I switched my adult male cat’s food a couple of weeks ago. After how many days of not finding any clumps in the litterbox do I need I haul him to the vet to check for a urinary tract blockage? I know it’s at least day 2, and it might be day 3. Is this trouble, yet?
Is he actually eating the food?
What did you switch from and to?
How’s his general behaviour and mood, have they changed?
My cat was a bit ill a few months ago and didn’t leave anything in his litter tray for a week, but he wasn’t really eating any food either. Just a few nibbles here and there then being sick later. Eventually we took him to the vet who gave him some pills to settles his stomach and he was able to keep down some boiled chicken.
If it’s just been a couple of days I’d wait and see what happens. But if it goes on for a week or his mood and behaviour changes then you should probably get him checked out.
OFF TO THE VET RIGHT AWAY. A TRUE URINARY BLOCKAGE IS DEADLY.
(Look halfway down this page for “Urethral Obstruction”)
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/resources/brochure/urinary.html
Cats pee. If they don’t you have a problem. Hope that’s he’s peeing inappropriately somewhere else (look around under a black light), maybe because he’s NOT happy with the food.
Kevin Krell
RAVINE CATS
If we can’t ask advice on people’s health issues, shouldn’t we steer clear of animal health issues too?
The folks at dogster.com and catser.com would love to answer these kind of questions.
I don’t know Mute. But a cat with UTI/blockage will usually act strangely, and try to pee in any old strange place, and appear very uncomfortable.
That’s why I asked.
Elsewhere, in a discussion about Animism, we got bogged down in an argument over animals being people too. Once it was established that we were not prey to anthropomorphism, it was agreed that animals were indeed people. But that was there, and here it is Mr Wisely to say yea or nay.
That occurred to your Moderator, too.
I’d say that the question of whether to visit a doctor (or vet) falls within acceptable limits, since the advice to “go see a doctor” also falls within those limits. As long as specific treatments and/or medications are not being proposed.
“The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.”
Not if there is an Accipiter close by, then it would be the second early bird. Sleeping in late can have it’s rewards.
I second the advice to see a vet. It’s possible he’s peeing elsewhere, but if you can’t be sure, better safe than sorry. Any animal that is drinking water is going to pee, unless there’s something wrong with him.
Redwolf
You don’t mention if he’s actually drinking normally. If he’s not peeing, he might not be drinking either, or not enough to pee.
Cats dehydrate easily. Take him to the vet asap!
Stop me before I violate board policy.
How’s the cat, Simon?
Stoned on catnip. Large clump duly detected in the box; no abnormal feline behavior observed. Skin pinching shows no sign of dehydration. I’ve never seen the cat drink, but the level does drop in his bowl. I think everything’s OK.
You never mentioned what kind of food you feed him. If it’s wet food it’s unlikely that he drinks very much anyway as he’ll get most of the water he needs from the food. If dry food then he should drink quite a bit.
How long of a time did you take to transition your cat’s diet?
If he was stoned on legal medical catnip, might that have been instrumental in the cure?
Call CSI: - Cat Scene Investigation.
We had some cats like that once, it’s like having a political demonstration. They will pee in the wrong place, knock things over and other forms of demonstrating.