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Peeing outside the box - to vet or not to vet
There are many posts about cats peeing outside the box. There are probably
as many reasons for this as there are posts. One of the first things advised is to get the pet to the vet. This is usually an expensive proposition. To check for the various urinary tract problems that might cause this will probably involve blood work, urine testing and a charge for an office visit. This would be worth every penny if in truth there is a medical problem but a frustrating expenditure only to find out the cat wanted to get into a room when the door was closed. I don't take my kid to the doctor every time he coughs or sneezes. I wait and assess other symptoms. As most people have had a cold we pretty much know what is normal and what indicates something more serious and base decisions on whether to seek medical attention on that. As none of us have been a cat and most have not had kidney failure or a urinary blockage we aren't as prepared to assess this situation. So my question is what else can one look for to determine if the problem is more than likely a medical one or more than likely a behavioral one? If the cat only does this once with no other apparent symptoms, what is the likelihood that it is medical? Once a week, once a month? What other symptoms should one look for? If it's medical, will the cat run a fever? If so how can one reliably check it and what is the normal cat temperature? How often is one occurrence of peeing outside the box with no other symptoms indication of urinary tract problems? W |
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"Wendy" wrote in message ... gently snipped So my question is what else can one look for to determine if the problem is more than likely a medical one or more than likely a behavioral one? If the cat only does this once with no other apparent symptoms, what is the likelihood that it is medical? Once a week, once a month? What other symptoms should one look for? If it's medical, will the cat run a fever? If so how can one reliably check it and what is the normal cat temperature? How often is one occurrence of peeing outside the box with no other symptoms indication of urinary tract problems? W A few fairly sure signs to run to the vet: If the cat tries to pee and can't. If it tries to go more often, and only a little comes out. If there are drops of pink (blood) on the floor. Lots of licking of the area, like it hurts. S. |
#3
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"Wendy" wrote in message ... gently snipped So my question is what else can one look for to determine if the problem is more than likely a medical one or more than likely a behavioral one? If the cat only does this once with no other apparent symptoms, what is the likelihood that it is medical? Once a week, once a month? What other symptoms should one look for? If it's medical, will the cat run a fever? If so how can one reliably check it and what is the normal cat temperature? How often is one occurrence of peeing outside the box with no other symptoms indication of urinary tract problems? W A few fairly sure signs to run to the vet: If the cat tries to pee and can't. If it tries to go more often, and only a little comes out. If there are drops of pink (blood) on the floor. Lots of licking of the area, like it hurts. S. |
#4
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So my question is what else can one look for to determine if the problem
is more than likely a medical one or more than likely a behavioral one? If the cat only does this once with no other apparent symptoms, what is the likelihood that it is medical? Once a week, once a month? What other symptoms should one look for? If it's medical, will the cat run a fever? If so how can one reliably check it and what is the normal cat temperature? How often is one occurrence of peeing outside the box with no other symptoms indication of urinary tract problems? W if money is an issue, the first thing I recommend to people is to put a second litter box in the home. Cats are naturally drawn to hide their eliminations, so if they are eliminating outside the box, there is a reason for it. A lot of the time it is because people don't realize that the cats don't like to share litterboxes. The standard recommendation is 1.5 litterboxes per cat. if it is medical, there probably aren't any other signs until it has become a serious issue. You can guess that it is behavioral if there aren't enough litterboxes, or there has been a change in your cats life. |
#5
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So my question is what else can one look for to determine if the problem
is more than likely a medical one or more than likely a behavioral one? If the cat only does this once with no other apparent symptoms, what is the likelihood that it is medical? Once a week, once a month? What other symptoms should one look for? If it's medical, will the cat run a fever? If so how can one reliably check it and what is the normal cat temperature? How often is one occurrence of peeing outside the box with no other symptoms indication of urinary tract problems? W if money is an issue, the first thing I recommend to people is to put a second litter box in the home. Cats are naturally drawn to hide their eliminations, so if they are eliminating outside the box, there is a reason for it. A lot of the time it is because people don't realize that the cats don't like to share litterboxes. The standard recommendation is 1.5 litterboxes per cat. if it is medical, there probably aren't any other signs until it has become a serious issue. You can guess that it is behavioral if there aren't enough litterboxes, or there has been a change in your cats life. |
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