Morgan Williams
Member Since 2020
FIRST POST
I'll give a little preface: My cat, Arizona, will be 8 years old next month. I got her when I was 17. She is my little baby and the light of my life. She has always had issues with using litter boxes. She has always preferred to pee on smooth surfaces or cloth, while pooping on smooth surfaces. Smooth surfaces are the floor, counter, bathtub, and the last couple years the stove. It was a little more manageable when she was a kitten, but last year she got very sick with a rare blood parasite. Feline Leukemia was ruled out and they thought it was FIV at first then after two weeks inpatient, she got better so they ruled it as a rare blood parasite. In that time she was having liver failure which lead to pancreas damage, which lead to diabetes. After the blood parasite she was still having bad symptoms which had similarities to diabetes, but her vet said to give her time because she thought it was just my cat recovering. She had gotten a UTI and my mother graciously took her to the vet for me so I wouldn't miss work (working some overtime to try to pay off her vet bill). I gave a list of things I wanted to be brought up to her vet. It was ruled as a UTI and nothing else. In December she started having trouble walking and I took her in that morning and told them to test her sugar. She had become "severely diabetic" as her doctor said. Her sugar was 879 I think. She was put on prozinc insulin. After almost 4 months we finally have her at a stable level at 11 twice a day. I'm not really sure how many units that is. I am still very new to all of this. She uses U-40 needles and gets 11 from the needle twice a day plus on Hill's W/D food to help her gain weight (she had lost down to 3lbs no matter how much she was eating - please don't think I am a bad pet parent. I was told to keep doing what i was doing which was giving her any food she'd eat after the blood parasite, her vet didn't think she was diabetic because her sugar was only a little high during her stay there) , her urinary tract, sugar, and digestive system.
She's doing very well now, but I am still having issues with her using the box. It is a complete hit or miss at random with her. Her vet can't find anything wrong to make her not use the box ( remember this is an issue she's always had). She said she is just a very difficult cat and to try everything I can think of. She seems to really like to use puppy pads, but it is very messy because she will think she's on it, but her booty is hanging off so it goes off the side. AND she won't poop on them, only pee. I have been trying to get her into using a box regularly to keep my home clean and healthy for everyone ( another cat and two dogs). She wants her box completely clean every single day. Replace all the litter and wash it out. She won't use the cheap litter so I can't afford to do that on my income plus her vet bill each month. I do scoop clean it twice a day and replace the litter every Tuesday. She has two boxes and my other cat has his own two boxes. The last week or two she has not wanted to use her boxes. She wants to use the bathroom on the counters, stove, and floor. I don't know what to do to help her help me. I tried a different litter after the second day of her not wanting to use the box. She hated that so I went to a different one. She seems to like it a little more, but I have also tried to block off the area she gets on the counter. Over the years I have tried different types of litter, sand, shredded paper, a puppy pad in the box, puppy pad in the box with a little litter, sand, or paper, the litter attractant herbal stuff, aroma therapy. I have no idea. When she first started this 1-2 weeks ago I thought she was being vengeful because she will get mad at you and stare you in the eye as she pees on your clothes. Then I started considering if she had a UTI, but I can't be sure of that. It smells a little off from her normal, but her eyes are clear, peeing full amount instead of tiny spots, and overall good spirits other than when she got a talking to for using the counters. I feel like I should mention she started this when I brought some succulents in and I noticed she was peeing in the pots and then trying to eat a "mini white" plant. I have had to resoil them twice now because her pee was killing them. It 100% smelled like regular cat ammonia pee in the soil then. I have since moved all the plants so she can't get to them, but she has just moved her bathroom usage to the counter and stove. I have to go to her vet to pick up more insulin today. Should I make an appointment for a possible UTI or is she just being her stubborn self? I honestly don't know.
I'll give a little preface: My cat, Arizona, will be 8 years old next month. I got her when I was 17. She is my little baby and the light of my life. She has always had issues with using litter boxes. She has always preferred to pee on smooth surfaces or cloth, while pooping on smooth surfaces. Smooth surfaces are the floor, counter, bathtub, and the last couple years the stove. It was a little more manageable when she was a kitten, but last year she got very sick with a rare blood parasite. Feline Leukemia was ruled out and they thought it was FIV at first then after two weeks inpatient, she got better so they ruled it as a rare blood parasite. In that time she was having liver failure which lead to pancreas damage, which lead to diabetes. After the blood parasite she was still having bad symptoms which had similarities to diabetes, but her vet said to give her time because she thought it was just my cat recovering. She had gotten a UTI and my mother graciously took her to the vet for me so I wouldn't miss work (working some overtime to try to pay off her vet bill). I gave a list of things I wanted to be brought up to her vet. It was ruled as a UTI and nothing else. In December she started having trouble walking and I took her in that morning and told them to test her sugar. She had become "severely diabetic" as her doctor said. Her sugar was 879 I think. She was put on prozinc insulin. After almost 4 months we finally have her at a stable level at 11 twice a day. I'm not really sure how many units that is. I am still very new to all of this. She uses U-40 needles and gets 11 from the needle twice a day plus on Hill's W/D food to help her gain weight (she had lost down to 3lbs no matter how much she was eating - please don't think I am a bad pet parent. I was told to keep doing what i was doing which was giving her any food she'd eat after the blood parasite, her vet didn't think she was diabetic because her sugar was only a little high during her stay there) , her urinary tract, sugar, and digestive system.
She's doing very well now, but I am still having issues with her using the box. It is a complete hit or miss at random with her. Her vet can't find anything wrong to make her not use the box ( remember this is an issue she's always had). She said she is just a very difficult cat and to try everything I can think of. She seems to really like to use puppy pads, but it is very messy because she will think she's on it, but her booty is hanging off so it goes off the side. AND she won't poop on them, only pee. I have been trying to get her into using a box regularly to keep my home clean and healthy for everyone ( another cat and two dogs). She wants her box completely clean every single day. Replace all the litter and wash it out. She won't use the cheap litter so I can't afford to do that on my income plus her vet bill each month. I do scoop clean it twice a day and replace the litter every Tuesday. She has two boxes and my other cat has his own two boxes. The last week or two she has not wanted to use her boxes. She wants to use the bathroom on the counters, stove, and floor. I don't know what to do to help her help me. I tried a different litter after the second day of her not wanting to use the box. She hated that so I went to a different one. She seems to like it a little more, but I have also tried to block off the area she gets on the counter. Over the years I have tried different types of litter, sand, shredded paper, a puppy pad in the box, puppy pad in the box with a little litter, sand, or paper, the litter attractant herbal stuff, aroma therapy. I have no idea. When she first started this 1-2 weeks ago I thought she was being vengeful because she will get mad at you and stare you in the eye as she pees on your clothes. Then I started considering if she had a UTI, but I can't be sure of that. It smells a little off from her normal, but her eyes are clear, peeing full amount instead of tiny spots, and overall good spirits other than when she got a talking to for using the counters. I feel like I should mention she started this when I brought some succulents in and I noticed she was peeing in the pots and then trying to eat a "mini white" plant. I have had to resoil them twice now because her pee was killing them. It 100% smelled like regular cat ammonia pee in the soil then. I have since moved all the plants so she can't get to them, but she has just moved her bathroom usage to the counter and stove. I have to go to her vet to pick up more insulin today. Should I make an appointment for a possible UTI or is she just being her stubborn self? I honestly don't know.
