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I have a 2-part question about my cat. Firstly, she is 2-1/2 years old and is shedding more than she ever has before. We live in southern California and, even though it has been very hot of late, our house is always fairly cool. The cat is an Exotic with fairly long hair and, no matter how many times I brush her or even sweep my hands down her body, loads of fur comes off her. Is it just the weather, the season or is she lacking something in her diet? The second part of my question is that we have just returned from a week away during which a friend, who the cat is familiar with, was taking care of her. Our friend said that it was obvious that the cat was unhappy about us not being here. Tonight, for the first time that we know of, the cat came into the den and just squatted and urinated right in front of us. Although her litter box was ready for a change, it wasn't in any worse condition than it ever is. Was this a reaction to her not being happy about our being away or should we be on the lookout for a more serious condition?

Submitted: 1156 days and 6 hours ago.
Category: Dog
Value: $15
Status: AWAITING CUSTOMER ACTION
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Posted by Lori 1155 days and 20 hours ago.

Info Request

Is your kitty spayed? What food do you feed her?

1155 days and 18 hours ago.

Reply

Reply to LoriW's Post: Yes, she has been spayed. She eats Fancy Feast Gourmet Gold hard food. I haven't been giving her any vitamins or supplements because I didn't think it was necessary at so young an age.

Accepted Answer

Thank you for the additional information. It helps. Cats that have always used the litter box with no problem and then stop its from one of three reasons - first is a urinary tract infection. They associate the pain they are feeling when they urinate with the litterbox, so they stop using it, and try various other places to see if the pain stops. She needs first to be checked by the vet to eliminate this possibility. If she does have a urinary tract infection, they will put her on antibiotics and possibly recommend a diet change to a food for urinary tract health, and all will be well.

If she checks out as negative for an infection, possibility number 2 is for some reason, some cats decide at some point in their life that one toilet isn't enough for them. They want one box to urinate in and another to deficate in. Add a second box to the household and see if that solves the problem. Also, in the new box, use a litter called Cat Attract. It is fantastic at helping with problems like this.

Lastly, cats react strongly to stress - and usually inappropriately. If there are changes in the household, this may be her way of dealing with them. Even minor things you don't think of like more activity, guests, remodeling - they are all confusing to a cat and that can trigger this behavior also. Since you've recently moved-this is a huge stress factor for her. The stress can also cause the shedding you are seeing. Putting feliway plugins around the house can help soothe them during periods of stress, and may take care of the problem all together. They are odorless to humans, but put out phermones that are calming to cats. You can get them at most pet supply stores, or online also.

Since your girl is spayed, the issue is definitely not hormonal. If the shedding doesn't stop in a month or so, once she's had a chance to get used to the new place, you can add a product called Shed Stop or Shed X to her diet. That will help. Extra brushing and grooming will also help with that. I think if you go through the check list above, you'll hit on the answer and stop the behavior before it gets any worse. You need to make certain you clean any areas she has used to urinate on with an enzymatic cleaner that will break down the urine and remove the smell totally. Natures Miracle and Zero Odor are 2 products that will do this. If the urine is not removed, she probably won't stop going back to those places.

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Expert: Lori
Pos. Feedback: 100.0 %
Accepts: 348
Answered: 9/9/2006

Canine Health Care & Guidance

Qualified by many years of healthcare & experience in breeding dogs

1155 days and 14 hours ago.

Reply

Reply to LoriW's Post: Thank you for your response which I will accept. However, I did want to clarify something that you may have misunderstood. We haven't recently moved, although we are in the process of packing to move, which I'm sure could cause the same stress as things are disappearing in our house as they are being packed. The urination problem occured after my husband and I returned from a week's vacation.

Posted by Lori 1155 days and 12 hours ago.

Info Request

I just re-read your original post- and I do apologize--I don't know what I was thinking and I must have mis-read-with you being gone - that would have also been stressful to her. If you ARE getting ready to move, I'm certain the changes in the household are somewhat confusing to her. I'm leaning more toward behavioral now, rather than physical given the excessive shedding and other factors. No additional information is necessary, but please let me know if there are any other issues or if things don't improve. You can email me or PM me if necessary. My information is listed if you click on my name above the answer - you can reach me almost any time.

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