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Posted by Martisimo on February 19, 2003 at 10:49:34:

In Reply to: Re: Sushi won\'t stop peeing posted by koshka on February 18, 2003 at 20:38:24:

He needs to have a urinalysis performed by a cat-oriented vet. You should always be concerned, especially with a male cat, when a cat is urinating outside the litterbox. There is a very common condition called cystitis that is sometimes caused by an actual infection and other times its origins are a mystery. Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder walls, it feels quite uncomfortable and it usually comes and goes in an untreated cat (leading some owners to the mistaken conclusion that their cat is "mad" at them sometimes and other times he is not "mad", based on where he is urinating). Once a cat is allowed to continue this pattern for a while without treatment it will often develop a behavorial component, which makes it harder to deal with.

A prescription diet designed to alter the pH in the urine will help, and should be prescribed by the vet (not the supposed "urinary tract" food in grocery stores). Be sure to keep all follow up appointments. Many people make the mistake of thinking their cat is fine once the symptoms stop and don't keep their re-check appointments, only to get upset when the accidents reappear a few months down the road. Medications, as was suggested, can also be tried later if other methods don't work.

Be aware that cystitis in a male cat can turn into something life-treatening at any time (or maybe not at all) if it continues. A male cat can become blocked and unable to urinate if there are microscopic crystals in his urine (from abnormal urine pH) or if he develops stones from the bladder irritation- if this happens it can result in death in as little as a day if he isn't rushed to the vet. At least by keeping him inside you will be able to tell if he is still urinating, if he's outside you won't be able to keep track.

After taking him to the vet where they should test a urine sample, you need to confine him to ONE room, that means door shut and he stays in there. By himself if you are absolutely certain that the other cat isn't doing it too. Have another litterbox in the house for the other cat. If he is having no accidents in that room for many days you will gradually expand where he can roam one room at a time as long as there are no accidents.

This problem can be helped if you are willing to keep working on it.

::First, take your cat to the vet to determine if there is a urinary infection or not.

::If all seems to be clear on the health front, then the problem is behavioral. You will need to take steps to retrain the cat to the box. You can find out how to do this at the "Litterbox Problems" topic at the Feline Behavior Message Board. Basically you'll need to shut Sushi intto a small room with just food and water and the litterbox. After he begins to use it, you can widen the area he has access to.

::Meantime you need to thouroughly deodorize wherever the cat has been peeing. Nature's Miracle is highly recommended. Try putting aluminum foil down into those corners and see if that deters the peeing. Also be sure the duffle bag is put up where he can't get at it. He may be trying to show your boyfriend that HE'S the only male in your life. That's right - Sushi may be trying to mark you as his object!

::Check into using Feliway, a spray that mimics the happy scent cats leave when they rub their check against something. You can get it from your vet or from Cat Faeries at http://www.catfaeries.com
::If you visit the website, you will see a phone number that you can call and for a fee discuss your cat's problems with someone. The person who does this is very knowlegeable and it may be worth the $$ for you.

::Finally, if all else fails, ask your vet about using an antianxiety medication such as Buspar or Prozac. These very often work, however the decision to prescribe them will rest solely with your veterinarian who will be able to monitor the dosage and side effects.
::
:I also have another cat. I keep the litter box in the bathroom...if I get another litterbox for Sushi and I set up food, water and a ltter box as you suggest, how can I keep Ishihari from using it? I've tried two litter boxes in the past and the problem I've had with it was Ishi using his own, but also Sushi's. Any suggestions with this? Thanks for the suggestions so far

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