My 2 year old cat has been found to have elevated protein and blood in her urine. Infection aside, the vet and I believe she caused the situation because she uses her scent as a sign of aggression/control. I'm not kidding...she urinated on my sweet dog's bed just because she was mad. She wants to be in charge, extremely fearful/sensitive of touch, only wanting to be pet on her head. She won't even drink from a container where her whiskers touch the container sides. Otherwise, can be sweet, but always on her terms. Before the vet. prescribes "kitty prozac" (again, I'm not kidding), I'd like to see what you-all think. Thanks. -K

I would suggest that you put forth the entire case. Her behavior is not extrodinary and not inconsistant with her physical problems. "pariah complexes" and "agression" behaviors, are very often byproducts of an unhealthy body.

I am continually amazed when the vet proffession "gives up" treating reoccurring urinary tract infections and then blames behavior for its origin. Something is deeply wrong within the urinary system of your cat and it must be addressed and cured. Masking the RESULTING behavior symptoms with mind altering drugs is absolutely fruitless. Allopathic medicine is very often at a loss to explain misfunction of internal organs and systems because very often the case is not clear (not something you can see in blood test or urine test results or ultrasound etc.)They do not know how to treat a condition they can not explain.

These conditions benefit from homeopathy because the "why" is not important, remedies are prescribed on individual symptoms. There are many remedies that may suit your cat, you would need to post more about her history and present behavior and symptoms.

Did they find anything else with the urinalysis? what is her pH? WBC? How often does she get an active infection?

I don't believe that her behavior is being interpreted correctly at all. It is not uncommen for cats with urinary imbalances to urinate outside the box, and it usually does not signify dominance. There is absolutely no basis for the above statement, its a guess and not a very common one.

[ 18. September 2002, 17:01: Message edited by: kkrista ]

If a cat experiences pain when urinating, they will try to avaoid the place where the pain occured, which is often the litter box.

__________________
Shirley Reischman

Sorry, me again. I was a little alarmed at the following statement:

I think you are misintrepreting the cat's motives and I am concerned that you may be adding to the problem if you react as one usually does when "slighted". Cats do not possess the thought process to enable them to plan retaliations. They react in the moment and as such are not capable in planning. Furthermore a cat urinates in places to send messages or provide reassurance to itself, it can not understand that we human find it repugnant. Angry reactions to inappropriate elimination will create more insecurity in the animal. I do believe that insecurity (what could be more insecure than an unhealthy animal?)is at the root of the problem. I am not alone in my thinking as behavior studies carried out over the last 30 years, clearly support.

Thanks for the replies. Please be assured I haven't "taken" any behavior out on my cat!

History: small birth size, one of 6 kittens (I think); weaned by 4 weeks as the mother wasn't producing sufficient milk; removed from mother at 5 weeks as home situation for cats was not good; always "wild", running all over the house before we got her.

At our house: slept a lot for next month or so; usually would sleep at night on/next to my head; didn't like to be pet, only on head; would bite if touched; would jump on my children for no reason, clawing/biting, etc. Had her declawed/spayed at 8 weeks to avoid eyeless children . Seemed to eat/drink adequately. Did not like covered litter box, but used it well from the beginning. Except, always liked to deficate in one particular bathtub in our house. Never able to break her of it, so we leave the door closed.

Appearance: beautiful long-haired torti; green eyes; small build, weighing about 10 lbs.; huge puffy tail, out of proportion to body.

Health: has been fine until about a month or so ago when I noticed blood tinged urine. Not always noted, maybe twice a week at most. I usually buy a huge bag of cat food, so I can't say it was tied to a change in food. She seemed to decrease in water consumption around the same time, but I often would find her taking water in odd places- dog's dish, bird bath, puddles, etc. rather than her fresh water in her food area.

That's about all I can think of. Tomorrow I return to the vet. to test for protein levels in her blood. If they are low, than she is assumably losing protein through her urine. If they aren't, than the assumption is that it's a urinary irritation and the vet. is recommending elavil to calm down her system. I'm not buying that at all at this point. I use homeopathy for my family and friends, but just wondered someone else's opinion regarding the cat.
Many thanks-K

Although I try not to jump to conclusions, 2 facts that you have devulged about the kitty gave me a clue to her present problem(s).

IMPROPER SOCIALIZATION: Hand rearing most often produces behavior nightmares. This is because we humans can not effectively teach a kitten how to be a cat. The kitten gets all sorts of mixed signals and tends to more or less behave like a spoiled child. I have yet to see anyone (regardless of experience) raise a normal cat this way. Still I realize circumstances made it difficult, however, even if the mother fails to produce sufficient milk, it is best to supplement the kittens with feedings, and leave them together and with their mother until they are 8-12 weeks of age. Unfortunately people fail to understand the the maturing of kittens does not end as soon as they take solid food, when left alone it is perfectly natural for kittens to nurse until 6 months (provided the mother allows them to). The weeks 3-5 are times when the kittens learn how to take down prey (they practice this, by pouncing on one another, wrestling etc.mom brings home live prey to let them practice for real) This is also the time when they are taught by their mothers to bury their wastes and how to keep the nest tidy. From 5-8 weeks they learn how to be cats (social feline skills -learn to defend themselves, be confident, how to approach strange cats/situations etc.)

The second clue was the declaw procedure: (Here I tend to really get angry at the vets! whose duty it is to inform clients of the procedure and the likely behavior afterwards). Imagine waking up to find your 10 fingers gone -can no one see what that would do to a carnivorous prey animal? That it will breed insecurity? The behavior you describe is very much in keeping with kitten behavior (albeit a rambunctious one) what one needs to do is channel the energy into constructive behavior, not rip her claws out. Your vet should have councilled you against this procedure and instead suggest ways to channel her energy and show you how to clip the nails for the protection of small children.

Well whats done is done and I am sure you thought you were making the right decision with the tools on hand, so please don't take my comments as an attack on you. I think its important that you understand though, that these are events you can not change and thereby you may not be able to solve the behavior, but instead learn how to manage it. Even if you are prescribed a successful remedy, it is not likely to turn her into a normal cat, because past experiences have been contradictive.

As for her health the fact that she was spayed and declawed at 8 weeks is a big problem. At that age, the reproductive system has not begun to develope, and hormones provided by it, are used elsewhere in the body for growth. It was the fad to do early procedures where I live as well; but the health risks where great. Because she was also declawed meant that she was probably "under" for 1/2 -1 hour (thats a long time for any kitty, let alone a baby). An acupuncturist once told me that there is a point (directly in the path of the spay "cut") that controls bladder function; disruption of the point it is believed, contributes to incontinence, chances are on a kitten that small, the point would have been compromised. Then she is awoken in pain, given painkiller (on top of the anastetic) and lets not forget that at 8 weeks her immune system is actually at a very weak point as she has lost all immunity from "mother's first milk" and is now trying to build her own. I bring this up because I believe this must be addressed when precribing a remedy for the cat.

I believe you are right to refuse the prescription your vet wants to give you.
Please wait for one of the homeopaths to prescribe for you.

In the mean time, please look into a natural, home prepared diet. Grains in commercial kibble tend to elevate the pH of a cats urine, when the urine is too alkaline it presents optimum breeding of bacteria within the bladder, optimum pH is between 5-6 (tops 6.5).

You could also try to create a "safe room" for her, when she pees outside the box I believe absolutely (given history) that there is much insecurity. When you leave her alone, she can be in her "safe room" a place where no dangers exist (afterall, even stray cats coming up to an outside window could be scaring her etc.)

For behavior issues you may want to check out an easy to read and understand book written by Dr. Dodds, the title escapes me at the moment.

Thanks, but she would claw her way out of a "safe room". This is a fighting/hunting cat. She catches chip munks, moles and mice without claws. She will not tolerate always being inside, chewing a hole in a screen to get out. Suggestions most welcome!

[ 22. September 2002, 02:17: Message edited by: karenss ]

Hi there!
You may want want to e-mail Dr. Leela to see it she might help you with a prescription for your cat.
I have tried to explain that subsquent behaviors are due to events in her life that were not natural and therefore you either have to "work" with the left over behaviors or not.
I don't buy the argument that any cat can not be contained, over the last 10 years and well over 1000 cats, I have taken the meanest, rowdiest street toms and made them into pets within weeks. I have no doubt that your cat is "quick with her mouth" -this is well documented and expected in declawed cats. I foolishly assumed that she was kept indoors because she had been declawed. If allowed outside you need to realize that it is contributing and reinforcing "marking" behaviors (which is how cats communicate)-you can't have it both ways...

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that I didn't understand your previous posts. It sounds as if you feel the need to "break" the cat, much as a stallion. I won't do that. I was merely looking for some guidance in terms of prescribing. One of my homeopathic teachers insisted not to get too involved in the nitty-gritty of the "why" behind the behavior. Just look at the behavior itself and the medical/physical situation presenting itself. I will do just that. Thanks.

I'm sorry but I take offence to your "stallion" remark, more so because you obviously feel declawing is OK but periodic confinement is not. Perhaps I am too sensitive, having just euthanized a cat after a year in chronic failure that had been abandoned by her owners for her dirty, spiteful habits that were blamed on behavior problems!
However, I will re-iterate for the last time here that my posts were a warning not to rely too heavily on homeopathy, as it has it's limits too; afterall you can't grow a limb back, no matter what you take, you have to learn how to cope with it!