Conference misery::feline

    Is Sasha not spayed?  I know that with unneutered male cats, the
    urine is very pungent.  I don't know if the same thing happens
    with unneutered female cats.  Is Sasha in a breeding program?  If not,
    I'd suggest that you talk to the vet about havng her spayed,for
    the sake of her own health (lower risk of some forms of cancer, etc.)
    

Is she spayed?  Like unaltered males, her urine will indeed have a very
pungent odor if she's not spayed.  If she isn't spayed, is there is reason?
It's not easy living with unaltered pets....

Mary

    Nick, 
    What type if any, of cat is she?  My Orientals can come into heat on an
    irregular basis, and then some are like clockwork!  She could be
    palpated to make sure her "tummy" feels right.  Do you plan to breed
    her?  As for the urine being strong, that could be because she is whole
    or maybe needs more water.  Your vet can do a urinalysis to see if the
    kidneys are functioning properly. 
    Karen

    Nick, Depending on where you live, this is taken from the Cornell Book
    of Cats:
    
    Cats are seasonally polyestrus, and although some individuals may cycle
    all year, the majority do not.  In the Northeastern United States,
    breeding activity usually begins in January or February and continues
    in cycles lasting from twelve to twenty-two days.  By September,
    virtually all females will stop cycling until the following February.
    
    
    This may help you!
    Karen

More info...Sasha is a Ragdoll that we bought for breeding.  The other
half of the "breeding pair" is joining the household in December
(Ragdoll assoc. requires that a breeder own a pair...it's not OK to
buy stud services....drats!$!$)

We do live in Central Massachusetts...and I really appreciate what
Cornell had to say...that makes sense at this time that she may be
"dormant" till spring.

I, too, tend to think that the "pungent" aroma is because she is not
spayed...We've experienced that before from the boys!

We'll be checking with the Vet to see about having a urinalysis.

Will keep you posted.

Thanks again,
Nick

   I have an unneutered male cat and and have recently noticed a problem with
a very pungent odor from his urine. The cat is about 6 months at this time
and is scheduled for his operation sometime during the next month. If this is
the cause, is it usual for it to be noticed at about this age?


		/Ken

    Ken, it is very usual!!!!
    pfewee!
    Karen

    Yup, he's ready to be neutered.  The odor means he's reaching sexual
    maturity.  If it were me, I'd have him neutered before he starts
    spraying and other behaviours you'll find non-to-pleasant...
    
    Mary
    

   I called yesterday afternoon and made his appt. for next Tuesday. The vets
records have him as 6 months but I think that he is actually older. They were
only guessing anyways as date of birth was never known.

   One thing that the vet said was that we have to change from cat litter to
shredded newspaper for 10 days.Is this typical of what have experienced. I do
not know how he is going to go for this and if he has a tendency not to then
I may be forced to leave him closed in for awhile to make certain.

	/Ken

    Ken-
    
    The shredded newspaper is so no clay litter gets into the
    incisions made by the neutering.  You don't want an infection to happen!
    
    Introduce him to it now, so that he is used to it and there
    shouldn't be any problems....

    You might try replacing a small portion of his regular litter
    with the newspaper, each day increasing the proportion of
    newspaper, so he gets used to it.
    

    When I had my cat Blaise neutered about 5 years ago, I had to put
    newspaper in his litterbox, but I thought that was because he had also
    been declawed at the same time (this was before I was "feline
    literate").  He had no problem with the paper in the litterbox.  
    When my current cats where neutered, the vet gave me a sheet of 
    instructions but it didn't say anything about changing the litter for 
    newspaper.  Is it really necessary?
    
    Michelle

    When we had sweetie neutered, they didn't tell us to use shredded paper
    either.  hmm... vet's choice???
    
    Holly
    

    My vet recommends shredded paper too but the last few cats I've
    had neutered didn't like it so after the first day we went back
    to litter with no ill effects to anyone.  Your mileage may vary.
    
    Jan

    When I got Chief neutered they recommended the shredded paper and I
    when I brought him home he really had to go, but would not use the
    paper.  I kept adding litter until it was mixed, and he would go.
    
    Sandy

   I will probably see how it goes when the time comes. If I leave the litter
in then I will just watch him closely. When he uses the box he usually goes
in, does what he has to and leaves. He is not one to play in the litter box.
I will also make certain that the area outside the box is kept vacuumed.

   Actually if I put newpaper in then he probably would stay in there as he
likes to shred it it and for all I know eat it as well (as my newpaper stack
has shown evidence of).


		/Ken

    Do ALL unneutered male cats spray?  I have a stray (well, I guess he's
    not a stray, really, but I'd still like to find him another home) who
    is about 1 year old.  I have plans to get him neutered, but so far I
    haven't gotten around to it.  He doesn't spray, he's in the house a
    lot, uses the litter box without fail, and we have a neutered cat also
    in the house.  He's scheduled to go in for neutering next week, but I'm
    curious.  Do they all eventually spray, or does it depend on their
    temperament (dominance vs. submissiveness)?
    Sarah

    Re: Do ALL unneutered male cats spray?  
    
    No.  But I gather that usually they do.  My Sweetie was altered
    by a "strange" vet, i.e., not his normal vet, during the course of
    an operation to repair damage that had happened to his pelvis
    before I got him.  Unbeknownst to me until Holly came to live with me,
    Sweetie had just had a vasectomy.  They had a torrid affair all over
    the house until it was time for Holly's spaying appointment.  My
    regular vet says he doesn't now recommend "really" altering Sweetie since
    Sweetie is totally gentle, doesn't spray, and is already overweight.  The
    downside is that his urine is very  pungent.
    

    
                         Cat having Urinating Problem
    
                
       We currently have 2 male cats in the house. One is a 2 year old male
    that has been alterde. The second one is 6 months old and has not been
    altered. Bugsy is the problem. We went away for the week-end and when
    we arrived home after unpacking I noticed he was in the corner
    urinating on my living room rug. I have since found a wet spot in
    another corner of the same room . Bugsy is as I said 6 months and has
    not been altered yet. Will this help elliminate this problem?
       My biggest concern also is for my 2 year old, Punkin not to have the
    same habit after watching Bugsy.Any advice would be greatly
    appreciated.
     
    Thanks
      Judy
    

    Ask your vet about the advisability of altering Bugsy.  The vet
    will also check Bugsy for a urinary tract infection.  Also, use
    an enzyme cleaner on the rug, one designed to remopve pet urine odors,
    or Bugsy will continue to use that spot.
    

    
      
      Thanks for the advice. Bugsy was ill several weeks ago and he had a fever
     and the vet took lab work at that time. He could only figure he had a 
     virus. All his lab work looked okay. But the week-end he was ill I was
     feeding him with an eye dropper to try and keep fluids into him.
       Maybe he developed a urinary infection following this.I will check
    it out and I will get the cleaner. We did use one in the corner I found
    but then I noticed the new spot and I was out of cleaner.
    
       I will let you know how I make out with this.
    
    thanks again
      Judy