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buy some inexpensive ph test strips and do a clean catch of urine by lifting them up by the tail (gently) than slipping a soup ladle under to catch the urine...works great. kitties can't stop peeing when they start so even by surprising them when you lift up by the tail they keep right on a peeing....
More likely one of the older cats is pissed off about the kitten in his/her territory. (lol.. seriously no pun was intended)
Who is the alpha cat?
Not at all likely. Cats don't avoid the litter box because they are "pissed off". They do it when they are sick or reacting to something stressful, or being barred from the litter box by another cat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by no kudzu
I would not be so focused on it being a behavior problem. cats usually break training to tell you they are ill. at that that has been my experience.
Yes.^^^
Quote:
Originally Posted by patricats
buy some inexpensive ph test strips and do a clean catch of urine by lifting them up by the tail (gently) than slipping a soup ladle under to catch the urine...works great. kitties can't stop peeing when they start so even by surprising them when you lift up by the tail they keep right on a peeing....
You don't have to lift the tail or do a urine catch. Just stick the strip under the cat after s/he starts to pee. I do it every day.
However, all that will tell is the pH of the urine at that moment. It won't determine if the cat has a bacterial infection or crystals in the urine or bladder stones or a kidney infection or diabetes....
Establishing who is doing it and taking that cat to the vet is the first step.
OP: The webcam is a good idea. It's possible the female is having a repeat of her original problem. What are you feeding them? And urinary tract problems are so painful, and in males can become fatal quickly.
Keep us posted.
How many litter boxes do you have? Are they all kept in the same place and are they scooped daily.
actually, cats are not pack animals the way dogs are - they are not 'alpha' all the time in all things! It's odd, but cats can be alpha or not depending on the situation. For example: in my house, Canute is alpha much of the time but William is alpha at feeding. Sometimes cats can be 'alpha' about who owns a particular napping spot -and at which time. And of course, it can change. It's a very odd thing.
Still no dice on the webcam. I forgot what we feed them but it is what our vet recommended. None of them are acting any different or sick or in pain. When we discovered the crystals in the female, she had a squat right infront of us and showed us she was pissing blood. They are smart animals and we have a great relationship.
As for the litter box, we have a cat genie which processes the poo into the toilet automatically 3 times a day. We've used it for a year and a half with no issues.
Cats do not show signs of illness or pain. That's why we have to watch for clues such as litter box avoidance.
Only one litter box? You may need to add a couple more. Some cats don't like to share. No problems for a year and a half isn't a guarantee of no problems ever, in the sharing of the litter box department.
Also, how big are your cats? Those cat genies aren't very roomy. Someone may want a bigger box.
Also, if you have one barring someone else from using the box, that also is a common litter box avoidance issue.
But ruling out illness of course is always a priority. Once you find out who it is. Or haul them all in.
I agree, I would like to rule out illness first. As I said earlier, I do not want to pay to take all 3 in to find out if one (or none) is sick. They're decent sized cats but have been fine in the cat genie. It's bigger than any box we've had. I'll try to watch them when they do use the box and see if there are any conflicts or anything indicating a sharing issue. The two older ones have shared for years, so I find it to be surprising if that is the issue, though the younger cat may not like sharing but he doesn't know any different. He shared with his brothers and sisters when he was born and he's shared since we brought him home at 8 weeks. I may just haul the young one into the vet even if I don't catch the pisser. So far only one naughty pee today.
You wouldn't necessarily have conflicts with just one litterbox, but one of the cats might find it too full to use. I have 3 litterboxes for my 3 cats, and could possibly JUST get by with 2 if I was very vigilant about cleaning often, but one would be a definite no-go. I've known people who had multiple cats, one box, and inappropriate peeing issues, and getting one or more extra boxes solved it.
Last edited by subject2change; 04-08-2012 at 06:46 PM..
You wouldn't necessarily have conflicts with just one litterbox, but one of the cats might find it too full to use. I have 3 litterboxes for my 3 cat, and could possibly JUST get by with 2 if I was very vigilant about cleaning often, but one would be a definite no-go. I've known people who had multiple cats, one box, and inappropriate peeing issues, and getting one or more extra boxes solved it.
It is a cat genie and processes the poo then flushes it 3 times daily.
actually, cats are not pack animals the way dogs are - they are not 'alpha' all the time in all things! It's odd, but cats can be alpha or not depending on the situation. For example: in my house, Canute is alpha much of the time but William is alpha at feeding. Sometimes cats can be 'alpha' about who owns a particular napping spot -and at which time. And of course, it can change. It's a very odd thing.
Interesting, our alpha is alpha all the time. When we got the third cat, the "alpha" was very unhappy. Whether you call it pissed off or stressed out, it's the same thing. He let us know things weren't good for him through hissing at new baby and other aggressive behavior, and then several months later he started peeing in inappropriate places such as laundry. Since he'd had UTI problems before, we assumed it was that again. One large vet bill later, we found out he was fine but was exhibiting behavioral problems. It took time, lots of toys, attention, etc, but now we have a happy home again.
We also went from two litter boxes for 3 cats to 4 boxes. I agree with some other posters that it's important they all be scooped daily, no matter how many there are.
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