Helpful hints needed for getting a urine sample

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Mystery

Mystery

Member Since 2011
Hi y'all.

Beauregard is showing signs of kidney failure. I took him to the vet yesterday, and they were able to get a blood sample which indicates some kidney issues, but because of his past medical issues they cannot get a urine sample without using anesthesia and the vet is very hesitant to do that at this point. So, the vet sent us home, hoping that Boo would cooperate more in his comfortable home environment.

I got a clean litter box, and filled with fresh, clean aquarium gravel. He won't use it. He peed and pooed on the living room carpet instead. :( This morning I put the old litter box back where it belongs and he jumped right in and used it, so I'm thinking he is just being obstinate and doesn't want any changes to his litter box.

Any hints and suggestions would really be appreciated!

Lisa and Beauregard
 
I have 2 cats here.
My lovely shadow is very cooperative in that I can take a large enough plastic bag and completely cover her cat box but I push the plastic down into the litter so she can feel
the litter under her feet even tho it isn't there. So far she always gives me a sample as long as the box in the usual place.
So then there is nothing in it to contaminate it.

the other possibility is to try your box with nothing in it. The plastic has a smell in it that is his and that is familiar without the addition of the rocks. The rocks are hard and irregular. He might use his empty box because it smells like him.
You may have to isolate him in a bathroom... be sure to remove all rugs...


My other cat refuses any thing we've done and will instead go pee in the closet soI've ordered a smart cat box sold here by felinediabetes.com
 
rhiannon and shadow said:
I have 2 cats here.
My lovely shadow is very cooperative in that I can take a large enough plastic bag and completely cover her cat box but I push the plastic down into the litter so she can feel
the litter under her feet even tho it isn't there. So far she always gives me a sample as long as the box in the usual place.
So then there is nothing in it to contaminate it.

the other possibility is to try your box with nothing in it. The plastic has a smell in it that is his and that is familiar without the addition of the rocks. The rocks are hard and irregular. He might use his empty box because it smells like him.
You may have to isolate him in a bathroom... be sure to remove all rugs...


My other cat refuses any thing we've done and will instead go pee in the closet soI've ordered a smart cat box sold here by felinediabetes.com
Click to expand...

Thank you, rhiannon and shadow

The plastic doesn't get shredded? That sounds like something Boo might go for, but I'm thinking he'd tear the plastic to pieces. He's quite the scratch-n-bury fiend. I will try an empty one. The vet also suggested shredded newspaper, but I seem to recall trying that in the past and he wouldn't go near it.

I'd not heard of the Smart Cat Box. I may need to order one, but I'm really hoping to get something from him in the next 24 hours so we can be sure there's no infection going on.

CoatCheckGirl said:
I am guttsy enough to collect my cat's urine by placing a cup (provided to me by my vet) underneath him as he tinkles. My cat is so mild mannered he tolerates it although he does give me a very odd look.

However, you'd probably be better off by reading these tips here: http://www.felinediabetes.com/bg-pstrip.htm

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Boo would never, ever let me near him when he's in the act. What a good kitteh you have!
 
I have the Purina Breeze which is the same thing as the smart cat box except it uses clay pellets instead of seeds: http://breezeforcats.com/. You can get them at any chain pet store or big box store, like PetCo, PetSmart, Walmart, Target, etc. If you have Amazon prime, you can order it there with two day shipping and it's probably the least expensive there. It uses an absorbent pad to catch the urine, so if you need to catch a sample you just leave the diaper pad out of the box.
 
Shadow who has her front claws doesn't shred the plastic. :o
And she usually scratches all over the place, wakes us up in the night.
I just recently switched her to a sawdust pellet litter at petsmart because the clumping type was sticking to her paw pads and it's painful since it's like concrete after it gets wet.

I hadn't heard of that other box. probably cheaper than the smart box which has a collective reservoir underneath so you have a big sample. You just click on the shop icon
above our posts here on this site.
It was expensive especially since I bought the 50 lbs of "litter".
Oh well, it supports felinediabetes and they have served me so much more by having this website.
 
I do like the breeze- have used it the last few months with good results.

Cost of the box- petsmart had it on sale for $35- includes everything to get started- pellets, box, scooper, and 4 pee pads. Leave out the pee pad, just pull out the tray and pour it into a jar for the vet.

I actually bought mine on-line at petsmart.com and saved $10- and shipping- but it got there in a week, so not so good if you need it now. It was on sale last month, might still be.

Since I was spending $40/2 weeks for WBCL the breeze was less expensive to buy and set up :lol: .

I purchase the pee-pads from Amazon as they are cheaper- 10 packs of 4 for $4.89 and Sneakers goes through 3/week but at $5.99/4 (store price) it is definitely cheaper than the WBCL or the clumping per week, plus to change out the pellets once a month it is only $7.99/month rather than $40 every 2 weeks. I even have the litter genie for her poop to go it (bought when Sneakers was DX but the replacements cost too much for a FD to use. Poop is great with it though :lol:. Used it 4 weeks and STILL have the 1 roll in.)

There is less tracked around the house (my main goal), I still get the pellets but not EVERYWHERE like the clumping clay and lots of places like the WBCL.

Edited to add
I did the transitioning part that they suggested on Sneakers- I should have just changed it over at once as she kept using the old box that was gross and smelly and had all the clumps. No problem when I took it out, she used the Breeze like she had been doing it all the time.
 
hmjohnston said:
I purchase the pee-pads from Amazon as they are cheaper- 10 packs of 4 for $4.89 and Sneakers goes through 3/week but at $5.99/4 (store price) it is definitely cheaper than the WBCL or the clumping per week
Click to expand...

I've found the breeze is far cheaper than when I used regular clumping litter--and it's so much cleaner I love it. I get my pellets and pads online via Amazon's subscribe & save. I just flush the poo down the toilet since Bandit's box is in the downstairs bathroom, and I need to change his pad once a week (he's also diet controlled so he pees much less than he used to). When we had brief stint on insulin again last summer, he was going through a pad about every 5 days.
 
Julia & Bandit said:
I just flush the poo down the toilet since Bandit's box is in the downstairs bathroom, and I need to change his pad once a week (he's also diet controlled so he pees much less than he used to). When we had brief stint on insulin again last summer, he was going through a pad about every 5 days.
Click to expand...

I wondered about that but I get a lot pellets on the poop and didn't know how that would do in the sewer :? ... I have one bathroom and BOTH of ours is in it.

But I love the breeze far better than any other litter. And I found out that she has ONE area that she pees. In the other box she didn't, well, she would have more clumping in one side than the other.

Sneakers is also an acro cat and is nowhere near regulated... less pee... sounds nice :smile: . Even with the 3x week it is still cheaper than the other litter :lol: .
 
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