I could throttle that cat! (eating, declawed, weight, safe)

[GotBackHome]

It seems Henry can go about a week between peeing on the bed. I thought maybe after the vet trip and now he's on antibiotics just in case (although the urinalisys was clean) and getting cosequin that things would be fine. We have 2 feliway plugins: one near the bed and one in the main downstairs room (dining room). We've been playing with him, we regularly fish his mouse toy out from under the stove where he continually bats it...

nope. last night he struck again. I was trying to sleep - it was nearly 12:30. I felt a warm spot on my back (I'm a side-sleeper) and reached behind to feel a cat jump off... and realized... he just peed on ME and the bed. ewww......

I scoop the boxes 2-3x a day using Cat Attract (he has no problem using the boxes, he does regularly), there are 2 places and one is secluded. none have lids. He gets along fine with the other cats and his bullying Hannah has slowed down a lot. Even Canute isn't doing it as much and Hannah is venturing out a little bit.

so now what gives? He's not slinking around, he's still otherwise very sweet. I'm tired of this, not to mention the nerve of it!

[CSD610]

I have never had a cat do that but I usually have one cat at a time. I would have no clue as to why this is happening. Perhaps it is time to cage him overnight which he will more than likely not like but if he potty's overnight it will be in his own space. Good luck and I hope you find a solution.

[GotBackHome]

I don't know as that would bother him. In Jan when we came back from our week away, there was a dried pee stain on the mattress pad-cover - with plenty of black hair on top of it! He's the only black cat. So obviously it didn't bother him enough not to sleep there anyway. and he seems to be fine the rest of the week!

[CFoulke]

Oh my, I know what you are going through. It sounds to me like you are doing everything right as far as care taking. If it is not a medical problem he is telling you about - something else may be going on with him. No idea what - but he is obviously telling you something. My husband's cats did that to me when I first moved into the house after we married - and brought along MY cats of course. Not to mention how "pissed off" it makes you to get awakened from a sound sleep to clean up the mess...again..., I was convinced that no matter how much I cleaned I could still smell it. Initially I made sure I had a good waterproof mattress cover in place and then I finally decided that the bedroom had to be made off limits. I talked it over with hubby who understood my frustration and anger - and I started closing the bedroom door. It was hard at first - they cried and thumped on the door - and I fretted because I missed having a furry little body in bed at night (besides hubby's!). I repainted our room, got some new bedding and changed things around a bit, cleaned like a maniac, and bought some earplugs. This may seem drastic, but for me it was the only solution that made sense. Besides the golden showers, we also had a periodic case of throw up in the bed - which was every bit as revolting. I actually sleep better because some of our boys are huge and insisted on laying on my chest or back. I could hardly breathe. Please be patient and know that someone understands what you are dealing with. Good luck.....

[GotBackHome]

so do I go to drugs next?

I'd say it was separation anxiety, but.. frankly it started frequently about 8 months after we rescued him from the street. We'd gone away during that time and there was no problem. We thought it was Hannah doing the peeing - until I caught Henry having just done it while I was packing the last few things in my suitcase to leave that morning for 5 days (DH staying home). and then he was good for months after that - although we didn't go away due to DH's chemo treatments until Jan - and he peed while we were gone. and right after we got back in Feb. but we didn't go anywhere this time! so it can't be that.

I wonder if this is why he was abandoned!

[601halfdozen0theother]

So, was he an outside cat (since he was a street cat)?

And are you trying to make him an inside only cat?

That could be the problem.

Some cats which grew up outside never really adapt to being inside full time.

Don't know if this is the issue but if it is . . . are you able to construct an outside cat cage/house of some kind - from a window or side door or patio door? If so, your other cats would love it too.

[jasper12]

I agree, some cats are better as "patio cats". We had one like this, he was a "marker". He was nuetered, but still marked EVERYTHING! It was beyond gross. He became an outdoor cat, he still marked, but it was outside. That was tolerable...barely...I had to replace the front door when he died, it was ruined. No scrubbing could get those streaks out.

Maybe, if you want to keep him, it is time to think of making him an outdoor only cat.

[catsmom21]

I disagree with forcing an indoor cat to live outside. How is that solving Henry's problem?

It may very well be that a behavior modification medicine may need to be tried for a while.

This is the thing. If his issue is idiopathic cystitis, there is no way to test for that. His urethra can become inflamed for whatever reason, a reason you may never be able to pin down. When he has inflammation, he hurts. When he hurts, he tries to 1) alleviate the pain by peeing somewhere else besides the litter box and 2) tell you he hurts in the only way he can, by peeing on your bed (with or without you in it).

If you don't want to try meds yet, maybe something else can be changed first.

What are you feeding him? I wonder if his diet may be exacerbating discomfort. A canned diet is best of course, but not all canned diets are created equal. Get some urine pH strips and test his urine on a regular basis for a while. See if there is a correlation between these 'accidents' and his urine pH. See if there is a correlation between certain foods and urine pH.

Since he is on the cosequin, which is a supplement, and there is no safe non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for cats, anti-anxiety/behavior modification meds may be the next step.

I'd rather see a cat take meds than pitched out the door of his home. Amitriptyline has been very effective in reducing anxiety, which reduces UT inflammation, which reduces the cat's need to pee anywhere but the litter box.

Amitriptyline does have some side affects, weight gain and slight sedation being the most common. (he would be sleepy for a few hours after the dose, but it wears off after that) But you can control the weight gain with monitoring food intake. You may not have to leave him on it forever.

[GotBackHome]

601: I don't know if he was an outside cat initially, other than being a street walker. He does always want to go out, and sometimes I'll take him out and hold him on top of the recycle bins so he can look around and feel the air. I often don't have time to harness him and take him out - and DH won't every since he slipped his harness once. but yes, I'm trying to make him indoor only, I don't like letting cats outside - we're on a very busy street, which he was managing fine, it's always that way.. until it isn't. and I don't want someone else taking him in (he won't wear a collar - yes, he is chipped).

when we have nice days, I try to open a couple of windows so the cats can sit in them. now that we're coming in to spring, it will happen more. but we really don't have the option of creating a catio in this house. I'd like to make one on the huge back deck of the next house (10 months from the big move!) although there isn't any way we could give them window access to it. most of them do like windows when I open them.

Jasper: the problem is that making him an outdoor cat means essentially kicking him out of the house. He'll likely start roaming again and I have no idea what will happen to him - and he's declawed (came that way) so I never liked it that he was walking the streets. Laurel is a pretty big suburban sprawl with far too many people and cars.

Catsmom: I have no probably putting a cat on meds if they need it. He doesn't like pills, but I can do it. Briefly he liked the pill pockets, but he's gone off them again. It just seems odd that the last 3 weeks, his moment have all been a week apart! He's fine all the rest of the time. There were no fights going on last night, I was hoping to get to sleep, no other cat was on the bed... he just walked up to my back and let go.

Let's see, what am I feeding him: they rotate between DVP's Natural Balance (green pea & duck), Simply Nourish, and Innova. I have a small bag of Wysong to try on them. they get 1/5 of a handful 3xday. canned is rotated between FF classics, wellsong, innova, nutro max, & Iams. all low carb, low/no fish and the byproducts (if there are some) are at least 3 or 4 on the list. I've got a bunch of singles of assorted other grain frees that I got at the petstore last month that I try on them occasionally - the most they get for any meal is 1/5 of a can so I can see how that bit works with them (Henry despised the turducken!).

The vet for the other 4 likes clomacalm (clomipramine hydrochloride) for peeing issues. but it turned out that it wasn't Hannah after all, and it didn't make any difference to her or Canute on general anxiety so they are off that. Never tried it on Henry. Tomorrow morning I can call Henry's vet (different practice) who saw him initially with this problem and see what she recommends. Amitriptyline? I'll inquire.

thanks!

[jasper12]

If he is nuetered, he probably won't roam. Our patio cat, just hung out in the yard. He hardly left the patio.