Levi has begun to cause some trouble...

[AbbyMom]

I don't have any further suggestions except to read the articles at the CatsInternational web site:

http://www.catsinternational.org/

They have a terrific, in-depth article about litterbox problems.

GOOD LUCK!

[jenluckenbach]

If he has crystals what are you doing to correct this? (medication, special food?) Crystals in the urine is 1 of the 2 main reasons for inappropriate peeing (infection being the other). It is irritating to the bladder and painful AND the longer they have them the more likely they will form bladder stones and blockage. As a matter of fact, an xray to rule out bladder stones right now is a very good idea. Most cats that form crystals need to be on a special diet.......for ever.

[tricollie4me]

Thanks for all the feedback -- the experiences, links and support were greatly appreciated and helpful. Jen, when Levi's urinalysis showed the presence of crystals but the absence of an infection, the vet told us that his peeing was likely behavioral and to pursue that avenue in regard to helping him stop inappropriate urination. We were not given any treatment options for the crystals themselves and certainly not advised he required medication and/or a special diet as a result of his u/a.

We'll be calling our vet today for more info, and we'll bring Levi back in if necessary for further testing. I would be more than happy to try medication as long as the benefits outweigh the risks -- Levi is such a cool little cat (think "James Dean" in feline form!) and we love him so very much.

Thanks again -- I'll post back on what the vet thinks of all this -- I'm crossing fingers, toes and all the paws in the house we get this resolved soon.

[Randi]

I totally agree with with Jenluckenback said.

Fister had crystals in his bladder a few years ago, and he peed in various spots outside his litterbox, one time he peed in our bed right in front of us while he was looking at us. So yes, he was definately trying to tell us something was wrong!

He was flushed through 3 times (a few months in between) and put on a diet - Hills S/D, which is supposed to dissolve the crystals. Eventually we had him operated, as the problem continued. He's been fine since.

Good luck with the solving it!

[tricollie4me]

Thanks for the additional feedback

Called our vet today and will bring Levi in tomorrow for another u/a. It may sound odd, but I hope it's something medical as it seems that might be more readily treatable than a behavioral problem.

If he gets the all-clear from his u/a, we'll continue to clean the affected fabrics in the house, get a Feliway diffuser (we have the spray, but have heard the diffuser works much better) and consider amitriptyline.

We really want to do everything possible to have a happy household!

I'll follow-up as things progress...

BTW, Jen & Randi -- I talked to the vet about the crystal presence -- was advised that because our cat is so young (8 months), crystals are not likely causing him the urinary symptoms we are seeing; evidently, crystals take years to build into stones, which are the culprit of pain/spontaneous urination/etc. If you have different info or studies I can read indicating otherwise, please let me know!

[barncat]

I would call another vet for some general info. While crystals do take time, each cat is unique and the size of a tom's ureathra (spelling may be off) varies. Think of sand in your eye... Stanley, a friend's cat, developed problems at about a year and was eventually cured but still must be careful of his diet as his ureathra is very narrow.

Your vet may be 100% accurate, but I would still call for a second opinion.