Worried about my cat, Part II

[Mike 03]

You all gave me great advice about giving more affection and attention to my cat, who is approx ten to eleven years old. He used to be a loner, but as you pointed out, he seems to require more attention and love now that he is getting older.

I've noticed that lately he is becoming more violent towards my dog, for no obvious reason.

He is also having trouble urinating in his litter box. He tries, but his tail trembles and he shoots the urine outside of the box.

I don't know if this is some kind of anxiety disorder, or neurological/dementia, or what.

The other symptom is that unlike my dog, he needs to have food in his dish all the time. That is how I was raised and how my parents treated our cats: They always had crunchies in the bowl, but my cat meows incessantly, until it is like a form of torture, when his bowl is empty. Even though I know he needs to lose weight and stop eating so much, I can't endure the meowing. I give in, fill the bowl, no matter if it's midnight or three am or whatever.

Even though I always take my dog to a veterinarian, my cat has always hated it so much that to be honest I have not set my cat up with a veterinarian. He's also a bit obese, and my veterinarian hates people who let their animals get fat. She calls it a form of cruelty, so I dread taking my cat in after all these years of not bringing him into a vet.

I hope he is not developing diabetes or something.

[flvegan]

1. The urine thing...he really should see a vet.

He may have a urinary tract infection or other malady. At 10 to 11, with the dog, he may just not want to be bothered.

[Sanity Claws]

2. Go to a different vet

I know the lecture. One of my cats is a bit overweight. Go somewhere else and find a more understanding vet.

[LisaL]

5. Yea, I hate being lectured too.

You go in there, and they treat you as a cat abuser if your cat is a little pudgy. I mean, give me a break. I am not going to starve my cat.

[Critters2]

9. They do it if your cat is thin, too. My Ari was losing weight

before I moved to Iowa. The vet downstate kept telling me he was just built that way, and it was nothing to worry about. I move to Iowa, and before I'm there long enough to have found a vet, I come home from shopping to find Ari collapsed in the living room. I take him to the vet, only to get a lecture about letting him get too thin. Turns out the thinness was a symptom of chronic renal failure. But you'd have thought I was purposely starving him from the scolding I got. :grr:

[LisaL]

12. Despite having paid a lot of money, vets have not solved any

problems my cats have.
One of them pees outside the litter box. I had given him antibiotics as the vet prescribed, and he still pees.
The other one scratches itself. Vet visits only made it worse because cat was freaking out over vet visits and being medicated.

[Mike 03]

6. Yes, you understand, thank you. I need to find a vet who will forgive me for

years of not taking him in.

[DeepBlueC]

11. but do it soon

If it's quicker to go to your old vet do it. Say you haven't been in because you were afraid of what she'd have to say about your cat's weight. That should shut her the fuck up.

[Lil Missy]

3. Have you tried Feliway for the anxiety?

That worked well for my "snarly butt" cat when my ex brought moved in with her kitten. Mine was so jealous and got nasty about it.

I would take him to a vet for the unrination problems, and endure the lecture.

[DeepBlueC]

10. I second that.

The vet isn't doing her job if she's making you feel guilty and keeping the cat from getting medical checkups. You might mention it if she gets on your case. Impeded urination is so serious and painful even though the cat might not show it until he is at the brink of death.

[latebloomer]

4. Take him to a new vet

Don't take the urinary stuff lightly.

I just lost my beloved little guy last week because of this. (And thanks for your kind words on that thread.}

Not saying it's the same thing, but better safe. . .

[Mike 03]

7. Thank you. I know I should. I don't know why I'm afraid. NT

[emilyg]

13. A vet is no more than someone you hired to do a job. Don't be

afraid. Take your cat in.

[DeepBlueC]

8. definitely take him to a vet

The incessant eating could be a thyroid problem even if he is overweight (my cat blew up and he turned out to be hyperthyroid) and urinary problems can become life-threatening. There are lots of things that can go wrong in a cat of that age and think of how you wold feel if it turned out that your kitty had something that you had missed until ...well, you know what. I second the recommendation of Feliway. If your vet is so opinionated that your cat goes without medical supervision I'd say that's reason enough to find a new vet, for your sake and the cat's. If her nagging keeps the cat away from the vet, just how effective is she?

One thing the tail trembling and shooting urine straight back is kind of what you see when a cat sprays. Is he standing right up or does he squat? If he is just standing sounds like spraying. I find that one of mine does that when he is feeling insecure or threatened. Feliway might help, really.

But do see a vet. I think you hate it even more than the cat but it has to be done. And you don't need to feel guilty.