Pet Suddenly Having Accidents

Get him checked at the vet.

Our 10yr old Cocker had a few accidents and we just thought maybe we didn't take her out enough. Then she started getting lethargic so I took her to the Dr and he put her in antibiotics for a week, thinking the cause was the cicadas she would eat when she went out at night. Gross!

A week later she wasn't much better. She's been very active and healthy all her life. So, we went back to the Dr, and through a blood test, discovered she was in kidney failure. Who knew... We tried all weekend to save her with fluids and we lost her on 8/17.

We feel guilty for possibly missing something but we know something happened in the 18 months since a normal blood test. She was well loved and we spent hours playing with her. You are the best judge when you know something is "off".

Please go to the vet. We are still heartbroken. Our 9 yr old poodle is doing ok but he sleeps on her blanket where her scent is still there. He's never been without her so he's adjusting. This heartbreak has been worse than losing a human loved one.

Good luck.

animals get bladder infections. Get him to the vet ASAP to see what's going on.

Ten years is a good, long age for cats. he might be on the decline, I don't know. I do know I would get him to our vet.

Good luck!

I just had this exact problem with my dog. She's soon to turn 11 and the vet said "yes", it's a "getting old thing". I now give her 2 pills a day and haven't had the problem anymore.

First thing I would do is take him to the vet and have him checked for a UTI.

Take him to the vet. Sounds like it could be his kidneys.

My cat was almost 13 when the same thing happened to her. Like your cat, she was always meticulous with using the litterbox, then suddenly started having accidents. At first she tried to get to the litterbox, but later on she was barely making it downstairs and started having accidents upstairs. I would definitely take him to the vet as soon as possible. It could be something with an easy fix, or more serious. My little kitty had kidney failure. There could be many other diagnoses, so get him checked out. We decided at her age, and since she was so spoiled and vet visits/medical treatments were traumatic for her, to end her suffering before she got really bad. I feel for you and hope there is a good outcome! I can tell you it was a decision that ripped us apart, but we knew we did not want her to suffer, and it would only get worse for her. I am hoping for the best for you!

ETA: just wanted to mention my cat had other symptoms as well, including lethargy, not wanting to go outside anymore, throwing up, sleeping much more than usual, etc.

Aging and kidneys. Take him in for a check up.

well, no one here can say for sure either, right? the obvious answer is to have the vet check him out. could be an infection, which is easily cleared up but painful, and you should get him on antibiotics right away. could also be that his kidneys are failing.
but there's no way to say without getting him checked out. take him in today. he could well be in pain.
ETA your vet has slots for urgent cases. your cat could well be in pain. do NOT make him wait for a week!
khairete
S.

I would get him evaluated by a vet. If there are no other issues, you should make sure he doesn't have kidney problems or even pancreatitits. One of our cats got pancreatitis (and later we think cancer) around 10/11 and aside from lack of appetite, the first thing we notice was bad litterbox habits.

Many cats live well into their teens, though, so it could be something very manageable like a UTI.

However, someone else just mentioned something that made me remember our old cats - neutered males can get blockages sometimes. One of our cats died and one needed surgery. Please do not wait if this is a neutered male.

ETA: Was the new box before or after the potty problems? I ask because cats can be particular about their boxes, what size/shape/litter and what location. If that's changed, that could be part of it. We had to get an extra large litterbox for one of our cats.

Could be kidney problems - from failing kidneys to just an infection. We had both with our cat. One just required a shot, and the other was something that happened as she got older.

Sometimes vets will get you to try different foods (we had to switch to wet because cat was de-hydrated) but you'd notice that if he was drinking more or going to taps, etc.

If it's not behavioral (usually they meow a lot if that's the case) then I would get him checked out. They can be a bit painful so you want a vet to see him.

Good luck :)

Inappropriate cat peeing, assuming your cat is neutered, is often caused by a urinary tract infection and/or crystals in the urine. You'll need to see the vet for medication.

As a heads up, even after he is well he may continue to pee in the same spots of the carpet if he can smell it there. Cat pee can get deep down into the pad and subfloor, so surface cleaning won't work in that circumstance. We had to replace the carpet in one room after our cat had a UTI.

You might also need to relocate the litter box if he associates that particuar spot with pain.

What does your vet say?

Take her to the vet. Yes, it could be she's getting old. But that could simply mean that she now has some health issues that she didn't before... age can do that.. to people, too, right? But you don't ignore it. Take her to the vet and see what's going on. She may have a urinary tract infection that needs to be treated with a round of antibiotics and that's all it is. She could have diabetes, yes cats can have that. She could have all kinds of something going on... let the vet help you determine what it is and if it is treatable. No sense in just "dealing with it" if it isn't necessary and a simple round of meds will fix it, is there?

Urinary tract infection! It's pretty common and easily fixed. But he will continue to pee anywhere but the litter box until he is well. Towels carpets clothes. Take him to the vet asap

My cat started doing this and was misdiagnosed by two vets. HHe died before we figured it out. Your cat is trying to tell you something. Make sure the vet gives him a blood test. Even thought is's expensive, you can tell a lot by a blood test. If they had given mine one instead of making stupid diagnoses, maybe he would still be alive.

Your kitty needs a visit to the vet right away. It's most likely that he is developing urinary crystals which make it very difficult for him to pee comfortably and often lead to a UTI. This is extremely common in older male kitties. He might have a blockage that he needs help with. Depending upon the type of crystals, which the vet can determine via lab testing, he'll need a diet change. Please don't wait because it will only worsen.

I can tell you that you'll need to switch to a low magnesium food. The main cause of crystal formation is diet. So NO fish based foods. Fish based foods are high in magnesium, which contributes to the formation of urinary crystals. Don't bother with the prescription food from the vet. It's expensive and the cats hate it. The only prescription brand I found the cats like is Royal Canin and that's about $80 a bag. Eeek!

You can go with a poultry/chicken based blend of premium kibble, which are all usually low magnesium, or Purina One makes a good urinary health formula that kitties love and has low magnesium. Also be sure that he always has access to lots of fresh water at all times since being hydrated helps their urinary tract stay healthy.

Finally, you might find that he avoids the box even after you get all this worked out. It's becauase he's associated it with pain. My suggestion is to clean it, wash it out very well, add brand new litter...and then put it on the other side of the room completely, or if you have another room you're okay with putting it in, put it there. Once he uses it without pain again, you can start moving it back slowly.

Best to you and your kitty.

a visit to the vet is in order. my aunts cat did something similar and it turned out he was diabetic.
with so many things that could cause this thats not just age related i would definitely get to the vet.