Cat with Bladder Infections is making lots of messes (eating, weight, feline)

[PacersFan]

This is my first time posting here. I've been on city-data for awhile, but did not know about the cats forum until today!

First a little background....I've had cats for years. We had a cat that passed away about about a year ago at the age of 17.5. When he was about 7 he had urethra blockage and nearly died. He ate C/D or some sort of dry prescription diet for the rest of his life. He finally died from kidney failure.

We also have a cat who is about 2.5 years old (he is our only current cat plus we have a dog he gets along with just fine.) He recently got a bladder infection (which I recognized because he started peeing other places besides his litter box and I saw blood.) After the trip to the vet and a dose of antibiotic, I thought he was fine. Then 2 weeks later, I could tell he was distressed and blocked based on my experience with our other cat. I took him right to the vet, they got him unblocked, antibiotics, fluids and the vet told me he should be switched to canned food (he's always had dry food.)

In all my years of owning cats, I cannot believe no vet has told me he should have wet food!

Anyway, it has been about 2 weeks, he went back a couple days ago and had more antibiotics, fluids and painkillers. He's eating the canned food well (they gave me C/D but I have read that perhaps that isn't the best option?) Best of all, he is finally peeing a LOT. I've found clumps in the litter box (honestly, I have never found big clumps in the two years we have had him), but he is still peeing all over the house. I have strategically placed boxes in his favorite places and he usually uses those, but he also uses bags, the dogs' bed and any papers he finds on tabletops. How can I get him to stop doing his? I am scooping his box twice a day.

Prior to this, he has never, ever, peed anywhere except his box.

I am also wondering how much canned food he should eat every day? He weighs about 14lbs, but should probably weigh about 12 lbs.

Thanks for any ideas or insights.

[Rene S]

Yes, yes, to canned food! Have you read the article at this website? It's very informational: Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition :: healthy cat diet, making cat food, litter box, cat food, cat nutrition, cat urinary tract health

Have you used an enzymatic cleaner to completely remove the urine smell?

Have you changed anything about the litter box (different litter, perhaps?) You may want to temporarily add an extra box or two. He may be associating the other boxes with pain, and is finding other places to go.

There is a brand of litter called Cat Attract that actually works pretty well to entice him back to the box. You can also try a Feliway diffuser.

[mawipafl]

Great suggestions Rene S!

PacersFan - not just any wet food, get those without the wheat glutens, veggies, and grains. You are going to notice a big difference in the litterbox -- more pee, less poo because the right wet food is well-digested with the byproduct being mostly urine and not undigested glutens, veggies, and grains which pass through the cat's system (not without taxing the digestive system which is more harmful to sick kitties). Cats don't have that "I'm thirsty" behavior to send them as often to a water dish like dogs do or to a glass of water like we do. So combine that with dry food not having the necessary moisture cats need can lead to urinary tract infections.

Gigantic clumps of pee can indicate a problem, but simply the presence of more pee than you're used to, maybe not. My boxes have a lot more pee than poo.

I feed about 6 ounces per day generally to each cat. For my very elderly cat it's a little bit more. For my middle-aged one, it's a little less. I usually feed them four times a day, about 1/2 can (3 oz. size) at each meal. Twice or three times a day works if that better fits a schedule.

Many people are fans of Fancy Feast CLASSIC. It's not the cheapest, but it's not the most expensive. The ingredients are simple and the manufacturer, unlike reputable others, does not put in all the healthy-only-to-humans junk to appeal to pet owners to make us think we're feeding our kitties healthy foods. Fancy Feast CLASSIC has all the right amounts of nutritional additives such as taurine. Those with fish ingredients generally have higher amounts of protein and lesser amounts of crude fat.

If you want to put your cat on a diet, do it incredibly slowly. Losing a pound of weight in a year would be like you or me losing 100 pounds in a year.

[PacersFan]

Thank you for all the feedback. Mostly where he has peed is on stuff that is disposable or washable, so I've been able to get it out. I do have a gallon jug of Nature's Miracle which I use on the hard surfaces and the dog bed (since I don't want to wash it until he is over this...and the dog doesn't use it anyway....)

I *was* wondering about the litter....I always use Tidy Cat and noticed I picked up something new they had with some sort of fragrance in it. I thought it smelled really bad, so I dumped it all out and bought the regular kind I get. He *does* use the box, just not all the time. I will look for the Cat Attract next time I go to the store.

The pee spots in there are what I would consider the right size, based on my other cats. My cat that eventually passed away from kidney failure had HUGE pees for the last few months....at least 10-15% of the box, so I know what to look for.

I have been giving him 3 cans of food a day, but maybe he only needs two? He lost a pound the week he was sick, so he may be eating a little more to gain it back. Overall, he could stand to lose a little weight, but mainly, I just want his bladder to clear up.

I will try the Fancy Feast Classic. I think I have some since I picked up a bunch of different ones. So far, he has not cared for the pate style foods and likes the chunky ones with gravy (which I read on the website referenced are not as good due to the carbohydrate content.) I am going to try the pate style ones again since now he is used to the wet food.

My vet said the fish ones were not good and could cause the stones to reform? She said to stick to beef and chicken, although one of the C/Ds they sold me was a tuna flavor (both of them have vegetables too....which I know is not needed.)

Thanks again for all the input.