Aaack! Cracker Jack sprayed this morning!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I think! I didn't see him, but Terry said he circled around a few times, then the next time Terry looked he was twitching his tail! Terry didn't actually see anything come out, but he was able to wipe up a bit of some yellowish liquid, although really not much at all, which is why I think he was spraying and not just peeing. It did not have a strong odor to it.

According to his adoption papers, he used the litterbox 100%, but how much room is there in a little cage for him to NOT use the litterbox or to spray?

Ok, so ask me anything about senior cats and I could write a book for you, but ask me about spraying and I haven't a clue, although I will be researching here on PT because I know Jen has had problems in the past, and I know Jazzcat was recently dealing with Ripley, so I'm on my way over there when I'm done here.

One of my questions is not for the "sensitive" PT'er. When Tubby was neutered, they took everything. He had no little "dingle berries" :rolleyes: in back - Jack does. I know they've started neutering differently so they "presevere" the dingle berries. Is this part of why he would spray? I NEVER had an issue with Tubby, so I'm really at a loss as to why or what to do about it?

I had bought some Feliway plug-ins,3 of them to be exact, so I'm doubly surprised this happened because they are supposed to help prevent this. But anyway, I immediately plugged one near where he had sprayed. If he sprayed there once, will he continue to spray in the same spot or will he find different spots?

Any and all insights will be helpful because this is something Terry will NOT put up with, even though he is head over heels about CJ. :(

[ramanth]

Is it possible that he has a urinary tract infection? Or did he have a total clean bill of health from the vet?

We've always had males at my parents house and the older boys recently starting spraying and it was discovered one had a UTI and the rest were just covering the area with their scent. :rolleyes:

We got the UTI's cleared up but one or two of the boys keeps peeing in spots.

[catnapper]

Oh no! I don;t have any wxperience with spraying, but my guess is it just might be the stress (if a UTI is ruled out) - its got to be highly stressful to move to a new home and be hissed at ;) :D. Perhaps you are using a different litter than he is used to? Perhaps he is marking his terriotry? I don't know! I wish you luck though.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I was thinking about that Kimmy, and I'm probably going to make an appointment for him to get it checked.

The main reason I've been wondering about this is because I really haven't seen any pee biscuits since we brought him home. I thought that was kind of odd, but with his diarrhea, it was hard to tell what was what, and the vet said that it could be possible that he pees a little bit every time he poops, and since the poop is so runny it just blends in (sorry for being so gross about it). He still isn't eating as much as I'd like, which the vet said isn't unusual because of the new surroundings.

However, this reminds me that I didn't update after the vet visit. He got a total clean bill of health except he has wax in his ears, but his ear canals are clean, and he has these two spots on either side of his face. The vet took a culture to test for ringroom. I really don't believe it's ringworm because I called the shelter and they have no cases of ringworm, and haven't had any in quite awhile. The vet said it's possible he has slight allergies and his nose is itching and he's scratching too much.

Sounds like I should just log off here and call the vet right away. The only thing is, how do I get a urine sample when I don't know where he's peeing - and now that I know about the spraying, he's proably not peeing in the box! ugh!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I just made an appointment for CJ tonight! I knew they were open one evening during the week, but I didn't think it was Monday. Boy, talk about quick service.

I had no idea there might be a problem otherwise I could have had the vet check him on Saturday when we were there. :rolleyes:

[catland]

Make sure that the difusers are "on". I also went out and got some since I'm doing the new cat thing too and was dissapointed when Sid looked like he wanted to spray - turns out the difuser was in a little used outlet and wasn't plugged in all the way.:eek:

It should feel warm, then you know it is working.

[rg_girlca]

I have no advice since I have never had this problem with any of my guys.

Just want to give you my support and prayers that you are able to get this situation under control as soon as possible.

[Barbara]

No pee biscuits- that sounds not ok to me. My boys make two big biscuits per day minimum. (Size of a bigger cookie). No biscuits and small biscuits (that's what they call dysuria and pollakiuria) can be a sign of UTD. As in Tigris' case.

On the other hand- he would be right in the situation to show a behavioral issue. Now feeling more at ease he could try to communicate something to Peanut!

Filou (who is the one who sometimes pees to demonstrate to the dawg it's his house) can do the spraying thing-lift the tail, and vibrate somehow- but I never saw something coming out.

Have it checked anyway. And good luck:)

[jazzcat]

Oh no Debbie. I think you are on the right track by taking him to the vet quickly. Do you know if he has been drinking a lot? If not that could cause some UT problems.

If it's not health related then it may be stress. The Feliway helps but doesn't always prevent spraying - Ripley is proof of that.

You need to get an enzyme cleaner like Natures Miracle or similar to clean the area to remove the urine smell so he hopefully won't keep marking it. It will work on carpet and also works on hard surfaces. I've never thought Nature's took care of the problem completely on carpet so I've started following up with a product called Capture. It's a powder that I apply it to the carpet after Nature's has done all it can, let it sit overnight and vacuum it up the next day.

I hope the vet can offer a fix to this problem because it is very frustrating. I've been seriously thinking about making Ripley a "room" in the garage and letting him stay there since he's started spraying again. He begs to go out ther all the time anyway. We just made some major improvements to our house and I do not want him to damage things with pee. I'm also afraid he will teach Rocky bad behavior. I like QSL's idea of a cork and rubberband.

I also wanted to add that I've always wondered about Ripley's neuter job because he still has one, what did you call it, dingle or dingleberry. I always thought they left something behind. Also he was a big time humper for years, especially with an old Oscar the Grouch hand puppet and a certain blanket. Wonder if there is any tie to that?

[jenluckenbach]

First off.........don't panic! 1 spray does not a bad cat make.

Is Cracker Jack out in your whole house now? If so consider confining him again. Such a large area can be overwhelming and the need to mark what is "mine" is greater for some cats and when their new "territory" is too big to patrol, they spray.


Feliway will not work instantly and I would not call it 100% effective either. Just clean the spot well.

If you can put the cat in a carrier about 3 hours before the vet appointment, the doctor should be able to locate the bladder and draw a sample for you.

Best of luck, you can overcome this, I am sure.

[shais_mom]

I have no words of wisdom since I am a total newbie to the cat thing and only have girls!!
But GOOD LUCK!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Thanks everyone.

It should feel warm, then you know it is working. I did notice that the one I moved was warm and wondered about that, but now I will check all three of them when I get home to make sure they're warm and working.

No pee biscuits- that sounds not ok to me.I had wondered about that too, Barbara, but when the vet described how it would be mixed in with the diarrhea, I thought that made sense and left it at that. I do think your idea of how he's now feeling more comfortable and is communicating to Peanut. She was in her little carpet condom at the time, and he was far across the room from her, but it still makes sense.

Do you know if he has been drinking a lot? I didn't think he was drinking enough, but when I mentioned that to the vet, he said that could be because I was basing that on what Tubby was drinking, and since Tubby had his kidney problems and drank more than the normal cat, I could be basing my assumptions on faulty information. I have seen him drink out of the 3 bowls that are spread around - and out of the toilet. :rolleyes: I was trying to discourage that by leaving the lids down, but Terry left one up and I thought if that's the way he wants to drink, well....at least he's drinking!

First off.........don't panic! 1 spray does not a bad cat make.
I know, I know, I'm trying not to, but I guess I've already fallen for that lovable little orange mug and I don't want anything to be wrong with him, or for Terry to not like him because of a problem like this. The vet's office suggested confining him beforehand also, so I've already called Terry and told him to put him in the little bathroom (no litterbox) with the toilet seat open (drink away Jacky boy!) so hopefully they'll get a good sample. I do know that when Tubby had a UTI his urine was quite bloody, but it could be that Jack's isn't quite so serious yet?

Lori, thanks for the tips on what to clean it with. Can these products both be bought at a pet store or hardware store? Looks like I'll be making another stop tonight too. :rolleyes: ;)

Thank you all for your help and suggestions. Everything was so....don't know the word for it, but everything was so smooth and placid(?) with T & P for soooo many years. Now the house has been in an upheaval for the last month and I just want everything to be peaceful and calm like it was.....and soon, my nerves are starting to wear thin....

[QueenScoopalot]

I think I'd have to agree with the "back to confinement" for a while. Glad he's being vet checked to rule out UTI, and hope it's that (well don't, but the alternative..) and not territorial behaviour starting up. I wonder if he was neutered much later than six months, which would explain his sacks are on the large side still. Was Tubby neutered very young? If a cat's had a chance to develop Batonga Wongas back there, they tend to stay large. Hope you solve this latest dilemma. :(

[Edwina's Secretary]

I was concerned whether Eddie was really nuetered when he first came to us as he has dingleberries. When we took him to the vet I expressed my concern. She grabbed his...dingleberries, squeezed and said..."Nope...they are empty."

When Edwina was expressing her displeasure in the dining room I found Wineaway to be a great product for getting the smell out.

(Do you still have that product we bought last year at the pet show? I thought that worked as well.)

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by QueenScoopalot
If a cat's had a chance to develop Batonga Wongas back there,

Aaahhh....that's the word I was looking for! Couldn't remember it correctly though. ;) Tubby was neutered 18 years ago when he was about 5 months old, if I remember right. I have no idea when Jack was neutered, but the shelter got him when he was a tiny baby, and he was adopted by his original humans when he was still quite young, so I would assume the shelter would have neutered him before he went home the first time. I thought I had heard they were doing things in a "new fangled" way in the last 18 years since Tubby's Batonga Wongas were snipped. ;) And by the way, is there a reason Batonga Wongas is capitalized? That important of an item, huh? ;) :D :D

Oh, and about the run of the house. He has the run of the house while we're awake and at home. When we are sleeping and/or out, he is confined to the master bedroom and bath. He did get to explore the basement and the garage for the first time yesterday since the vet said there were no parasites in his diarrhea and therefore I didn't have to keep him away from Peanut's litterboxes.

[Cinder & Smoke]

:eek:

Hey JACK ~ Don't *blow it*, Dude!!
You could prolly get away with almost ANYthing -
EXCEPT peein/poohin in the wrong places!

UTI is a possibility...
But the White Coat will *NEED* a "sample"!
They can "take" a sample from him, but most Vets like to
be "given" a sample that was produced willingly.

When Boots was due for a test;
I'd "load him up" with extra water via a needle syringe
(LESS Needle part) - LOAD syringe; OPEN Kat mouth;
INSERT syringe over tongue; UNLOAD :eek: syringe;
(ignore *sputtering* sounds from Kat);
Repeat several times; Wait for Results! :p

Half a Cup of water was usually "processed" and ready for
"return to sender" in less than an hour.

"Collection" was a bit *trickie*!
Da KAT would be tethered to a chair with a SHORT string; and
"The Box" was the only thing within reach of the string.
"The Box" was a standard litter tray withOUT litter;
covered with clean plastic garbage bag AND a few
shreds of clean, torn, paper in the bottom.

When the "need" finally arose;
Boots would "do it" in the box and I'd spring to action
BEFORE he started trying to cover it and tear the bag/liner.

The hard part was <booting da Kat> and then attempting
(with only TWO hands) to <pour> the sample from the Box + Bag
into a storage ZipLock Baggie!

"WE" usually were able to deliver to Doc Mike...
But I remember one time Boots just wasan't ready to "dump"
before it was time for our appointment.
I'd "loaded" him with what I figured was a QUART of water -
he actually "SLOSHED" when I picked him up
gave him a "shake"!

Called Doc and The Gurls laughed and said to bring him on down and
HOPE he didn't empty the tank before we got there. :rolleyes:

A couple hours in the "Sample Cage" (wire floor with a pan below) -
produced a small flood just before closing time!

As for WHY?? he may be peeing outside da Box... :confused:

Give his less than *warm* reception by Miz PeaNutter;
he MAY be marking his territory in frustration. :(

Do you have a very small room (closet ??) with a HARD floor?
Put him in there with only water, toys, and a Litter Box
for a while to be SURE he's using da box.

C'mone, Jack - get wiffa Program!!

/s/ Phred
.

[QueenScoopalot]

Deb, Don't assume the shelter neutered him before he left. Sad to say, many don't, but rely on the adopters to do so, and often get a portion back after the altering. Batonga Wonga is capitalized as I'm sure most self respecting tom cats DO think they're important things! :D And I've seen some mighty huge ones on some of those dudes....so big they get in the way of walking! :eek: The reason Tubby never had much back there, is he was neutered before those things grew! ;) And grew And grew And grew!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

:D :D

Thanks for all the instructions Phred. However, I won't get home until around 6:00 and he has to be there at 6:30, so no time for trying to get the sample. Guess I'll have to let them try. ;)

[Randi]

Debbie, I hope nothing serious is wrong with CJ! I noticed on your videoes that he was going around all over sniffing a lot to the carpet. Could it be that he can still smell Tubby? That could also be the reason for wanting to mark his new territory - which I think is what he does.

I have seen Fister do the spray motions with his tail, but nothing came out - except when he had the UTI and wanted to to tell us. But at that time, he sat and peed on our bed right in front of us, and looking at us.

Good luck finding the cause and a solution. :)

[jazzcat]

Originally posted by Randi
Debbie, I hope nothing serious is wrong with CJ! I noticed on your videoes that he was going around all over sniffing a lot to the carpet. Could it be that he can still smell Tubby? That could also be the reason for wanting to mark his new territory - which I think is what he does.

I think Randi is on to something there because I noticed CJ sniffing the carpet a lot in your video the other night and my first instinct when I see Ripley sniffing ANYTHING is UH-HO!!!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I noticed the sniffing too, and that one spot was actually the most recent puke spot that had been cleaned - evidently not good enough I thought when I saw him sniffing it. I figured he would smell Tubby everywhere, but I didn't think it was a threat because no actual cat materialized from all the smells except Peanut, who I would think, smells differently than Tubby?

[Cinder & Smoke]

Originally posted by Tubby & Peanut's Mom

I won't get home until around 6:00 and
he has to be there at 6:30,
so no time for trying to get the sample.

Guess I'll have to let them try.

Is Terry home to help today?

If CJ is "empty" at the Vet's - they'll either send you home
without a test -OR- offer to
"lock him up" :( for the night in a "sample cage" and get
their sample in the morning.

You could try "forcing" some water into him before you "Load & Go" -
but the forced water may not make it all the way into his bladder by
the time the Vet sees him.

GOOD LUCK!

[Catsnclay]

Please remember that Cracker Jack has been through a lot lately. With Peanut hissing at him, his new home, and the "fresh" scent of Tubby still around, plus we don't know how long he has been in the shelter, how long its been since he lost his owner, etc. You too would be under a lot of stress if all this happened to you! :eek:

I agree that he needs to be check by the Vet for the obvious things, but this all may be stress related. Cats do NOT like change in their life, and poor CJ, he has had a lot of change lately!

[Shady]

Sorry to hear about CJ :(

When my Tinkerbelle had her UTI, they had to needle her bladder to get a sample of urine for testing, apparently her bladder is very small, and made even smaller with the irritation and swelling.

They also said I could put a saucer under her to catch urine, that wasnt gonna happen, and I dont like leaving her there for samples because the one time I did, they missed it.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I thought about having to leave him at the vets. I was thinking they were open late on Tuesdays and I could drop him off tomorrow morning and then pick him up tomorrow night. I wouldn't want to leave him overnight, but.... I'm hoping locking him in the bathroom 3 1/2 hours before the appt. with the lid on the toilet up and no litterbox will do the trick.

CJ was surrendered to the shelter right around Thanksgiving, so he was in the shelter for a little more than a month. I don't know when his human died, but I do know he was home alone in the house for at least a week, with just someone visiting him for food and water. So he has been under a lot of stress, but we've been trying to make it as unstressful as possible by loving on him as much as he'll let us. I know Peanut doesn't help the situation though....:rolleyes:

I have mixed feelings. I know UTI's are usually easily remedied with antibiotics so that would normally be my preference of choice here (rather than a behavioral issue), but in my brief experience in giving meds to CJ, I'm opting for the behavioral issues. :eek:

He has these two spots on each side of his nose. The vet gave me some cream to put on them in case they are ringworm (but that's another issue) and boy does he hate it when I try and put this stuff on! He fights like I'm really trying to hurt him. I think these spots are sensitive so that doesn't help any. Aaaannnndddd.....he's a drooler. Even though this cream doesn't go in his mouth, I guess it's close enough because he always has drool running down after I put it on - poor little Crackers..... :(

Anyway, thanks again to everybody for all the suggestions. Guess we'll just have to wait until the vet sees him.....

[iloverat]

No advice from me 'cause I only have experience with one cat and she's a girl. I'm writing to offer support and hopes that everything will soon be OK once again in your household. I know what you mean when you say you are ready for normalcy. Come on, little CJ, settle in, darlin' and if it's a UTI, get better soon!!!

[K & L]

Oh gosh, spraying isn't an easy thing to tolerate that's for sure. I know Catsnclay was dealing with this. Please let us his exam results. I sure hope this won't be a problem.

[NoahsMommy]

Debbie,

They make a Feliway spray you spray in the areas CJ has sprayed. Maybe that can help too?

I have no other advise other than keeping him seperate until you've figured out if its behavioral vs. health related. Maybe he just needs more time to adjust to a house with another kitty.

Good luck at the white coats. :)

[BigB_Kittys]

Perhaps, Cracker Jack has a minor infection in his bladder and mucous is blocking it. Snowball last April had such a problem and it was preventing him from urinating. It was not caused by crystals and his x-rays showed no stones in his kidneys.

I know that spraying can be potentially a big problem and very upsetting for all. I hope that everything works out okay with Cracker Jack. He is very loveable and the video of him meowing makes me want to reach through the screen and pick him up.

Brian,

Ontario, Canada

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Vet results here

http://petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68457

Too many PT kitties need prayers today. I think I'm going to be sick myself. :(

[catmandu]

He might,be scared,in his new Furr Ever Home,and is trying,to mark a place,for himself,that is his,and his alone.