Expert: Tina - 1/11/2007

Question
Yesterday enroute to the vet our cat urinated on the towels inside her carrier.  As we were waiting for her to be seen by the vet she licks the urine soiled towel like she was grooming herself. I have never seen her do this. Is this a common behavior?  She is an approximately 8 year old (she was a stray cat who adopted us)Manx cat.  She was taken to the Vet for bowel problems (obstruction in her colon I was told). She is basically an outdoor cat.  Lately she has been spending more time indoors because of the cold weather and she has been defecating (small wet streaks) all over the house. We don't have a litter box inside the house.  All these years she must have had only a handful of accidents.  Like a dog she asks to be let out to do her business.  

Answer
Hi Bonnie,

It sounds like you have a very special, wonderful cat!

Licking her urine was probably a stress-induced response to the vet trip. She had an accident and then tried to "clean up" so a predator could not smell her urine. Poor kitty! It could possibly also indicate a nutritional deficiency.

What was the outcome of her vet visit? Manx cats are prone to problems involving their hind end - bowel problems due to nerve pinches or other problems that can be genetic in Manxes. The same gene that causes their shortened spine can lead to arthritis in their tail stub and nerve problems in the hind end. I hope you had her thoroughly checked out for these problems - acupuncture and chiropractor work may be of some help if there are pinched nerves.

As you know cats are very clean animals and will not willingly soil themselves or their homes unless something is wrong.

You DO need to have a litterbox inside the house, even if your cat goes outdoors. What happens if you are not around to let her out to go? Cats can suffer many medical problems - urinary and intestinal - if they are forced to hold it in. They must be able to go as soon as they feel the urge.

There is no need for the litterbox to look ugly or smell bad. Use scooping litter and clean the box 2x a day. Always keep litterboxes spotless. You can also hide the litterbox inside a bench or chest with a hole cut in it (do a web search on "litterbox furniture" to see some options), but make sure it is large enough and there is enough ventilation.

I also urge you to consider her diet. I don't know what you are currently feeding her, but here is some information on cat nutrition. Dry food can dehydrate cats, they are meant to eat raw meat and get a lot of their water from eating prey. It is always best to feed some canned food. Feeding a good quality food will be slightly more expensive to buy but she will eat less of it, so it won't cost much more - and it is an investment in the long term health of your cat! Wellness canned and dry foods are very good and available in most areas and online. I also recommend Innova Evo dry and canned foods, and Nature's Variety. If you are feeding a cheaper brand please consider trying out a better one. Whenever trying a new food always gradually mix it in with the old food!

Finally, I do not recommend allowing cats outdoors loose. I grew up on a farm with indoor-outdoor cats and we had several run over by cars. One dragged himself home and died on my lap on the way to the vet. Later I worked in a vet clinic and we spent a lot of time trying to save cats who had been hit by cars, mauled by dogs, or poisoned from ingesting rat poison or unknown substances. Please take a look at the following articles for some ideas on how to keep your indoor-outdoor cat safe (scroll down to the bottom for cat-proofing your yard):

http://catnet.stanford.edu/articles/enclosures.html

I hope your cat has recovered from her bowel obstruction and lives a long healthy life!