Remission Kitty... Pee Issues

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Jennifer & Sparky

Jennifer & Sparky

Member Since 2017
Apologies for the length...

Sparky has been diet controlled for over a month. A few weeks ago he started peeing everywhere but his litter box.

Here's his history...

16+ years missing back leg. 8+ years post-op PU surgery. He takes prednisone (every other day) for his bladder issues. He takes amitriptyline once a day also for bladder issues and licking himself raw and/or pulling out his fur on his chest. Started having trouble getting into his litter box - we built him a ramp. Sometimes he uses it, sometimes he doesn't. Once dxd with diabetes, he was using a low pan with clumping litter.... had to discontinue the clumping litter due to him "sitting" to pee and getting litter stuck to his butt like concrete... had almost daily butt baths.

Switched to the Tidy Cat Breeze system... still using the ramp. Worked fabulously for over a month. Then about 2 weeks ago he started peeing on our throw rugs, on dog beds, and ultimately, anywhere he pleased. He's now using disposable pee pads in a tray. He's using them, but he's refusing to poop anywhere but wherever he pleases. We have ruled out a bladder infection and other medical issues.

My big issue is because he's missing that back leg, he "lays" down to pee.... essentially getting his back end and sometimes his foot wet. Then, he drags himself all over the house.

I'm lost at what to try next. He is the most laid back kitty ever.... he loves the car and going to the vet. There's nothing really wrong with him that we can find. I just don't know what else to do.
 
Is it possible that he has arthritis that makes using the litter box painful, especially with a missing leg? Have you considered pain meds?
 
Strange, my three legged Tigger does the opposite, rises as he pees. We've had to get high sided boxes. Perhaps he remembers a discomfort from cement butt and it formed an aversion? Just guessing. Have you tried something like Yesterday's News or Feline Pine? My Tigger had a but of peeing all over the house and it was related to other OCD problems and was put on Prozac..it stopped almost immediately. Maybe it would help with locking too?
 
We've considered arthritis.... but he still climbs up onto larger dog beds with ease. But, it's something we're considering.

We've been using the Breeze litter for well over 2 months.... and he took to it immediately. Amitriptyline is also used as an anti-depressant.

:(
 
I'm fostering a cat with arthritis right now and I've notice some interesting things with her mobility. You can tell she has arthritis just by the way she walks, and she haaaates squatting so she holds in her pee/poop until the last minute. But the other day a moth flew in and she jumped from the floor to the counter to catch it. So she still has great mobility when she wants to, and not great mobility when she doesn't want to.
 
Jennifer & Sparky said:
Amitriptyline
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I have no experience with this in cats, but I take it. Tensions headaches and migraines. It really isn't used much anymore for depression and in my experience can have some very strange side effects. I'm not peeing everywhere but if i wake up while it's really kicking in I have a hard time concentrating and really waking up. Many mornings I've gotten up because it was shot time, and then had to go back to sleep. For me it can be VERY disorienting. Sometimes it takes me 2-3 hours after waking to actually feel awake and not drugged. BTW I'm on the smallest dose for a human 10MG at bed time. I would probably not use it for my cat if it was recommended and find an alternative.

Oh, not to mention the crazy dreams I have. They're INSANE.
 
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Hello! I Feel your pain here. :bighug:

I do think it's likely due to some bad experience with the litter/litter box. I would likely try a totally different litter and box so that there's absolutely no association and you have a clean slate to work with. I had to do this once or twice in the past when kitty decides the litter tray is no longer an option for ones or twos.

Set the new box in a small(ish) room and confine kitty to that room. Make sure you visit often and give treats, scritches and play. :) You would be talking a minimum of 10 days here.
You can wait and see if he chooses to go into the new tray by himself if he doesn't lift any poo and put it in the tray, leave it for 20-30 minutes and lift it out. This will leave his scent in there and hopefully encourage him to associate the box with being his toilet.

Most kitties catch on pretty fast, if he still refuses you may have to outwait him, make sure he's completely 'clean' for at least 5-7 days before you let him out. Make sure you clean the spots he has been with a cleaner specifically for feces (not all urine cleaners do this).
If he goes again outside the box then it's back to boot camp, just rinse and repeat.

If that fails completely then i would be considering a little senility and you can get tablets to help with that. Wishing you success! :)
 
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