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Cats/Manx cat wetting problem

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Expert: - 12/8/2010


Question
My Manx rumpy will wet the bed, chair, etc. While in deep sleep.
Otherwise she religiously uses the kitty box. What causes this and more
important what ca we do?

Answer
Trudy,

You have not told me how old your Manx is or whether she is spayed.  

The first thing I would do is to have her checked out by your vet to make sure there is no urinary tract problem.  

See if her back seems shorter than most cats.  The gene that makes a Manx a rumpy does so by not allowing the tale vertebrae to develop.  Sometimes, the last couple backbone vertebrae are included in the expression of this gene.  In these cases the nerves dealing with the urinary tract may not be totally developed and she could lose control in her sleep.  As far as I know, nothing can be done about this.  You might invest in a pair of "stud pants" which are put on whole male cats who spray, much like a diaper, so they do not have to be cooped up.  In the end this is a fairly low cost, low tech solution if she cannot control her urinary tract during sleep.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Best regards... Norm.

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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