Monday, August 25, 2014

Help! Why is My Cat Urinating Inappropriately Everywhere?

        First let’s set the record straight.  Your cat does not view its urinary habits as inappropriate, regardless of where the cat happens to pee.  Feline house soiling in the form of urine placed outside the litter box and urine marking are normal feline behaviors.  It is us, the cat owners and feline lovers, who find random urine placement objectionable.  Second, it is no joking matter.  Inappropriate urination is a very common reason cats are relinquished to shelters.  These cats often are not suitable for placement in a new home and many are euthanized.             
         If veterinarians and veterinary staff can help someone understand and solve this problem, they can improve cat owner's lives and may even keep cats out of shelters.
         In multi-cat households, we will need to identify the guilty party or parties.  It is not uncommon that multiple cats may be involved in this outside-the-box activity.  
         For cats that are intact, we need to consider having them spayed or neutered.
         As an important aside, cats never inappropriately urinate out of vindictiveness to their owners.  

Once we know who, then we may consider the myriad reasons a cat may decide that a litter box is not their preferred place to urinate:
1.       Size.  The litter box may be too small
2.       Substrate aversion.  They don’t like the material that is in the box for litter.  Some cats like dirt, or clay, or sand.
3.       Location, location, location.  Perhaps something scary happened where the litter box is and they don’t want to go back.  Maybe it smells funny to them.  Maybe the location next to a loud furnace is a deterrent.
4.       Cleanliness.  They don’t think the cat box is clean enough.  Typically, the litter box needs to be emptied daily to keep cats happy.
5.       Remoteness/distance.  Maybe it is too far to get to the box on time.  Basically, each level of a house needs a litter pan, even if you just have one cat.  This idea is especially important in older cats or any cat with mobility issues.
6.       Bullying.  This is very common.  One cat may prevent another from getting to the potty.  A household needs enough boxes to help defuse bullying.  The rule of thumb is  one litter box per cat, plus one.  For example, a three-cat household needs four boxes.  It doesn't matter whether you want four boxes; the cats want four boxes.  And the boxes don’t count if they are located next to each other.  The idea is that the cat that is being a bully can’t possibly patrol all those boxes.  There needs to be physical separation between the boxes.
7.       Anxiety.  In my experience, this is the most common problem.  Other problems like bullying can contribute to this, but separation from the owner is also a common form of anxiety.  If identified correctly, anxiety issues may respond to medication.
8.       Urine marking/spraying.  This is normal communication in the cat world.   This form of urination usually occurs on vertical surfaces and usually the cat will urinate in its cat box as well. Cats may spray when they are threatened or perceive a threat to their territory.  New cats in the house and cats outside may be a trigger for this behavior.  New things like carpet and furniture or moving to a new home also may be triggers.  Cats also may spray out of frustration.  Circumstances  such as enforced diet change and lack of time with their owner may trigger spraying behavior.  
9.       Medical issues.  This needs to be ruled out by our veterinarian.  A thorough exam and a urinalysis will help identify problems and possibly provide a solution.

If you have a feline friend with urinary issues, let us know.  We would be happy to help.

Next week:  solutions and options.


Timothy R Kraabel, DVM, DABVP (Canine/Feline Practice)




Monday, August 4, 2014

Walking the Relay For Life

        This last weekend we participated in Relay for Life at the Vashon Island high school track.  The American Cancer Society sponsors overnight relay walks in communities all over the world to support cancer survivors and their caregivers and to raise money for cancer research.  We had a combined team of clinic staff and our daughter Aubrey's friends.  The relay has someone from each team actively walking at all times from 6:00 PM one night to 9:00 AM the next morning.  Many months ago when Aubrey proposed this walk, it seemed like a good idea.  Aubrey was on the organizing committee for the walk and that made it difficult to decline.  Later, while I was planning the camping needs and logistics with Dr. Fritzler, it seemed very far from a good idea.  Sitting here the next day, it was fun and moving and was well worth the time and effort.
We set up a schedule to have at least two of us walking at all times.  I spent the most of earlier Friday getting the gear ready, preparing the tents and setting up camp for us.  The night started with recognition of survivors and their caregivers and then the teams started to walk.  My son Nick and I took the first hour in the stifling heat with the sun blazing on us, especially whenever we rounded the track and headed west.  Dr. Fritzler had packed a cooler with sandwiches and drinks and snacks were everywhere.  I had set up a two tent compound so people not walking could sleep.  Nick and I were the only guys, so a separate tent for us and Dr. Fritzler seemed prudent to avoid any awkward cuddling incidents through the night with staff and Aubrey's friends.
          As night fell, small bags with lights were put all around the track.  There was a “luminaria” booth that was making the bags throughout the earlier evening.  I hadn’t really understood what it was.  But then the bags were all lit around the track when it was dark and we walked around them.  Each bag had a message to someone that had succumbed to cancer.  It was very sobering and sad and unifying.  So many people are lost to cancer.  Everyone has a story.  There were notes to aunts and uncles, moms and sons, friends, dads, daughters and grandparents.  I wished I had figured out what the booth was before.  My favorite uncle died of lymphoma when I was 16.  He was only 40. 
          Later, Aubrey broke out an endless amount of glowing bling and we were all covered in glow stick necklaces and bracelets.  Joon, Hilari’s 4 year old daughter, could be seen by satellite.  Dr. Fritzler and I took the 11:00- midnight shift and then slept for several hours.  Kas walked on and did over 14 miles total.  She and I did the 4:00-5:00am shift together with my brother.  Johana came a bit after it started and walked with Aubrey and Kas well into the night.
          Morning broke to the teams all still continuing around the track and the music still blaring.  Oddly tasty
pastries with chicken were served for breakfast and a torrential downpour hit as the walk concluded.
          It was a good night. 
Last month we had a management retreat to consider our clinic mission, core values, and goals.  Dr. Fritzler, myself, Johana, our practice manager, Sarah, our head technician, Kas, our head receptionist, and Andrea, our operations manager all met for a weekend.  We spent time considering where the clinic goes from here and what are our values as a group.  One of our core values we talked about is to be involved in the global community.  The relay was a small start and part of pursuing that goal.

We will be back next year and hopefully for many to come.  Next time I’ll put out a light and note for my uncle.

Timothy R Kraabel, DVM, DABVP (Canine/Feline Practice)