i need serious help with my cat.

T

TenaciousTgarden

250+ Posts
i know you all hate cats, yada yada. this is for people on here who may have some useful insight.

i have an 8 year old cat named ruby. have had her since she was a kitten, and have never had any significant problems with her. she has had very occasional behavioral peeing - like every once in awhile if i've gone away for the weekend and left her at home, she'll pee on the bed. this has happened like 5 times total over 8 years. she also has peed on the dog's bed a couple times, but we got rid of it and haven't had any problems since.

A couple months ago, Ruby started consistently peeing in the bathtub. i took her to the vet, she had "crystals" in her urine. We put her on antibiotics, two weeks later the "crystals" are gone, but she continues to pee in the GD tub. It has now been like 3+ months. The vet says it is behavioral. Weird thing is she still uses the litterbox for pooping and at least peeing once a day. She seems to only go in the bathtub once a day.

We got an extra litterbox, tried using a different kind of litter, etc. Nothing has changed - she seems to enjoy peeing there. We moved here 7 months ago, but this didn't start until about 4.5 months in. I could potentially block off the bathroom from her, but to be honest, i'd rather her pee in the bathtub than on the bed/couch/carpet. The vet prescribed Prozac for her, thinking it might be due to anxiety (she is somewhat anxious in general). I had it custom blended, liquid made with chicken flavoring, but I can't get her to take it, she throws up or has massive salivation when I try.

Does anyone have any advice? I really love this cat and don't want to get rid of her. I'm at my wits end, though (as is my boyfriend), and don't know if I can live with this anymore. Help!
 
This is a big problem, and I banished one of our cats to live permanently outside due to this problem, even though I am against cats in the environment because they kill birds. They also often don't live very long out there, either.
I brought home a new cat a few years ago, which harrassed the other two, so we named him Bluto, and then the peeing on the furniture started, so the other two got sent to the outdoors. One got killed by the neighbors pit bull dog, I think, and the other has stayed on the back porch and survived.
I can't afford a new couch every time there is a cold front and my wife feels sorry for that animal and lets it in.
So I don't know how to break them of this habit, maybe it is possible, but once they start, it is very difficult to break them.
You could spray enzyme spray everywhere so there is no scent remaining in the tub area, or some jalepeno spray where the cat won't ever go in there, but it might just start in on your bed, chairs, couch, clothes, drapes, who knows what.
 
We had a similar problem when our cat developed crystals. Fortunately after surgery and a low magnesium diet, she stopped and went back to the litter box. If it was me, I would just be happy that she is going in the bath tub. She is likely going there due to a scent; so if you did cut her off from the bathroom, she would likely go just in the litterbox. However, I don't know if I would risk it; as you indicated there are certainly worse places for her to go. I have attached a link of a spray that produces pheronomes and have heard great things about it in general. Good luck.

www.catfaeries.com/feliway.html
 
I couldn't tell from your original post, but have you tried putting a litter box in the tub?

It seems to me that if you could get the cat used to going in the litter box in the tub, you could eventually move the litter box out of the tub and into your normal litter box area.
 
i agree with boodog, especially if you're trying to avoid surgery, more kitty prozac or whatever, etc.. Also sounds like the vet doesn't know what the prob is. cat prozac? interesting.
 
Lets see

A tub is both dry and cool.

So close the drain, leave about 1/4" of water in it. Cats detest water, right?
Don't know how to keep it both constantly warm and dry all day.

Poor Ruby.
 
Dude, leave your freaking cat alone. I love cats so I rarely find fault with them but if she is anxious in general you have to figure out why. Is she lonely? Does she like other cats? Maybe she needs more attention. Whatever you do, DO NOT give her that prozac ****. Let her pee in the tub, spend more time with her and then when you see her going to the tub, follow her, take her to the litter and when she goes in the litter give her a kitty treat or something. I know she is not a dog but the treats work like magic on my cats. Cats generally act up when they are not getting enough attention.
 
TenaciousTgarden, our cat, Sir Archie, also had this issue. He did it consistently when he developed a bladder infection. I'm assuming this is what shows itself through the 'crystals.' Eventually, they found our Sir Archie had diabetes. Not saying that to scare you, but just throwing it out there. I'm thinking our cat continued to do it b/c of the scent and not b/c of contracting diabetes.

At the very least, close off the bathroom for 1 day and see what happens. If she goes on the bed, revisit. If not, and she goes in her box, problem solved.
 
Jelly Donuts - how long do you have to use that stuff for? I have the spray and have used it a few times since yesterday, but she has peed right over it, twice!!!
 
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