Anyone with multiple cats had sucess with innapropriate elimination??? UPDATE 11/12

[Medusa]

Your post sounds like where I was just a few short years ago. Specs got pee wars started and I felt like I was living in a giant litter box. I tried everything you've mentioned w/the same results. They even peed on the Feliway plugins. I actually bawled in my vet's office one day and that's when he told me about Clomicalm. I'm sure you know about it b/c you're a vet tech but I was ready to try anything. If he would've said that I had to stand on my head and stack beebees I would've done it. He told me that it might take several weeks to begin working but I saw immediate results. The trick is not to miss a dose. I get their blood work done each year and so far, no problems, no side effects either. They get such a small dose, 5 mg. at bedtime. Specs gets it twice a day; he's a Maine Coon, a big boy, and the troublemaker but I can assure you that he suffers no side effects whatsoever, no drowsiness, no personality change, nothing but no inappropriate peeing.

Before Clomicalm Specs sprayed my dining room server so many times in the same spot that one of the doors actually came off the hinges and it warped the wood. That's what sent me to my vet w/the crying. He told me that it was made for dogs w/separation anxiety and/or aggression but that it was being used successfully on cats. Yes, I was reluctant to try a drug but I was not willing to have my entire home ruined. I'm happy to say that my house is now a "pee free zone". They use the litter boxes w/no problems whatsoever. Perhaps talk to your vet about Clomicalm and see what s/he says. It's been a godsend for me.

Good luck. I truly know how upsetting it is and I can so relate to your anxiety. Keep us posted.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm so sorry to hear that you're still having pee problems. What kind of food are you feeding your cats? My Storm had to have PU surgery because he became blocked 2 times and even when he was put on Royal Canin Urinary S/O he would still sometimes get UTI's. He also had struvite crystals. All of my cats are now on grain free diets and eat both dry and canned food and now Storm's urinary problems are over.

One summer I was having aggressive problems with my cats and both Storm and my RB Starr started peeing on my carpet. I took them to the vet and they were both fine so it was behavioral. I also tried the Feliway spray and plugins and they seemed to work at first but later they seemed to become immune to it and it didn't seem to help with the aggression.

My vet suggested Cat Attract litter and this worked immediately. I also put out more litter boxes in the areas where they were peeing. One of them was peeing by my front door so my vet suggested that I put a litterbox there and then gradually pull it down my hallway into a different location. I did this without any more peeing problems. I always scoop 2 times a day. I also use an enzyme cleaner called Simple Solution. I've also used Zero Odor on my litter boxes and it really works well to hide the urine scent. It does kind of smell like bleach though.

I tried to put Storm on some meds to help calm him down but none of them worked well for him and they did change his personality. I tried Clomicalm which made him very lethargic but I think he was on a higher doseage than Mary's cats. He was also on prozac which worked great at first but then he became anorexic and lethargic. He was also on an herbal pill for a while which really helped at first without any side effects but later on it didn't seem to help and then the company started adding wheat to it which I didn't like. Now Storm seems to be better about his aggression but he still has his moments. I think that my RB Starr may of had something to do with it as well as my RB Sunny. Time will tell though when my kittens are grown up. Storm loves kittens but then seems to not tolerate adult cats very well.

Right now I have 5 litter boxes for 6 cats and it works out well. Sometimes they don't even use them all. I'm also using Dr. Elsey's Unscented Precious Cat Litter which everyone seems to like. I haven't had any more peeing issues since that horrible summer several years ago. I hope that you'll be able to find a solution to your peeing problem. Good luck.

[Cataholic]

I totally get your panicky feelings, totally! I have 7 cats, and two weeks ago, I could have told you my pee problems were 99.99% non existant. I have had multiple cats for years, and can only say there have been a handful to times I had pee issues. This last week I have had 4 episodes of peeing, the last time on my bed, as I slept.

I suspect it is Minnie, my feral. I spent just under $400 to rule out the medical. I believe it is behavioural. So, what do I do? I up my scooping, I don't leave anything on the floor (including the bath mat), and this time, I am trying to pay extra attention to her. I was medicating her for potential infection, but now that it has been ruled out, I am not. I grab her and go into the bathroom for about 10 minutes of loving. That is about all she can handle.

One thing you said struck me...that it was almost as if the feliway CAUSED the peeing. I had just switched my plug in, and the peeing started. I am removing it this moment. Is it a coincidence? Maybe...but I am not taking any chances.

I have learned that if you don't get the pee smell up, they will pee again. I absolutely swear by Odorxit. I know others use other products...but, I have yet to experience what Odorxit does. I had someone use those plastic under the bed storage bins as a litterbox. The clothes were saturated, dried and saturated again. The Odorxit totally removed it. I think it is online only, and I need to re-order.

I guess I don't have any real answers for you, but wanted to sympathize with you for what that is worth. Usually, it is temporary. Good luck.

[Freedom]

Oh how I know the feeling!

Once I put Mandy in a bedroom by herself, back in July, it all stopped, here.

So, I am wondering it you can identify a "culprit," and put that one in the room with Cami? See if this calms things down?

Meantime, Cami gets some company and you get to see how that goes!

I put one cat in with Mandy overnight now and again. As long as it isn't Tommy, they get along fine. That darn boy, he is 3 times her size and seems to think he has to PICK ON HER!

[Ivy]

Your post sounds like where I was just a few short years ago. Specs got pee wars started and I felt like I was living in a giant litter box. I tried everything you've mentioned w/the same results. They even peed on the Feliway plugins. I actually bawled in my vet's office one day and that's when he told me about Clomicalm. I'm sure you know about it b/c you're a vet tech but I was ready to try anything. If he would've said that I had to stand on my head and stack beebees I would've done it. He told me that it might take several weeks to begin working but I saw immediate results. The trick is not to miss a dose. I get their blood work done each year and so far, no problems, no side effects either. They get such a small dose, 5 mg. at bedtime. Specs gets it twice a day; he's a Maine Coon, a big boy, and the troublemaker but I can assure you that he suffers no side effects whatsoever, no drowsiness, no personality change, nothing but no inappropriate peeing.

Before Clomicalm Specs sprayed my dining room server so many times in the same spot that one of the doors actually came off the hinges and it warped the wood. That's what sent me to my vet w/the crying. He told me that it was made for dogs w/separation anxiety and/or aggression but that it was being used successfully on cats. Yes, I was reluctant to try a drug but I was not willing to have my entire home ruined. I'm happy to say that my house is now a "pee free zone". They use the litter boxes w/no problems whatsoever. Perhaps talk to your vet about Clomicalm and see what s/he says. It's been a godsend for me.

Good luck. I truly know how upsetting it is and I can so relate to your anxiety. Keep us posted.

Hi My name is Victoria and I am new, and joined just to talk to you, I had to take in my article of this forum to my vet and come this monday, he will decide on prozac or the clomicalm, even though he said it would be up to me, because it is not FDA for cat (He said it was in other places) Just not the states, so I seen you were from OHIO and told him, This is what I want if I have to order it on the black market, it is either that or get rid of my cat, I have tried effexor, and some other pill. She is a smart cat and is hard to pill, so I was doing the transdermal thing, but it's not working, the doctor told me the prozac comes in a liquid but I dont want to waste anymore time, so should I just figure our a way to get her to take it! And go with the Clomicalm? Your my only hope, please help! Oh by the way my cats name is Ivy and she is a calico app. 9 pounds, This is just making me so sad! Thanks for your time..... ps. have your tried the prozac? Is the Clomacalm expensive? Thanks again Victoira

[Medusa]

Hi My name is Victoria and I am new, and joined just to talk to you, I had to take in my article of this forum to my vet and come this monday, he will decide on prozac or the clomicalm, even though he said it would be up to me, because it is not FDA for cat (He said it was in other places) Just not the states, so I seen you were from OHIO and told him, This is what I want if I have to order it on the black market, it is either that or get rid of my cat, I have tried effexor, and some other pill. She is a smart cat and is hard to pill, so I was doing the transdermal thing, but it's not working, the doctor told me the prozac comes in a liquid but I dont want to waste anymore time, so should I just figure our a way to get her to take it! And go with the Clomicalm? Your my only hope, please help! Oh by the way my cats name is Ivy and she is a calico app. 9 pounds, This is just making me so sad! Thanks for your time..... ps. have your tried the prozac? Is the Clomacalm expensive? Thanks again Victoira

Hi Victoria, welcome to Pet Talk! Let's see now, I've tried amitryptilene which worked in the beginning but then stopped shortly thereafter plus it had a sedative effect on my cats, which I didn't like. I also tried Buspar w/no success whatsoever. I have not tried Prozac b/c once I found Clomicalm, it worked so well that I had no reason to try anything else. (If it ain't broke....)

Clomicalm comes in smaller doses, I think as low as 5 mg. but don't quote me b/c I'm not sure. I've always gotten the 20 mg. and quartered it b/c I had 4 pee cats. (One just passed away last week, sadly.) That comes out to be 5 mg. per cat and the quarter of a pill is so small that they hardly even notice that I pop it in their mouths. However, if I crush it up in their food, the little snots won't eat it. LOL The trick is never to miss a dose. On occasion, when out of town, if my cat sitter wasn't able to get a dose in one of them, they would pee. You may have to play w/the dosage for a while but I'd say 5 mg. will probably work b/c one of my cats weighs that much. Unfortunately, Clomicalm is rather pricey, depending on the vet. My vet always charges more for everything but I have a local vet from whom I can get it for about $35 a bottle which is a month's supply. You may be able to get it online for less but you'll still need a vet's Rx to buy it.

I hope this helps. I know all too well the destruction that a pee cat can do. Don't be offended but I'm assuming that you had your vet check out your kitty to be sure that it isn't any medical reason why she's peeing. Sometimes a URI will cause it. Once that's ruled out and you do start Clomicalm, give it some time. My vet said that it could take up to 8-12 weeks before it begins to work. I was one of the fortunate ones b/c it started working almost immediately. I hope the same happens for you, too. Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have any other questions or concerns. And btw, I LOVE calicos. My heart kitty, Puddy, was a calico. We would love to see a pic of her when you have time.

ETA: For getting pee smell out, I use Urine Gone, which I buy at Bed Bath and Beyond; some grocery stores carry it now, too. You must get out as much urine as possible, then saturate the soiled spot w/the Urine Gone, scrub it, then saturate again and let it air dry. It really does take the smell out. However, humans may not be able to smell it but cats can so don't be surprised if she pees on the same spot again, until you get her on Clomicalm, that is.

[GILL]

We use the storage tubs, but I do the cut out. The only problem we have with the tubs is Timmy is so large that he does not get completly in the tub. Every so often he forgets to turn around and his butt hangs out. With the CREW that we have in house we still get a couple that get ticked off and use other areas. We can always tell when Bailey is mad he goes right in front of the door to the TV room. When Lucky gets mad he goes in front of the basement door. So it happens they get yelled at and it stops for a week or two.

[Ivy]

Hi Victoria, welcome to Pet Talk! Let's see now, I've tried amitryptilene which worked in the beginning but then stopped shortly thereafter plus it had a sedative effect on my cats, which I didn't like. I also tried Buspar w/no success whatsoever. I have not tried Prozac b/c once I found Clomicalm, it worked so well that I had no reason to try anything else. (If it ain't broke....)

Clomicalm comes in smaller doses, I think as low as 5 mg. but don't quote me b/c I'm not sure. I've always gotten the 20 mg. and quartered it b/c I had 4 pee cats. (One just passed away last week, sadly.) That comes out to be 5 mg. per cat and the quarter of a pill is so small that they hardly even notice that I pop it in their mouths. However, if I crush it up in their food, the little snots won't eat it. LOL The trick is never to miss a dose. On occasion, when out of town, if my cat sitter wasn't able to get a dose in one of them, they would pee. You may have to play w/the dosage for a while but I'd say 5 mg. will probably work b/c one of my cats weighs that much. Unfortunately, Clomicalm is rather pricey, depending on the vet. My vet always charges more for everything but I have a local vet from whom I can get it for about $35 a bottle which is a month's supply. You may be able to get it online for less but you'll still need a vet's Rx to buy it.

I hope this helps. I know all too well the destruction that a pee cat can do. Don't be offended but I'm assuming that you had your vet check out your kitty to be sure that it isn't any medical reason why she's peeing. Sometimes a URI will cause it. Once that's ruled out and you do start Clomicalm, give it some time. My vet said that it could take up to 8-12 weeks before it begins to work. I was one of the fortunate ones b/c it started working almost immediately. I hope the same happens for you, too. Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have any other questions or concerns. And btw, I LOVE calicos. My heart kitty, Puddy, was a calico. We would love to see a pic of her when you have time.

ETA: For getting pee smell out, I use Urine Gone, which I buy at Bed Bath and Beyond; some grocery stores carry it now, too. You must get out as much urine as possible, then saturate the soiled spot w/the Urine Gone, scrub it, then saturate again and let it air dry. It really does take the smell out. However, humans may not be able to smell it but cats can so don't be surprised if she pees on the same spot again, until you get her on Clomicalm, that is.

OMG thanks for getting back so soon, I was afraid I would have problems getting on this site! Well the just vet called and there are no problems with her health, I do think he is pushing for the prozac, only because I had problems getting those pills down her! Plus I think he is worried, because he has never put any cats on clomicalm. It will be on my head, if something happens, but it's just like any other meds. we give to our kids right! I have to make to best choice for our family but because I was willing to by them on the internet, I think he would rather give me the script! I hope I have the right cat! They are so darn sneaky! But she is the only one that hisses, is compulsive and when I go to the bathroom, she rubs up on my leg and her tail shakes, but she has never gone pee on me. One time my older cat was sick, so I kept her in my bathroom for a week, with her own box, and water and food and a blanket, and now about every 3 days I go into the bath room and where bellas blanket was their is pee, and where her box was, there is pee, what the heck some days I take turns putting 2 on the deck, just hoping to come home and find something, so I can figure this out, but of course that never happens, like they know what I am up too! Anyhow, thanks soooooo much, Victoria
But I am need a quick fix like asap. I'll hold her down or put her in a cage and withhold her food to make her take it !...If I have too! It's that or my husband says she has to go. you know what is weird, is her sister always lays in the spot I clean with the carpet cleaner and loves the feline away, Im not so sure Ivy likes it! Thanks soooooo much

[Karen]

Try picking up some "Nature's Miracle" at Petco or somewhere similar - this is an enzymatic cleaner - so removes the things that we cannot smell, but cats can that tells them "pee here!" That, combined with the meds, should help.

[Medusa]

But I am need a quick fix like asap. I'll hold her down or put her in a cage and withhold her food to make her take it !...If I have too! It's that or my husband says she has to go. you know what is weird, is her sister always lays in the spot I clean with the carpet cleaner and loves the feline away, Im not so sure Ivy likes it! Thanks soooooo much

I know that some vets are hesitant to prescribe Clomicalm b/c it was originally intended for dogs but, fortunately, my old vet and my new one both see the wisdom in trying it. My cats have been on it for several years now, approximately 6 years or so. I get their blood work done every year just to be safe and they've had no reaction whatsoever from it. Of course, just as humans are all different, so are cats, so I can't in good conscience say that yours will react just as mine have. I can only tell you that Clomicalm definitely works for my Fur Posse.

As for getting your kitty to swallow it, the 5 mg. is so small that it's easy to swallow. If you bend her head back slightly and pop it as far back into her throat as possible, then lightly massage her throat to force her to swallow, it'll be over in a nano-second. It's pretty bitter so try not to get it on her tongue. Good luck and please let us know how you make out. Tell your husband to be patient. Some things take more time than others and there's no reason to get rid of a cat for doing what they naturally do. It'll work out; I promise you. Keep the faythe.

[Catlady711]

I've increased the litterbox scooping to 3x a day with the favorite 2 boxes and the one closest to the bed that they seems to like, and 2x a day for the rest of the boxes. I'm doing this more out of paranoia than that the box actually needs scooping.

So far have only found pee once since last Fri. And that was a new spot they've never nailed before on the lower kitchen cupboards. At least it was a bit easier to clean, although I think some of it got down at the edge of the linoleum under the cupboard, but I can't smell it, thankfully.

I finally got a urine sample from Sabrina to recheck hers after her round of antibiotics. Turns out the infection is gone but it's massive Struvite crystals and her Ph is still too high (down to 7.5 from 8.0). So she's now on the Methioform that Josh is on.

Josh takes his Methioform fairly easily, I just have to break it up into pieces and hand each one to him and he'll gobble it down (don't ask me why he has to eat it from my fingers rather than the bowl now). Sabrina wants her's crushed into a powder and mixed with water then she'll lap it up off the spoon! Not out of a bowl mind you and not crushed without water, and not in whole chunks!!

So between Jack's regular meds for his Megacolon, I'm also medicating 2 cats for urinary things. Feeding time is definately increasing with all the extra work! lol I hope this doesn't become a permenant thing as no one will ever watch my cats when I'm gone with all the extra work and picky cats!

I'm supposed to get another urine sample from Josh when he's finished with his meds (which will be Sunday) and the vet wants another one from Sabrina around same time. I'll know more then.

At least I feel better to know this is most likely still a medical problem, therefore has hope that this is not the norm, as opposed to a behavior problem.

[Freedom]

I think maybe this time, it is good you have a medical issue!

My goodness, picky about their meds, aren't they? LOL Hang in there!

[Medusa]

At least I feel better to know this is most likely still a medical problem, therefore has hope that this is not the norm, as opposed to a behavior problem.

Sure hope this is the case, kinda. LOL I don't want to be glad that your kitties are sick. You know what I mean.