.
Unfortunately, what you are going through is very common. It is also one of the leading causes for cats to be euthanized or to be given to shelters.
I applaude your efforts so far and encourage you to keep trying.
Best of Luck,
Cat Lover and Veterinarian.