Many cat owners believe that urinating outside the litter box is a behavioral problem, but often, and likely (especially in male cats) it is a medical problem.
Here are 3 ways to evaluate inappropriate urinating.
First, consider if your cat is actually urinating or just straining.
Your cat may be in the same position as when he/she is urinating, but you must look to see if any urine was actually eliminated.
If your cat is squatting and not producing urine, or producing only drops at a time, or if the urine is ever blood tinged, you need to take him or her to the veterinarian immediately.
Problems urinating (which can be frequent in male cats), can be life-threatening and require immediate medical intervention.
Please do not wait days to see if the problem resolves itself if you are seeing any of these symptoms, as that is often too late.
Secondly, be sure to evaluate your cat's overall behavior when this inappropriate urinating takes place.
Is he/she eating and drinking normally, vocalizing more, or extra lethargic? Anything additional abnormal behavior needs to be noted and communicated to your vet as well.
The third thing you'll want to consider is what medical tests will help to evaluate your cat's physical condition.
With money being tight for many people, owners will often want to skip a more expensive test.
In order to truly evaluate a cat with problems urinating, you'll want to, at a minimal, agree to a urinalysis, bloodwork and potentially an ultrasound or X-ray.
If you are unable to catch a sample of urine from your cat, your vet may want to do a cystocentesis to remove a sample of the urine at the office.
This is a very quick, painless procedure and a highly recommended, sterile way to evaluate the content of your cat's urine.
If the vet determines that your cat is "blocked" (unable to produce urine), he/she may suggest hospitalization for 24-48 hours and in some cases longer.
This is also very strongly recommended as it's the only way for your cat to be removed from a potentially life-threatening situation and potentially resolve it as thoroughly as possible.
Often owners who choose to decline hospitalization, end up back in the hospital hours or days later because the problem has worsened.
Here are 3 ways to evaluate inappropriate urinating.
First, consider if your cat is actually urinating or just straining.
Your cat may be in the same position as when he/she is urinating, but you must look to see if any urine was actually eliminated.
If your cat is squatting and not producing urine, or producing only drops at a time, or if the urine is ever blood tinged, you need to take him or her to the veterinarian immediately.
Problems urinating (which can be frequent in male cats), can be life-threatening and require immediate medical intervention.
Please do not wait days to see if the problem resolves itself if you are seeing any of these symptoms, as that is often too late.
Secondly, be sure to evaluate your cat's overall behavior when this inappropriate urinating takes place.
Is he/she eating and drinking normally, vocalizing more, or extra lethargic? Anything additional abnormal behavior needs to be noted and communicated to your vet as well.
The third thing you'll want to consider is what medical tests will help to evaluate your cat's physical condition.
With money being tight for many people, owners will often want to skip a more expensive test.
In order to truly evaluate a cat with problems urinating, you'll want to, at a minimal, agree to a urinalysis, bloodwork and potentially an ultrasound or X-ray.
If you are unable to catch a sample of urine from your cat, your vet may want to do a cystocentesis to remove a sample of the urine at the office.
This is a very quick, painless procedure and a highly recommended, sterile way to evaluate the content of your cat's urine.
If the vet determines that your cat is "blocked" (unable to produce urine), he/she may suggest hospitalization for 24-48 hours and in some cases longer.
This is also very strongly recommended as it's the only way for your cat to be removed from a potentially life-threatening situation and potentially resolve it as thoroughly as possible.
Often owners who choose to decline hospitalization, end up back in the hospital hours or days later because the problem has worsened.
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