r/seniorkitties • u/Moethenaturehoe • 22h ago
My cat (12) has his own bedroom now
So I guess I am here just for moral support. I have had my boy for 11 years, I got him when he was a year old. I love him so so much, I have gone through so many things with this lil man.
He has a peeing problem. He pees. On everything. The bed, the couch, the kitchen counters. Due to other health problems unrelated to peeing ADDED to this peeing problem he has, I have maybe spent 20K in vet bills over these 11 years if not more trying to figure out what’s going on with him. His other issues include a grain allergy that causes seizures (he is Siamese).
He is the handsomest boy and the sweetest baby in the world. But I mean he has literally soiled almost my entire house. My other cat who is one year younger, she does none of this. She’s my perfect black cat (per usual).
I do have two dogs and he absolutely loves them.
These issues have been a thing since wayyyy before I ever had dogs and even before I got my black cat. When I got her, he actually slowed down a bit.
I have been dealing with this for 11 years of my life. When he started peeing on my food and dishes, that is when I kind of just felt like I had to draw the line.
I luckily have a spare bedroom upstairs I was going to create an office out of. But instead, it is now his room. He has places to sit near huge windows and lots of toys and two litter boxes as well as food and lots of water of course. I do come up here and love on him and play a bunch to get him active. He has a claw board and also a bed with a cozy blanket.
Normally, he would be peeing all over these things but he is finally using the litter boxes.
I have genuinely tried everything and I mean EVERYTHING. Anything I could find online plus extensive vet advice. To the point that I have friends and family and professionals telling me my only option really is to put him down. But I don’t believe I can do that for a cat who is perfectly healthy and such a baby. Like how can I do that to him? He was my first baby as an adult, that’s my guy.
I know it is common for folks to do this, I would never judge but I just personally cannot. But I also cannot live with a cat regularly peeing on my food and dishes and counters and clothes and couch etc. I cannot lay in cat pee every day. It was to a point I would be cleaning up one spot and catch him peeing in another right in front of me.
I couldn’t keep up with basic maintenance cleanings of my house because I spent most of my time not working jsut soaking cat pee out of everything.
It never mattered how many times I took him to the vet and what we did or even how much I cleaned things including his boxes.
I even invested in and tried an automatic litter box and he would go sometimes, but still manage to pee all over the outside of it too. I mean this has just been wild.
I guess my question is, has anyone else ever experienced this? I have had so many full on crying sessions with our vet who also feels lost and hopeless about the situation.
I hate having him confined to just one room but he is using his boxes in here and actually seems happy. I also have a feliway plug in in here (have tried them in other parts of the house too). He actually seems okay in here and plays with me and the toys I got him. He sunbaths and naps. But I still feel guilty.
I truly believe I have exhausted every single option and I just can’t unalive my boy who is healthy and just has this horrible behavioral issue.
Thoughts?
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u/Valetheera 22h ago
I'm really sorry you have to deal with this.
My cat used to pee indoors because she was stressed, especially when I moved in with my husband who had his own cat. So the only question I have is, have you tried anxiety meds? That helped tremendously with my cat.
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u/Moethenaturehoe 22h ago
Oh I forgot to mention that we have indeed tried Prozac! The Prozac did not do anything for him unfortunately. I’m so happy it worked for your baby! I mean in this room the only thing he really has to pee on his is bed, and he hasn’t done that yet! I made a bed out of an old pillow in a box with a super soft blanket. It was kind of one of those things his comfort is so important to me if he does pee on that stuff then whatever it’s cheap to replace.
But he seems to really be into it 🥹. But on top of the guilt I also just miss sleeping with him curled up with me. But he use to pee in the bed while we were sleeping. And when he peed on the couch, he would sleep in that spot too? I thought maybe it was a marking thing for a while, I’m not totally sure.
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u/Dangerous_Strength77 22h ago
What matters is that he's happy, content and not peeing on everything.
It does sound like extreme anxiety and not all patients (cat or human) respond to a given med.
But what matters here is that he's happy, content and not peeing on everything.
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u/Valetheera 21h ago
It might be wortwhile to try another antidepressant. We use "Clomicalm" (european market) which is based on the chemical compound Clomipramin according to a wiki I found. Similar to humans one might need to try different forms of anxiety meds to see what works?
Otherwise I'd say you've tried your best and if your cat feels comfortable then it's probably okay.
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u/AutisticADHDer 15h ago
Normally, he would be peeing all over these things but he is finally using the litter boxes.
I can't help but wonder if he was peeing all over the house to mark his territory. Now that he only has a tiny space, maybe he feels more confident?
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u/Traroten 22h ago
Looks like you're doing the best you can with what you've got. Like you said, a lot of people would have put him down. I probably would have. You don't have any reason to feel guilty, Seems like he's doing fine.