Well, Portia’s visit to the doctor produced a surprise. Nothing physical was found amiss. Her urinary tract is in good health.
This, I must admit, caused some consternation on my part. If there is nothing physical that is impelling Po to wet outside the litter-box, then it is a behavioural issue. I must ask why she is not using the litter-box anymore, and why this started very recently. I assume the answers to these questions are related, but I have no clue to either of them.
Portia is still using the litter-boxes for solid waste, so it is not a matter of avoiding the boxes. Yet there are other changes to her behaviour which, I thought, might have had their origin in physical discomfort; changes such as lying under my bed. These changes are probably connected to the litter-box problem, but, once again, no reason for them presents itself. The doctor had no solution to offer, though, after the collapse of my urinary-tract-infection theory, I suspected that I would have to resolve this issue on my own anyway.
And if Portia knows the answer, she’s not telling.
Hmmm, now that presents a dilemma for sure. I sure hope you can figure it out.
ReplyDeleteWe hope that Portia settles. Do you need to set up a camera so you can see what happens?
ReplyDeleteDo have to wonder what's on the girl's mind. I don't suppose she's trying to leave a scent so that Neville will be attracted to her. Leave it to a cat to keep us confused, otherwise what fun would life as a cat parent be.
ReplyDeleteStress-related cystitis? She seems to have settled in well, though perhaps she'd still prefer to be an only kitty. Good luck sorting this out, I hope there's a quick and easy resolution.
ReplyDeleteKatie and I will put our heads together (always a soft pleasure) and try to reason this out. It IS puzzling. Solid waste in the box but not wet. Does she want a box of her own!? (hard to do, I know). I read once about a cat who put solids in the box and was wetting in another, a second one. The parent figured it out somehow. However...to start this without prior indication sort of blows that thought out of the water. (no pun).
ReplyDeletePortia had been using the boxes in the storeroom, as well, but has stopped going there - or else, she goes there and doesn’t wet outside of them.
DeleteIs it litter TYPE avoidance? But then, she is in there for stool.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Portia has idiopathic cystitis. It's inflammation of the bladder without any specific cause. One theory is that it's due to stress. My Willow had it, and it's a really puzzling condition.
ReplyDeleteOh dear.
ReplyDeleteUnasked for advice:
The folks that I know who've had inappropriate peeing cats, found that the cat was feeling stressed. What the stressors are is difficult to discover. Most of the humans ended up putting the cat on something that evened out their emotions. Cats hold their stress in their bladder. And it could be a sign of future bladder disease, but the vet's don't have a test for that yet. Both my aunt and my dear friend had female cats who 'sprayed', and both dies of bladder disease later. Just saying, not trying to be a Debbie Downer.
maybe one of the doodz is preventing her from using the box { I'm guessing correctly that she's out and about now ??? }
ReplyDeletetuna used to ambush sauce when he went to the box and sauce ended up standing in the box and peeing on the wall....sorry for the descript. there
sadly, anything could have startled her at the time she WAS using the box, and now the association is there
and please check into D- Mannose powder for cats; mackerull had three infections from the time he walked into trout towne, within two years
the amount he gets in his wet food at night is minimal...knock wood, toss salt, he's NOT had an issue since
the jar can be expensive but it will last a good long while; the jar I have currently is good until april 2022 ♥♥
Talk about "good news and bad news." I wish I had some helpful advice to offer. I once read that it was recommended for multi-cat households to have one box for each cat and one extra. If you have the space, do you think getting one new box--without the scent of the other cats on it--might help?
ReplyDeleteI think the only way to keep the scent of one of the boys off a new litter-box for more than a few hours is to lock it, and Portia, away in a separate room. Then there’s the puzzle about her having had no issues with wetting until the last week or so.
DeleteI (me Brian) have idiopathic cystitis and have for about 8 years now. I have 4 meds I get 2 times each day. If that's not it, do you have access to Dr. Elsey's Cat Attract Litter up your way? It works and so does the Cat Attract additive. Purrs to the sweetie girl.
ReplyDeleteI've recently added a lower box for Sasha thinking it would help him get in and out of the box. (Of course Saku uses it too). I found that he and/or Saku were peeing outside of the box, but suspected it had more to do with the size of the box - if they didn't get into the center of it. I have put down puppy pads underneath the box. If I had the space I'd do something like one of a former bloggers and put down a small child's pool. But then I'd probably have a hard time cleaning it!
ReplyDeleteHopefully Portia relaxes and things settle down for you both.
I remember that child pool in the catio. That was the first catio I ever saw and it is a whopper!
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I hope you get to the bottom of this mystery! Like the others wrote, maybe one of the other cats spooked her when she got out of the box.
ReplyDeleteThat is a quandary. It may be that some unwitnessed thing happened that she associates with micturition so goes outside the box. We have similar due, in my non cat mind at least, to outside feline visitors. Einstein has certain spots he started dripping into. Not a spray as cats do but a dribble. I was sure he had a UTI but no. It has resolved for the most part and that is the problem. He will go quite a while without a drop, just long enough for me to take up the pads and then... a puddle here, a puddle there. Possibly it is a visit of one of the outside cats? But a cats brain is a deep well of mystery.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with your dear girl she is so sweet.
PS Before we moved here we had a space issue for multiple cat pans. We made BIG ones out of storage containers. You can also cut them to fit for a kitty who has mobility issues. One size will fit all, together. That may help
Purrs