Accidentally Amagical: Serenity

For about a week our cat, Serenity, was urinating outside of the litter box at least once a day. Her diet and eating hadn't changed and I had not changed the type of litter used in the box. I tried every thing to figure out what was wrong. A towel under the mat, more litter, less litter, more frequent cleaning, mopping the entire area with lemon cleaner, cleaned the entire box... Nothing helped. I tried catching her in the act, but she's so damn secretive that every time I went in the bathroom (where her box is) she would run out if she wasn't already in the box. The only thing left was there was something medically wrong.

So we took her to the same vet that saw Georgie. They were so nice to us while we were there with her and even sent a condolence card, so they have earned my patronage. Both the techs and the vet started out saying it was most likely behavioral, I should clean the litter box more often, and maybe even get a larger box. 1) she has never done this before this often. Sure, when I was gone for practicum she got mad and peed on the mat. But every day for a week straight and NOTHING in her environment has changed? 2) we have left for several days with no one to clean the box and this hasn't happened. Plus that was with 2-3 cats using the same box. AND I was cleaning it every day for the whole week she was doing this? I don't think that was an issue. 3) a bigger box? She has an extra large box. Again 3 cats would use this one box and be ok.

To rule out any medical issues, they said they would run an urinalysis. Three and a half hours later my poor xenophobic kitty still had just decided to pee. They found a little blood in her urine and her bladder was swollen, so we were sent home with some medicine she needed to take two times a day and a prescription food.

After holding her down to force medicine in her mouth, watching her not giving two shits cause she's so stoned, we have had 5 days of no peeing out of the box!! This mama couldn't be happier. I do have to say, I also felt relieved that I wasn't doing something wrong and my baby was actually sick as I thought she was.

The food costs so much more than we have been spending, but she's not eating it as fast (she is eating it! But won't eat canned food) and if it keeps her healthy I'll be happy.

Here are some pics from the week. Enjoy and blessed be!