Almost to the final straw :(

**jazzcat** · 09-10-2008, 08:07 PM

Thanks Kim. I knew you would understand.

As for the other PTer, I'm here if you want to cry with someone in the same boat. Feel free to PM me.

**jazzcat** · 09-10-2008, 08:11 PM

Uabassoon - Does Tuna act lethargic and drugged on the Prozac? Honestly I don't think I would mind with Moxie, she's just so rotten about food. When she's full and happy she is a very sweet kitty and she will come to me to nurse on my hand like she did when I found her as a kitten.

I really need to find out who is doing it for sure. I wonder if I could set up a camera. Has anyone tried that before? Do they sell motion activated camera?

Would it be possible to give them a pill to dye their urine? Maybe I could try that.

**Taz_Zoee** · 09-10-2008, 08:16 PM

I do not have advice on what to do, but as far as finding out who's doing it....maybe put Moxie and/or Decker in a bathroom just for a while when you leave for a short period of time. Test it out that way to see. If someone pees while they are not out in the house then it's not them. I don't know. I just hope you can figure it out. I know that if either of mine were doing that we would be kicked out, for sure.
Good luck!!

**jazzcat** · 09-10-2008, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by Taz_Zoee

I do not have advice on what to do, but as far as finding out who's doing it....maybe put Moxie and/or Decker in a bathroom just for a while when you leave for a short period of time. Test it out that way to see. If someone pees while they are not out in the house then it's not them. I don't know. I just hope you can figure it out. I know that if either of mine were doing that we would be kicked out, for sure.
Good luck!!

Richard and I discussed that over dinner. I'm going to try shutting Moxie up first. I bet she will destroy the bathroom trying to get out.

**Moesha** · 09-10-2008, 08:20 PM

I haven't had to deal with a problem like this but can imagine how terribly frustrating it is. I also know a family that has a large furfamily that had a spraying issue with one of their kitties. He went on prozac also and it stopped immediately.

**All Creatures Great And Small** · 09-10-2008, 09:02 PM

I found this on the ASPCA website:

Sometimes an elimination problem develops as a result of conflict between cats in the home. If you have multiple cats and aren’t sure which cat is soiling, speak with your veterinarian about administering fluorescein, a harmless dye, to the cat (either by injection, Fluorescite injection 10 percent, 0.3 ml subcutaneously, or orally, 0.5 mL of the same solution). The dye does not stain carpeting, but causes the urine to fluoresce blue for 24 hours under an ultraviolet light. Alternatively, cats can be confined, one at a time, to determine which cat is soiling.

Your urine dye idea is a good one! The only downside is what the vet would charge to inject it

, and you would have to subject the kitties to a vet visit.

**jazzcat** · 09-10-2008, 09:13 PM

I will ask my vet about the flourescein. That would really help in figuring out who is the culprit. Maybe I can get it in the oral form so no injection involved and hopefully no vet visits.

Once I figure out who it is for sure I'm willing to try Prozac. Like I said, I'm almost to the final straw but not quite. I will try first.

**Emeraldgreen** · 09-10-2008, 09:55 PM

I think your best bet is to set up a 'cat cam'. We did this once when a few of our cats were fighting. We wanted to know who was the aggressor and since it was only happening whenever we left the room, we set up our camera and found out that our little cat 'Tiny' was actually the one starting the fights!
At that time we used our 8mm camera. The tapes for those cameras are usually 2 hours but you can get them for longer periods of time. It sounds like the cats tend to pee on the runner the most so maybe you could set the camera facing this area and then leave the house. Come back and watch the tape and you might have your culprit.
If you don't have a video camera, you could rent one or you could use a web cam. We set one up at work because money was going missing and we wanted to find out who was doing it afterhours. The web cam cost about 30.00 at Staples and was easy to install. It is motion activated and if you put it on the highest sensitivity setting it will make sure that it picks up the cats movement. The only problem would be to have the computer near enough to the spot they pee in because the cord is only about 3 feet long.

I think the kitty prozac is a good idea once you know who it is. Medusa has used it with great success with her cats for this very reason. It would certainly be worth a try before taking the more serious step of rehoming them. Hopefully it will all work out with a happy ending.

Good luck with the detective work! Let us know how the 'sting' goes.

**Uabassoon** · 09-10-2008, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by jazzcat

Uabassoon - Does Tuna act lethargic and drugged on the Prozac?

Not at all. This was one of Alexa's major concerns as well. I can't remember the name of the first drug they gave us, but he did act drugged out and we took him off it right away. We went back and asked for Prozac specifically and he is his normal sweet self. The only difference now is that he doesn't pee all over the house.

**Medusa** · 09-11-2008, 06:23 AM

I can relate w/this situation, believe me. Before I began medicating my pee cats, I thought I was doomed to live in a giant litterbox. My males had pee wars and it just became maddening. I tried different meds to no avail until I found Clomicalm and it saved my house and my sanity and my cats from being rehomed. My vet feels Prozac is great for behavior problems but I've never tried it because my previous vet started them on Clomicalm and I've seen great success w/it. Some say it takes a while to start working but, in my case, it began working right away. However, if it ever stops, I won't hesitate to try Prozac. Anything is better than smelling urine all the time, having to wash clothes over again and scrubbing carpet on a daily basis. It got so bad here that Specs totally ruined a dining room server. He sprayed up against it so many times that it warped the door and I could no longer close it. (He's the one who got the pee wars started. All was fine until I brought him into the fold.) I now give them 5 mg. before bed, it keeps them calm but they're not drugged, they don't stagger around or anything, no side effects whatsoever and best of all, they don't pee everywhere. Oh and btw, it isn't just males. My female Yoda is part of the pee group. I have 4 of my 7 cats on Clomicalm.

If you decide against Prozac for your own reasons, ask your vet about Clomicalm. It's used mainly for behavior problems in dogs but has been used successfully in cats. It's been a lifesaver for me and for these pee cats, trust me. Hang in there, girl. There is help out there. You've just got to ask your vet about it. It isn't worth losing Richard over when it's so easily remedied.

**sasvermont** · 09-11-2008, 07:22 AM

I would do the Prozac for sure. It is cheap, cheap, cheap (generic version) and if it stops the problems, so be it. Also, it cannot hurt the other cats, should they eat a little of the food, peppered with the powder.

Gosh, I feel your pain. Nothing any worse than cat pee smell. UGH! x 1,000,000

Sas

**Randi** · 09-11-2008, 07:23 AM

Lori, I'm so sorry you're going though this.

Unfortunatly, I don't know much about this, but like the others say, try a video camera first, or/and the Fluorescite, so you can find out who is peeing.

I believe it's very commom when you have many cats together that some of them want to mark their territory. When you have found out who it is, you should try Clomicalm or Prozac, it seems to have done wonders in some cases.

Best of luck solving this!

(((hugs)))

**sirrahbed** · 09-11-2008, 07:35 AM

oh Lori I am sorry!!

I truly can emapthize here - not happening currently but it is nightmare. I wish I knew what would help but don't know. So, sending (((HUGS)))) and prayers to you. There are always extra straws available.