Collecting cat urine!

theoldcynic

Here's an odd one for you that has admittedly got me stumped!!

Okay our vet has requested a urine sample from one of our cats. They gave us a packet with some plastic looking beads in and a urine pot and pipette with the instruction for us to place the beads in a thoroughly clean cat litter tray (to prevent contamination of the sample) and collect the urine from in there when the cat urinates in it.

One problem, my cat for some reason does not like urinating on the beads! They will urinate elsewhere in the house instead and will somehow hold on during the day until the night time when they sneak off and do it!

I cannot collect the urine from elsewhere in the house because of possible contamination of the sample!!

If we cannot get them to urinate on the beads the vet will have to extract the urine from the cat by other means which does not sound pleasant at all...(queue jokes about extracting the p***!!! which has admittedly made us chuckle!).

Any suggestions to encourage them to use the beads are greatly welcomed!!

rising_from_the_ashes

Ohhhhhhh I used to have to get samples from Smudge fairly regularly and was going to suggest the beads as they worked well for us....

What kind of litter do you usually use? It may be that if it's too different they won't go.

Have you got the cat you need the sample from separated from the other(s)? Otherwise, how will you know which cat has pee'd?

Only thing I can suggest is to put him/her in a room with the tray and wait for nature to take it's course - Sounds drastic but much better than the alternative.

Tiddlywinks

This brings back memories of my old girl with her dodgy kidneys - testing every three months - those were the days!

Try ripping plain unprinted carrier bags into the kitty litter tray instead of the beads - sometimes they prefer this feel under their paws.

Or you could try those polystyrene packing beads - they were also successful for us. Or large marbles (that they won't try to swallow).

Basically, you need something that is non-absorbent and won't contaminate the sample.

One of my cats had a really bad reaction to having syringe extraction from the bladder so I would always recommend trying everything else first even if it means using a puppy cage for a day with the litter tray inside.

Good luck - I feel your pain (we went through similar for 3 years!).

gettingready

Good luck - never managed that with any of mine.

Off to the vets t was, gas/sqeeze (vet not me) and done....

ItchyFeet

My cat hated the beads too - i just ended up emptying his tray altogether and he eventually used it once it was empty.

Waterfalls

There is another brand of non absorbent litter call medicat. its much nicer as its like sand so softer on their paws.

the other method that the vet would do is either keeping them in for the day and letting nature take its course. or by placing a small needle directly into the bladder and removing a small amount of using via a syringe. usually fairly easy, but depends on how easilt stressed ur kitty gets.

good luck

Sooz00

Can your vet take it directly from your cats bladder (cystocentesis)? My vet does that at their annual check ups, as long as they have a full bladder and my cats have always been fine. If their bladders aren't full, it's usually time for plastic litter again though....

theoldcynic

Wow thank you for all your great replies, I had no idea this was such a common problem!!

Poor mite we have been told her creatine(?) levels are quite high and they want a urine sample to double check.

We have kept her in to obtain the sample (as she normally goes out) and left the tray out for her. Only to discover two nights running that she has wee'd all over the floor downstairs instead!! :eek: We are lucky to have the space to isolate her from the other cats so we know it is her!

I will try the plastic bags/polystyrene/medicat first as well as empty litter tray and see how I get on.

She really hates being interfered with (which cat doesn't!) so want to avoid the extraction if possible (and the ensuing vets bills!).

Thank you all so much again!