cat with severe bladder infection marking

[Karens]

my cat started marking a while back. took him to vet to rule out uti. he tested positive for severe uti with blood in urine present. vet prescribed 20days antibiotic treatment. i am concerned that since getting uti he started marking in my house up and downstairs . is this a hard habit to stop? or now that he started this due to the uti, will he probally continue marking even when he tests negative to uti. he has been locked up in our guest bedroom for the last few weeks of antibiotic treatment. and I hope I can let him out to roam soon without the marking problem. anyone else have experience with male cat starting to mark due to UTi? thanks karen

[dagny82]

Here's what needs to happen:

1. Is the UTI really resolved? Ask your doctor about bladder crystals (should have been chacked in the Urinalysis). Bladder crystals are a common culprit of UTI's, and occur when the cat's diet is not adequate and minerals are building up in the bladder (causing tears and infections). If you do not resolve that problem, the cat will get more UTI's. Some cats with chronic bladder crystals have to be on special foods for the rest of their lives.

2. Get a blacklight and an enzymatic cleaner and clean EVERYWHERE there are any urine traces. even if you can't smell them, he can.

3. Put litterboxes EVERYWHERE, including areas he has become prone to marking. Buy like a dozen cheap plastic tubs and put litter in them all over the house if you need to. He associates the litterbox now withe discomfort of urinating (while on the UTI), and he must be re-trained to go there, showing him that now that he is better, it is a good thing.

4. When all else fails, lock him in a bathroom for 2 weeks with 2 litterboxes (and food and water and everything to make him comfortable of course). It works. It will train him to start using the box again (rather than pee in the room he is living in).

p.s. It kinda goes without saying . . . is he neutered? If not, you'll have a much harder time with this.

[simbapanthro]

My cat had feline UTI and every now and then it comes back. He hasn't had it since last May because he is on a special C/D diet. But he still pees everywhere. He pees on the, couch the carpet, bathroom rugs and blankets. I just don't know how to stop him. I have 3 litter boxes and keep them clean. I have tried changing litters. Does anyone have any suggestions that I haven't tried.

[That_girl]

After our BratCat had a uti, we locked her in a small bedroom for about a week with a couple of litter boxes. Worked like a charm. Of course, we went and visted her and stuff. If you can keep the cat contained for a while with a litter box, it should do the trick. You also have to clean the urine spots extremely well, like dagny suggested.

It seems like stopping cats from urinating outside the litter box after a uti is one of the most difficult issues for a cat owner to deal with. Remember to be patient and persistent. :)

[special]

Bladder crystals are a common culprit of UTI's, and occur when the cat's diet is not adequate .

I agree with all your post except for this statement. perhaps you just used the wrong word. Crystals forming in urine is not necessarily from "inadequate diet."

Inadequate means the cat is not getting the nutrients he needs. Some cats are prone to forming crystals and have to be on special food, others can eat the same nutritionally complete diet and never have a problem.

While the urine should always be checked for crystals (there are two kinds that can form) some UITs are caused by other things, such as stress, being overweight, lack of exercise, not enough water intake and washing too much "down there".

A UTI alone is not a blockage but causes so much irritation the cat feels like he has to go all the time, which is why they squat constantly and squeeze out little bits of pee. Left untreated the urethra can become swollen and blocked, which can be fatal in a male cat in 24 hours.

Crystals can form as a result of a UTI, or they can form without a UTI present. Most vets will prescribe an antibiotic to get rid of any bacterial infection and perform a urine culture (or send a sample out to a lab) to test for crytals and which type.

Crystals left untreated will also block the urethra, and again, in a male this is fatal in 24 hours and it is a terrible painful death.

Some cats may have one UTI and then they are fine for the rest of their lives.

other cats form crystals and have to eat special food for the remainder of their lives.

Some have males have such a problerm that they have to have surgery. I do not know how common that is.

I have a cat with FLUD (feline lower urinary tract disease, formerly known as FUS) She forms struvite crystals and eats Hill's multicare prescription C/D kibble. I exercise her daily, watch her weight and add water to everyhting I feed her.

If you have had your male shut in the one room all this time of his treatment, and he is using the litter boxes in there without incident, follow the other posters instructions on removing traces of urine in the rest of the house, and he should be fine when you let him out.

I am fortunate that I have not had to deal with inappropriate spraying so can't say first ahnd what works and what doesn't. (except I know it is important to remove all traces of prior urine)

I DO recommend a feliway plug in or two for his room he is in and in other parts of the house. The feliway plug in releases "pheremones" into the air which help give a cat a feeling of calmness. this is important as stress plays a very big role in a cats urinary tract problems. Feliway plug ins work. They are expensive but effective. Probably only need to use them for a month or so, until things get back to normal.

I can give you links with more information if you are interested.

[special]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=8906&Ntt=feliway%20plug%20in&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/NavResults.cfm?Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntk=All&pc=1&Ne=2000&N=2002&Ntt=nature%27s%20miracle&Np=1

here are some links

one is for feliway the other is for a product called nature's miracle, that I have heard other people swear by for removing uring odor.

Feliway plug ins I have used and can say with all confidence that they are effective.

II do not know about nature's miracle. Most vets carry similar products (most vets also carry feliway)

II do not work for nor promote www.drsfostersmith.com in anyway, it just happens to be the handiest link for me. these products can be found in other pet supply places too.

below are some links with FLUD information from Cornell University companion animal Hosptial.

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochures/urinary.html

http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/askdr/urinary.htm