Cat Question

kosherdave

Reading a PH post about a constipated dog got me thinking... maybe someone here could give me advice for my fat cat.

A while back (in my old apt) he started using the bathtub for occasional #2s. This smelled terrible. I started closing the door at night (he'd do it at night generally) and he started deficating in front of the closed door.

I keep the litter box very clean, change it regularly and scoop it about once a day, so that did not seem to be the problem.

Eventually I took him to the vet on PPW/5th. They were nice and friendly, and told me he had a lot of bad teeth. Acted a little suprised that I did not notice (when the F am I going to look into my cat's mouth!?). Anyway, they extracted about 8 or so teeth (cost me around $600) and said that could be the problem.
Made sense, he was uncomfortable and animals do weird stuff.

Anyway, problem ended and he looks funny now only having only 1 of the 4 pointy front fangs left.

Now the problem is back (it's been a few months and I'm in a new apt). I bought one of those plug in pharamone things that are supposed to make the cats feel better, but just last night I caught him sneaking into the bathroom again, and hopping into the tub. He saw me coming and dashed out, clearly knowing it was wrong, since he is never afraid of me otherwise.

So, I checked his teeth and, well, they look like cat teeth I guess.

I need to take him to the vet, but I first wanted to see if anyone has had similar problems (with their pet, cats specifically). And if so, which vet they'd recommend. I live near Bar 4, so something close would be preferred if possible.

Thanks!

whyfi

Could just be behavioral - animals get in to bad habits, too. (Calmly) Put him in the litter box every couple of hours when you're home, when he does go, give him a little pat on the back. If he doesn't get it after a couple of weeks, there could be a medical reason again.

kosherdave

WhyFi wrote: Could just be behavioral - animals get in to bad habits, too. (Calmly) Put him in the litter box every couple of hours when you're home, when he does go, give him a little pat on the back. If he doesn't get it after a couple of weeks, there could be a medical reason again.

Agreed, and I should mention I've tried that. I've also calmly put his nose near the naughty-naughty and said NO (not enough to freak him out, just enough to get the point across).

Maybe I should tie him in the box?

Seriously though, it has gotten to the point that I wake up hearing him come up my stairs (he has a clanky little collar). I also dread having people over after work before I can get home and check things out. Ug.

Makes me remember why, as much as I WISH I had one, I don't have a dog.

ruska b

When cats are sick, they often do their business in places that will grab your attention. Maybe the night/morning/ or day before your vet appt., grap a piece of the evidence for the vet to test. Also, does that cat seem to be in pain when it poops? Is it an old cat?

lizschillare

Does his breath smell extra stinky? If so, he might be having teeth problems again.

kosherdave

His breath smells ok, but he does meow sometimes whilst trying to go to the bathroom. He very rarely meows (unless he's hungry and he wants to wake us up).
Also, he's at least 12. He is a rescue cat so it is hard to tell, but I think he was 5 when I got him, and that was in 2001.

brookfetish

Have you tried shame?

Perhaps you could film him taking a dump in your tub then put it on YouTube. The embarrassment he'd experience from having a video of himself like that on the interwebs should get him to stop.

kosherdave

The cat already post voluntarily --short scandinavian-esque films with a noir sort of feel. Almost German. I don't want him getting any more exposure than he already gets. This is the kind of thing the media would have a field day with and then where will I be?
You should have stayed on the beach in Jamica w/o your computer. I liked you better there.

nnelson84

kosherdave wrote: His breath smells ok, but he does meow sometimes whilst trying to go to the bathroom. He very rarely meows (unless he's hungry and he wants to wake us up).
Also, he's at least 12. He is a rescue cat so it is hard to tell, but I think he was 5 when I got him, and that was in 2001.

Back to the vet for him. Poor kitty. If he's meowing and doing it in front of you he's likely trying to tell you something is wrong

BTW, kitty won't chew your shoes, socks, take the stuffing out of your couch and you won't have to stand in a snow storm waiting for him to shit so you can pick it up and hope he doesn't have diarrhea.

Ok, I love dogs AND cats, but cats get a bad rap sometimes. Of course, shitting in the tub doesn't help

peanuts

He probably does have a medical problem...you could stop in at NYC Pets on 9th Street now that Mike's back...he has a lot of knowledge about cats. It could be behavioral (cats are strange) but it could be medical as well.
Good luck!

tajmb

Teeth cleaning, extractions, special prescription diet foods are all vet money makers. I don't know anything about the vet you mentioned. But pulling all those teeth as a solution to a cat with a poop problem makes me suspicious.

I'm going to assume no changes in food. Has the cat been eating normally, has it been losing weight? It sounds much more like the cat is having a problem with it's digestive system. If it's crying out when it goes to the bathroom, the cat is straining. The excessive odor indicates that too. It might be getting in the tub because (especially at night) it's probably cooler than other places. If the cat's over heated/running a fever it may try to find such a place.

For something like this that really requires a vet with advanced diagnostic skills, I advise you go to NYC Veterinary Specialists. They're in manhattan on W 55th I think. There's also another emergency vet hospital somewhere in lower manhattan. These places cost a fortune, but these are vets with real advanced skills and tools. Local vets seem to cost a fortune too at this point, but they don't seem able to do much more than basic vaccinations. NYC vets wants areferral from a local vet, so call the vet you saw, tell them the problem is continuing and you want the referral to the specialists. Get copies of the records.

You've had this cat for 12 years, he's proven his worth hasn't he? The only solace I have after my cat died 2 years ago is that I did right by him in the end. I don't regret how much it cost to find out what was best for him. I wish you and your beast the best.

raw

It could be stress that makes your cat do odd things, but I'd get a 2nd opinion to make sure your cat is healthy.

idlewild

It could be an Alpha male thing. My cat did the same thing. I took him to Animal Kind on McDonald and they recommended prozac which does work,

caseopele

kosherdave wrote: The cat already post voluntarily --short scandinavian-esque films with a noir sort of feel. Almost German. I don't want him getting any more exposure than he already gets. This is the kind of thing the media would have a field day with and then where will I be?

I just have to say that is hilarious. On to your kitty problem though. While my cats have never pooped in the bathtub, my 3 legged kitty Caseopia used to pee in the tub in my old place. She was very conscientious, always going right over the drain. No other problems and she hasn't done it since. I'm going to recommend a trip to the vet, tajmb is right, it could be a digestive problem. I've had wonderful experiences with Park Slope Vet Care on 5th Ave. Both the vets are great but Dr. Parker is the cat specialist. They have been very understanding about money issues and will try the cheapest options first (as long as the condition isn't life threatening). I would never recommend them if I didn't trust them and with 4 older cats, 2 kittens, and 2 dogs(!) money can definitely be an issue. Good luck with your kitty!

peanuts

The teeth problem in cats is very real....I had one cat that died without a tooth in it's mouth...some were pullled, some just fell out.
One of my current cats who is an old lady, has lost several teeth on her own...the only reason I don't get them cleaned now is that she's a bit too old to risk anesthesia.
Not saying it's a bad thing to go to a specialist (although I would pick the Animal Medical Center)...but I've been going to the vet on 5th Avenue for awhile and am very happy with them. But, I understand that the they're "GPs" and sometimes you need a specialist.
I assume that you had blood work, urninalysis and a stool sample was checked? Cats really are wierd and if it's not medical, it could be behavioral...and they change a lot as they get older.
Keep us posted...and good luck!

hamilton

Put his litter box in the tub, but not while your bathing.

kosherdave

Thanks for all the advice! I'll try some of this (and get to the vet again soon) and see what works. If nothing else, maybe someone can lend me their dog and I'll train it to hang out in my bathtub.

quigley

Generally if cats are going to the bathroom somewhere outside their litter, they are trying to tell you something. They are naturally very prideful and prissy animals about their bathroom habits, so this isn't something they do just to be "bad cats." It is really their only way to get a message across to you that something is wrong (either emotionally or physically.) Especially if most other times of their life they have done well and not gone outside the litter. You said you had this cat for like 7 years, right? If up until his bathtub antics he was always good with his litter, I would take his messages seriously. Something is making your cat very unhappy, most likely physical, and he is trying to tell you. I know vets are expensive... but you really should try to get him there ASAP (and not just soon)... he definitely could be sufferring some.

vanilla

be thankful it's just the bathtub!

my roommate made my cat mad and as soon as the roomie left the apt., my cat went into his room and shit all over his pillow. or when i was out of town for a month - i got home, the cat meowed very loudly, jumped onto the couch, and just started pissing all over it.

luckily, the time the cat was accidently locked out of the room with the litter box, he used the bathtub instead.

dcmacdaddy

My cat Phantom used to pee in my suitcases whenever I was packing. She did not like me leaving her for any length of time. I learned finally to pack at the last minute and to put the suitcases up high when doing so

kosherdave

wow, cats are very f-ed up!
and yeah, I am super glad it's just the bath tub. As annoying as it is, it's pretty damn easy to clean.

gretch

Subject: poop in the tab

My old roommate cat has exactly the same problem. The cat is healthy and all, but sometimes go to bathtab to poop. I used to wake up to go to work early and found the "things" in the bathtab when I tried to take shower, which was very refreshing way of starting the day.

The cat has a strong personality. She apparently did it when 1) her toilet is not clean 2) she's pissed off, stressed or disturbed. My roommate kept the toilet generally clean, so most of the time it happened when the cat is not happy about something.

I heard that as the cat get confortable ( he adopted the cat ) the problem got better. I heard that it did not happen for a long time, and then last summer his friend, who hates cat, came to stay and next morning the friend found the poop on the tab. I think the cat senced the cat-hating mood or something. I would guess that if your move stressed your cat which caused the problem, it would get better eventually when the cat get used to the place....cat poops are so smelly, I feel bad, but my cat bites bad (donno which is better) :? Good luck.

susanderavish

The cat meowing while pooping is not good. The cat is sick. I take mine to Dr. Holloway at Prospect Park Animal Clinic. She is awesome and won't do tests and overdiagnose just to get extra money out of you. I've had visits that turned out to be quicker than I anticipated because the cat was fine and for which she charged me nothing.

Please have your kitty checked out. He doesn't sound so good

http://www.prospectparkanimalclinic.com/contact.html

brooklynpotter

kitty might be constipated, which is why he is avoiding box and meowing while doing his business.

you can add more water to the wet food, mix some canned pumpkin into his food, give him some olive oil or petromalt and see if that helps. otherwise, go to the vet!

caseopele

Please let us know how it works out, kosherdave!

raw

Kosherdave, I just want to say that I really admire and respect the way that you care for your pet. I've read a couple posts about people's pets on this forum that have depressed me. Even though your poor cat is sick, knowing that you really care about your cat is uplifting.

laura b

If physiological issues are ruled out, Cat Attract (http://www.preciouscat.com/) works well. You can find it at most pet stores.

flux

brooklynpotter is right. It definitly sounds like a GI issue. Change of diet might help a great deal.

jesed

Our cat was doing that at one point and it turned out he had diabetes. Is your cat lethargic too?