Advice please on my 15 year old cat

creditcarddebt

Hi

I have 3 cats, two are brother and sister and are 15 and the other one is coming up 13. One of my cats, Pebbles is a female, and she is 15. Since probably about September time there would be the odd accident on my conservatory laminate floor, always poo and it would be runny. Now I was pretty positive that it was Pebbles as she would be the only one of my cats to use the garden, flower tubs or just the path to go to the toilet on and it would be runny. I do have a cat flap, and it is set to letting the cats out but not back in as we used to have a problem with other cats coming in. However, Pebbles and my 12 year old cat can hook the flap outwards and get back into the house. Anyway, the problem escalated, and Pebbles was looking a little bit manky, her fur has not been great for a while and she kind of retreated into herself, she has always been a bit shy though. So I took her to the vets in November and they did blood tests which came back fine, they did feel a possible lump in her tummy but said it would be costly and probably not worthwhile to do a biopsy. They said it could be several things, one of them being irritable bowel, so gave me the option of putting her to sleep there and then, as obviously having accidents in the house really is not great, or we could change her diet and see how it goes. I really could not put her to sleep without trying to see if we could help, so we changed her diet to dried food, changed the other cats onto dried food too as Pebbles likes her food and would eat the others too, Pebbles has been on Royal Canin for sensitive tummies, and the other 2 on Purina mature food. I said to the vet how long should we try this option for, I was thinking a month at least, and he said we were being very generous! Anyway, forward on a little bit and it seemed to of worked! We did not have any accidents for a good 5-6 weeks, but then it started up again. And in exactly the same place as it always was. Now I am having wee on the floor as well. My husband mopped up just wee over the weekend, there were 2 lots of wee and poo yesterday morning, and then some wee again this morning. Maybe I am being paranoid, but I am sure that my house is now beginning to smell, which I really do not want. The poo is now seeming to be returning to slightly runny again, and the only way I can begin to establish if this is Pebbles, is because she is still using the garden and pathway too and that is slightly runny too.

Sorry for the rambling post, I just really need some advice as to how I can establish for certain that this is Pebbles doing this, and if it is what should I do. We have had a litter tray down but it made no difference. I can put the other 15 year old cat out at night as he can not get back in ( I did'nt put him out last night though as it was so wet and horrible out!) and if i put the 12 year old one out she can get back in anyway, and I can't help but think that she just would not do it. I can't block up the cat flap to stop her getting back in as then Pebbles would not be able to get out and then any accidents would be justified! I don't know if this is happening out of pure laziness (Pebbles tends not to move very far, and if she does go out, it is not for very long), but then if which ever cat is doing this can get up to do it on the floor then they can get up to go outside! I guess an option is to put all 3 out at night and block up the cat flap so that that none of them can get back in, and then hopefully no accidents, but I do not like my cats being out all night without the option of coming in as they have always been in.

I just really do not know what to do now, so any help would be much appreciated. I know I really need to take her back to the vets, but I know what he will say.

Thanks

spike7451

Awww...I really hope it just a touch of the upset tum Pebbles has.

Sorry I can't offer any sound advice but you could take a look at the topic below on Purrs..

http://www.purrsinourhearts.co.uk/index.php/topic,4820.0.html

creditcarddebt

Thanks for your reply. When the vet took Pebbles blood tests they checked it for diabetes and it came back negative. It would be nice to have a definate diagnosis for what is going on with her.

I have just popped home for lunch and I am positive that it smells of wee, my husband and daughter thought I was very strange last night as I was on my hands and knees sniffing around the floor! Can anyone advise on the best cleaning product to maybe deter any more accidents.

Thanks

Lil_Dee_2

Hi CCD,

I have to say, you're doing really well with everything that you've tried so far...and though I can't personally help you, could I recommend that you pop along to a wonderful website I have found recently ? I have found them to be so helpful with cat issues, and so knowledgable too.

www.petforums.co.uk/cat-forums

If you have a nosey around there, you'll find plenty of information, and please don't hesitate to ask any questions if can't find answers - there are plenty of great people there ready to tackle any situation

ERICS_MUM

could she have worms ? Bless her, it's horrible when our furry little pets are poorly.


Linda xx

scaredy_cat

it might just be old age, cat dementia can start from the age of 12. i'd suggest putting a litter tray down to see if your cat will go in there or if it still does it on the floor.

Elle7

My 17 year old cat started having accidents, after a lot of time (and money!) spent at the vets we decided we were overloading her stomach.

We tried a range of senior foods designed for sensitive cats, and eventually found one she could have. She had food little and often, so she could digest it properly, and she lived for years happily afterwards.

Does she still use the catflap fine? It seems a bit complex, and we were told to check she had an easy way in and out, so she could make a dash for it if she needed too.

creditcarddebt

Hi thank you for all your replies

Erics Mum - she is wormed and treated for fleas regularly, as are the rest of our animals so possibly would think not worms.

Scaredy_cat - we have put down a litter tray and unfortunately it has not helped.

Elle7 - she can use the cat flap without any problems. I think I have made the cat flap sound complex, basically its one that has 3 options - it can be locked completely, set so the cats can get out but not in, or set so the cats can get in but not out. We have it set so the cats can get out but should not be able to get back in (to stop other cats coming in), however Pebbles and the younger cat can manage to get their paws/claws under the flap and pull it outwards and then squeeze in! Fascinating when they first started to do it! Clever little things.

I don't think I over feed any of the animals (we also have a boxer dog), and certainly the cats do not get much of a chance to over eat because unless I keep an eye on what is going on the dog will eat their food. The cats seem happy on the dried food, and the Royal Canin food that Pebbles has been having is for sensitive tummies. Would the food they eat have any effect on doing a wee on the floor?

We think tonight that we will make Pebbles go out before we go to bed, just to see if that helps the matter at all (which it won't do at all if I have got it wrong and it is one of the others doing it!)

neveah

hiya i had a similar sort of problem with trying to find out which cat was ill and we have 4 ..we put each one in the large puppy crate with a bed litter tray and toys .Each night we put a different one in until we found the one and yes it was the last one we put in with the tummy upset !.sorry i cant be of more help

soupdragon10

As far as cleaning up is concerned I mop up with the dregs from my biological washing liquid, as I'm sure I read somewhere that the enzymes are goo at breaking down the chemicals that cause the smell in pet wee and poo.

Could you borrow a crate from someone, it may just be a matter of geting her used to a litter tray again, as if she's been used to going in and out for a while simply might have forgotten what it's for (especially if she's getting on in years).

moggylover

Not sure what to say about the cat. Firstly you need to find a way of deciding EXACTLY which cat has the problem, and it doesn't feel to me as if this is entirely certain yet.

Often older cats will get a degree of irritable bowel, most of the modern day foods seem to aggravate that imo. Have you perhaps considered trying some plain boiled chicken and rice or fish as one would for an actual tummy bug?

Then you need to wonder whether a touch of dementia is making it harder for the cat to use the cat-flap sometimes (because that definitely happens in older cats) and you need to put the litter tray in the spot that the cat is having its accidents in as well.

As to smells, on hard surfaces biological washing liquid or just plain disinfectant should deal with the smell totally, however, you can get an odour neutraliser from the vets if you are worried that there is a lingering smell and this works (albeit not instantly) on accidents on soft furnishings as well:)