If your cat urinates a lot, it could be related
to feline diabetes.
How much drinking or peeing is too much?
In
general terms, that would mean, for example, that a normal 4.5 kg
(10-lb.) cat would be expected to have a typical daily urine output
of around 180 ml (6 fluid oz.), or less. A typical daily water intake
would be in the area of 202 ml (6.75 fluid oz.), or less.
Of
course, each individual cat's normal input/output will probably
vary a bit from this. There are other reasons that your cat may be eating and drinking more than usual. You cannot make a diagnosis of feline diabetes from this information alone. Your veterinarian must evaluate your cat with laboratory tests.
Help!
My Cat is Peeing Everywhere!
Urinating
outside the litter box occurs frequently in diabetic cats, especially
in the early stages of the disease. If your cat's blood sugars are
not yet regulated she still has polydipsia (drinks too much) and
polyuria (pees too much). She may just not be able to hold the urine
until she can make it to a litter box. A common concurrent problem
may be a urinary tract infection which would make it difficult for
your cat to hold her urine. Have your vet check her for an infection.
A
cat commonly urinating near the box indicates the rejection of the
litter or box. Urinating elsewhere is probably a preference for
the location or substrate.
Here
are some suggestions:
Have
lots of litter boxes! Have a minimum of two, more if your house
is large. If you have more than one kitty, make sure you have one
box for each additional kitty, preferably in separate rooms. You
might also try giving him a choice of another brand of litter, cats
really do have preferences. And keep them clean. You can use deodorizers,
but overuse can result in rejection of the box. Cats hate to pee
in dirty litter boxes, so of course when they have polyuria, the
litter boxes seem to always be dirty. This may mean changing or
scooping the litter every day (or even more), but it beats the alternative.
Does
your cat always return to the same areas to pee? If so, be aware
that even a healthy cat who has been peeing outside the litter box
may return to the scene of the "crime" and continue to
pee there, as it now smells like a place to urinate. (A cat's sense
of smell is so much more sensitive-- you may not smell it at all,
but she does...) You may need to re clean these areas with an enzyme
treatment that actually eliminates any residue. And if the pee
was on the carpet, you may need to lift the carpet and treat the
pad underneath.
If
your cat is a severe problem, you may want to confine her to
an easily cleaned, no carpets portion of the house until she
gets better regulated, and/or until you re clean any areas. (This
way you can also test if the problem is with her diabetes and
lack of regulation, or if these peed on areas are simply designated "litter
box"
because they retain the pee smell and need to get re cleaned.
Here
are some reader suggestions for dealing with your pesky little cat:
A
number of diabetic pet owners use and like Nature's Miracle,
Simple Solution, and others. Whichever product you use,
make sure it is enzyme based. These treatments do not harm carpets,
and are great to keep around to quickly care for accidents.
Take
a 2 liter club soda, pour out 1/2 cup and replace it with 1/2
cup white vinegar; soak the area with this solution, then wet
a towel large enough to cover the area with solution and cover
area. Walk on towel to pick up surface odor/stain. Replace
with another towel. The first day you may need to replace the
towel 2 or 3 times. When the towel comes up clean with no stain
or odor the treatment is done. It is a pain but seems to work
- you might want to try a small area first.
Most
importantly, it will almost certainly just be a matter of time.
Reward him with a little treat when you see him using the box.
Put something perfumey (kleenex soaked in aromatic oil works really
well) wherever his favorite "NO" spots are. Hang in
there!
Cats
hate banana and orange peels. Put these peels in the "no"
spots (works well for keeping cats off the counters, too). There
are also citrus based sprays that kill odors and help deter cats.
They are a bit more attractive than banana peels laying around
your house!
If the cat box has a lid, remove it. If the cat box is a "deep"
one, get him a shallower one - some cats simply don't like to
climb in. If he has any weakness in his back legs, climbing in
might be difficult for him. Make a ramp out of cardboard or wood for your cat to aid in getting in to the litter box. Alternatively, get a lower litter box, even if it means you will have to clean up a lot of displaced litter. Place the litter box (or a second
box) directly over the area he pees on. Then, slowly move it to
the desired location.
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