Checking for Ketones

With numbers every morning in the mid to high 300's and due to the very helpful nature of everyone here I decided to just SEE if there would be anyway to test Robbie's pee. I have followed him into the bedroom (where both literboxes are) 3 times now - 1 time he headed for the box, saw me and lay down outside of it. I left the room - he peed. The next time I followed him and tried to hid and all he did was laydown in his favorite swatch of sunlight. 3rd time I went in - he was in the box scratching, let me get up close - oops not peeing- left him alone. I will continue to see if it even seems reasonable for me to be able to test his urine - going to buy the strips anyway - can always use them on myself I suppose.

 

Hi Ellen,

Oliver would never pee while we were watching. We ended up putting him in a room alone with his box full of aquarium gravel. It worked. Others here put saran wrap on top of areas in the litter. Guess they like peeing on it and gives you time to test.

 

If you are worried about ketones and unable to urine-test, the Precision Xtra meter has special strips to test blood for ketones. The strips are expensive and not generally stocked, but the ability to test when you're worried is very comforting. Strips are best bought off of e-Bay (be sure they are ketone strips, not glucose strips).

 

With Bix I have to act all casual (oh no kitty, I'm not here stalking YOU, I need to get something from that counter right NEXT to the litterbox, yeah, that's it...) until he starts peeing, then I sneak in and get the stick in there. Once he starts going he'll give me a dirty look, but he'll keep going.

 

great info gang - thanks - keep it coming.

 

eh, once my guy starts peeing I can do anything to him so i just lift his tail a bit more and pop a strip under for a few seconds.

Now getting him into the box.. I just pretend I am not interested in what he is doing while near the box I read a paper or do dishes.