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I adopted an abused elderly cat a couple of years ago. She has been very violent the entire time. Finally I have been able to pet her just a little and she began sleeping under the cover right against me but if you turn over or touch her, she growls and bites. For the past week, she has been peeing in the bed. I confined her in the bathroom where she normally stays. I found her lying in the litter box. I have heard that I should change her water to bottled water not tap water as it may be causing the behavior as well as giving her a UTI. I feel so sorry for her for what all she has lived through for 14 years. I am taking her Monday for testing, but I am afraid they might recommend euthanizing her, which I don't want to do. Any suggestions?
It certainly sounds like it could be a UTI. I have had females who wouldn't dream of peeing outside the litter box suddenly start peeing in other places. Each time, it was a UTI.
Is she eating and drinking OK? If she is lethargic, I would try to get her to a vet asap. It might be more serious than a UTI.
Kudos to you for adopting this abused elderly cat and for being understanding about her lashing-out behaviors.
Would you say she has a good quality of life? That is my determining factor in whether to euthanize an animal. Talk to your vet, see if it's a medical problem. Since she just started doing it I'm assuming she has a UTI also. It's sad that her prior abuse has damaged her psyche this way.
Try floating an ice cube in her water bowl to encourage her to drink, and make sure her water is fresh at all times. You might try confining her in a smaller room with water, canned food that's low in ash and protein, and of course a clean litter box and a "nest" (old towels work well) until you can get her to the vet. But if there's an emergency vet in your community, if your own vet's office is closed on weekends, that's where she needs to go asap.
If it's a UTI and nothing more, it's likely that a good vet will put her on an IV with antibiotics and keep her for a few days to see if she responds. She may also be given something for pain, if that's a problem. If she weathers this crisis, she may need to be on a special diet (see above) from now on, and may also need to see the vet regularly for tests and perhaps IV fluids.
UTIs can be very painful and also can be life-threatening for cats, so I'd strongly urge you not to wait until Monday, but to get your cat help right now. Her aggressive behavior can be due to pain in addition to her sad background.
Don't jump to conclusions just yet. Get her in to the vet and tell him/her everything you posted here. Get some blood work done and see what shows up. She could indeed have a urinary issue, but she could have something else too--like needing dental work.
Please keep us posted.
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