Urine soiling cat – bladder damage

cats

Question:

One of our higher-density foster homes has a cat who had a UTI, which has now cleared up after medication.  She is now on gabapentin, but is still not always using the litter box.  They are using Feliway and isolating her from the other cats, but things are slow to improve.

Dr. Nichol-

There is a flip side to the kindness invested in fostering homeless pets. Cats living with strangers, in a crowded environment, are prone to severe stress. Subtle bullying and intimidation often lead to fighting, house soiling, and physical symptoms like sneezing, eye discharge, and the frequent passing of small urine volumes anywhere.

Over 64% of cats with urinary symptoms, including soiling, have feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) – a chronic inflammatory bladder disease caused by stress. The near continual release of adrenalin from their brains damages the integrity of their bladder walls. Symptoms usually last for 3-7 days before spontaneously resolving and then recurring later. Genuine bacterial infections are actually quite uncommon in cats, responsible for less than 2% of these problems. Antibiotics are seldom justified.

Regardless of the number of cats in this house, stress management will be essential to improving their welfare. Multiple hide boxes at various heights in different rooms will allow them to spread out and chillax. If they’re like most kitties they have delicate sensibilities. Stopping for a whiz at a stinky, soggy restroom results in them holding it until the next exit ramp. Cats with fresh-as-a-daisy litter pans, on the other hand, are more inclined to do the right thing in the right place.

Reducing this cat’s heebie jeebies is certainly a priority. Gabapentin is a safe antianxiety and pain-relieving medication but it would be more helpful if added to fluoxetine, paroxetine, or buspirone.

Your rescue colleague can also reduce the collective tension by making her home a wonderland of feline amusements. Go to my website, drjeffnichol.com, for a good list of Environmental Enrichments. As these kitties find new homes or pass on, this crowd needs to shrink. Cats are wonderful pets but more of them is not better.

For help with behavior problems, you can sign-up for a Zoom Group Conference on my website, drjeffnichol.com.

Dr. Jeff Nichol is a residency-trained veterinary behaviorist. He provides consultations in-person and in groups by Zoom (drjeffnichol.com). Each week he shares a blog and a video to help bring out the best in pets and their people. Sign up at no charge at drjeffnichol.com. Post pet questions through my website, drjeffnichol.com/contact/ or by US Post to 4000 Montgomery Blvd. NE, Albuq, NM 87109.