Cat health issue
 

I am having some health problems with my male cat, Skylar. He is about 5 years old. He had a UTI and I took him to the vet last week. Been giving him his antibiotic, and the vet has said his urine came back negative for anything. I notice though he still uses the litter box frequently, and has been "straining" a lot (once during the week blood came out). I have been doing a lot of research online, even joined catsite.com and this apparently is "common" and takes awhile for the antibiotic to go through his system. Anyways, I am still really nervous. I called the vet again on Friday, he couldn't come to the phone however. The receptionist suggested I bring him in for an ultrasound tommorrow. I don't know if I want to do this just yet, especially (and not to sound uncaring) because it will cost me $350. The receptionist was like "I talked to the vet and he may have a stone in his bladder". The vet has seen him twice already and said he doesn't have a stone because he would have felt it. I am getting frustrated though, especially having to go through "the receptionist" all of the time. I am partially just venting, and partially asking for advice for those of you who have cats and may have gone through this experience. Most likely I will just bring him in for a recheck tommorrow night though. I don't have insurance for him, and if he does have something seriously wrong with him, the surgery will be over $1000. I should post this in the thread about the NEGATIVES of having pets...........Plus, my boyfriend, my mom and many of my friends are just like "If he costs $1000 to get treated you should just put him to sleep, he is JUST A CAT!" That gets annoying to deal with too...........

Anyone who thinks that your pride-and-joy on four legs and fur is "just a cat" and should be put down if the cost of getting the cat better is too expensive oughta be shot on sight. Nahhh... just burn 'em at the stake, draw and quarter them and then behead 'em.

Besides, He-Who-Runs-The-House-And-Pays-Nothing-On-The-Mortgage expects his "housekeeping staff" to feed him, let him out once in a while and clean his litter box. For all that work, he might give us some affection, mostly feline lip if it isn't to his discriminating standards. But we love that miserable little fleabag to death! :D

<-- proud cat owner - ahem - cat housekeeper!

http://mysite.verizon.net/txokmason/IM000200.JPG
The king on his throne... :D

I don't have any advice for you... but as a cat person, I hope nothing too serious is wrong with your cat and that he recovers soon. :)

no advice, since I am NOT a cat person, but I do hope nothing major is wrong with your baby. I can't stand people who say "its only a dog (or cat)". My puppy, who really isn't a puppy anymore, caught parvo last year. I was barely making car and apartment payments, then she ended up at the vets with a $300 bill. Thankfully the vet was awesome and gave me a major discount. I still have to have my cell phone cut off to pay for the vet bill, but Laney is alive and healthy today, so it was worth it!

My cat had the little (crystals) stones in his kidneys. Yes, this is very common in male cats. My cat did the same thing yours did. When he peed, it was just a little dime sized drop or two. Then he would go to the bathroom in little squirts all over my house. That's when I knew something was wrong. The vet told me to switch his food. Try using Purina ONE Urinary Tract Formula. He hasn't had a problem since I changed his food (about 4 years ago). Make sure the little "crystals" (i.e. stones) are gone first. When I brought him home from the vet he was fine again, but it took 5 weeks of going back and forth to the vet to clear everything up.

Pets are like family members to lots of us, and I'm sorry your kitty is not well. I hope he will be better soon.

I had a cat with similar problems he was 15 and I had to have him put down after a major stroke last year. Anyhow, when he started having the problems, he'd just go on bathmats, on the floor, wherever. We gave him antibiotics (took 3 rounds to finally get rid of the UTI) and we also changed his diet to I think the k/d Science Diet.

Thanks for the well-wishes everyone! I found a good vet, but it is still hard. I feel like all of them here in NYC are out to make a profit too which is another major annoyance. Anyways, I am going to try that urinary tract formula. Hopefully things will be okay :).

Random thought here, I know city shelters put cats and dogs down if they go unclaimed, but can a vet really put a cat down that would be healthy with treatment if someone is like "I am not paying for the surgery or do not have the money for the surgery". I am sure they can, but that just seems, so, unethical to me.

My male cat had the exact same problem that Lisa Fishman mentioned above. (My vet called it "crystals" in his urine too.) Anyway, along with suggesting that we change to a urinary tract health food (we also use Purina ONE), the vet said that it is imperative that the cat always have lots of fresh water available. He said that sometimes water in a water bowl can taste too stale to a cat and then they just won't drink it. So, mine is now allowed to drink directly from the bathroom faucet, even though my husband thinks it's gross.

Amanda Dyer
Delta Gamma;)

Euthanasia Story and Product Recommendation
 

I had to put one of my cats to sleep a few years ago. I had adopted Tannie and her sister Blackie from a Petsmart rescue group (I love dogs too but was living in an apartment at the time and worked too many hours - not fair to a puppy.) The rescue group did not know what their history was except that they had been abandoned and perhaps poorly treated - they were still a beautiful black tortoiseshell pair. Tannie wasn't growing as rapidly as Blackie but she seemed fine. One day while home for lunch a few mnths after adopting them, I noticed that she was wobbling on her back legs without explanation. I took her to the vet immediately and he diagnosed FIP (Feline AIDS) as the most likely cause. In 2-3 days she went to complete paralysis and was unable to eat or drink or take medicine. I was heartbroken and I got a second opinion from my uncle, a vet, who ran more in depth tests and determined she was extremely sick and would not recover from her current state. He came to my house to perform the euthanasia (most vets will let you have this option) and he vaccinated Blackie for FIP (cats can be carriers of FIP their whole lives but not develop symptoms). Blackie is fine today and after a couple years I was ready to get her a nice playmate named Manhattan (she found me after I had taken my mom and dad to Manhattan for their 50th birthdays and that is what my dad wanted to name her).

Most vets will only recommend euthanasia when the quality of life of the pet is extremely poor and there are no other options left such as treatment or adoption. But it is usually up to the pet owner.

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Blackie and Manhattan are much healthier and happier with this product (available in white, black and blue). They are very picky about VERY fresh water and I would catch them drinking out of the faucet or in the shower when only day-old water was in their bowl. I purchased this fountain at a target or walmart and the two of them are in heaven. It uses a carbon filter similar to a Brita or Pur.

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Introducing your pet to the Pet Fountain
Each animal's response to the Pet Fountain will be different depending on age, temperament and breed. Some will be nervous because of the flowing water and the low hum of the pump. We recommend placing the unit unplugged next to the pet's normal water bowl with water in it for at least a week. Then plug in the Pet Fountain. If the pet hesitates to approach the unit, place bits of food or their favorite treats on the rim. This will encourage your pet to approach and drink. As they become used to the Pet Fountain, remove the normal water bowl, leaving only the Pet Fountain to drink from.
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