Expert: Tina - 12/5/2008

Question
I have a male seal point Siamese cat who turned one in Sept.  We have had him since he was 10 week old and he was neutered at 6 months.  Two weekes ago he started spraying -often and only on my bed.  Nothing has changed in our lives or home - no new pets, new people, new decorating - absolutely nothing.  I took him to the vet and he has a clean bill of health.  I purchased Feliway (the plug in) and it's been in my room for a few weeks.  I also completely replaced all of my bedding and he is still spraying.  He doesn't seem to be stressed out about anything.  In fact, I would say I am him favorite person in the house (it's only me & my 2 kids who he loves).  Also, everytime he sprays on my bed it's on my side - never the other side.  My vet wants to put him on valium, but I have seen what that does to cats and I'm not interested.  I keep my bedroom door closed during the day, but he sleeps in my room at night.  I cannot lock him out at night or no one would sleep - he has a big mouth.  Can you offer any suggestions.  I can't keep him if this keeps up yet I can't imagine giving him up.

Answer
Hi Julia,

Cats generally urinate outside the box for one of a very few reasons. The most common reason is a urinary tract problem - bladder infections with bacteria are not very common in cats, but inflammation of the bladder and urinary tract is very common. Often it is caused by tiny crystals that form in the urine which make microscopic cuts in the lining of the bladder and urethra, causing burning and irritation. It is common for vets to look for bacteria or large amounts of crystals in the urine and pronounce there is nothing wrong with your cat but indeed inflammation and discomfort are present.

Since your cat is a year old, nothing has changed in his life, and he has previously been fine with his litter box habits, I think that despite your vet's findings your cat probably has a urinary tract problem. (See more below on this)

I assume you also have not recently changed the type of litter or the litter box? Make sure you have a jumbo sized litter box with no cover, you scoop it at least 1x a day preferably 2-3 times a day, and use a non-scented clumping litter. Place the box in a quiet private place that is easy for your cat to get to.

I recommend that you try Cat Attract litter, the litter cats like the texture of and it has a herb added in that attracts cats, so they are more likely to use the box. Even if the problem is medical, this litter will help bring your cat back to the box while you treat his for the urinary tract problem. You must also keep the box clean enough that you would feel comfortable stepping in it with your bare feet - that's what your cat has to do, after all, and she has to lick her paws! Here is some more info on Cat Attract and keeping the litter box pristine:

http://www.catinfo.org./litterbox.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Elseys-Precious-Cat-Litter/dp/B0002ML1ZY

Now going back to the medical problem -  the best way to combat urinary tract problems is to test your cat's urine for pH, you can do this by getting the vet to take a urine sample or you can get one yourself and use the pH test strips they sell at drugs stores (ask the pharmacist). Your vet hopefully already tested the urine pH during your recent appointment - how was it? The pH should be between 6.0 and 6.5 ideally. If it is higher than 6.5, struvite crystals form and if it is lower than 5.5 oxalate crystals can form.

Most commonly cats have a urine pH too high from eating a dry cat food with grains and too much plant protein instead of animal protein (rice, potatoes etc). If your cat's urine is too high you should first try a change of diet (see below) and if that does not bring the pH down below 6.5, you may need to add L-methionine, an amino acid that acidifies urine. The danger of adding L-methionine is that if you add too much, you can make the urine too acidic (below 5.5) and that can lead to a different type of crystal. So if you start using L-methionine (available online and at your vet) you must test your cat's urine pH at least every 3-4 weeks to make sure it doesn't fall too low.

Here are some tips on getting a urine sample from your cat:

http://tippedearclan.wordpress.com/tlc/cat-urine-sample/

Whatever the pH, if you are not already feeding it you should immediately change your cat's food to a meat based canned or raw meat diet - I recommend Innova Evo 95% meat canned, Nature's Variety Instinct canned, Nature's Variety frozen raw, Wellness canned or Ziwipeak canned. If you can't find these in your local pet store you can order them online at places like www.onlynaturalpet.com - I recommend these foods specifically because 1. the companies are reputable and have not been involved in any recalls 2. they contain NO grain and minimal or no vegetables.

You must feed your cat canned food and no dry food, because dry cat food encourages the formation of crystals in the urine by making your cat chronically dehydrated, creating an overly-concentrated urine. Even without crystals, a very concentrated urine can irritate the urinary tract lining due to the ammonia content.  Canned food on the other hand provides more water, diluting the urine and flushing it out of the urinary tract faster before crystals have a chance to form.

To learn more about why you need to feed a meat based canned food - or a home made raw meat diet, please read the following websites:

http://www.catinfo.org
http://www.catnutrition.org
http://www.felinenutrition.net

You may also want to try some herbs known to soothe the urinary tract lining, the following are safe to give to cats for this purpose: Marshmallow root or cornsilk - you can find them in bulk powder form at health food stores. Bring one cup of water to a boil. Pour it over one rounded teaspoon of dried herb. Cover and steep for 20 - 30 minutes. Add to his food twice daily for 2 weeks.

Cosequin, the joint supplement, can also be given to help soothe the urinary tract lining. This lining contains the same proteoglycans found in joints, so the joint supplement can do double duty.

I have also had good results with Flower Essences for emotional issues in cats. Here is one you might want to try:

http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/SpiritEssence-UR-Fine/276023.aspx

Or you can look at your local health store - Bach flower essences usually have a sheet that explains which ones may be suitable for your cat.

Your cat may be  urinating in the same spot because he can still smell traces of the urine even though you cannot on the mattress. You need to really soak the mattress spot with a urine remover sold at pet stores, like Nature's Miracle or Anti-Icky-Poo (yes there really is a product called this). Let it dry gradually so the enzymes have time to break down the urine proteins that your cat can smell. You can also soak your bedding in a laundry tub with diluted urine remover, then wash in very hot water with regular detergent and some of the urine remover added to the washing machine.


Good luck!