Is he drinking more than usual? Smudge had Stage 2 kidney failure and he drank a lot of water. He also peed.

It's very strange that they can't find a blockage when he doesn't pee except manually. I've never heard of this.

I hope you can get to the bottom of this quickly for his sake, and yours.

I will support rob's offering. I went through this with my beloved cat during the last days of her life and it, also, was due to kidney failure. Because she had other serious health issues, the kidney failure was a secondary malady but we were back and forth to the vet during her last days for the same evacuation problem. As it progressed, I could pick her up with my hands around her stomach area and often that was enough pressure to get her to urinate. But it wasn't a full proof method and because she had no control over her evacuation...I had to be prepared to place her either in her litter box or over papers almost immediately. In Tasha's case, the final diagnosis was pancreatic cancer which is often difficult to diagnose in a cat.

Find a specialist to test Willow, Summer. You both have all my special thoughts and prayers.

Elmer, I am in Canada and will ask the vet for a referral. To answer, Jasdip, there is nothing different in his behavior. He isn't a drinker so I feed him four small meals of moist cat food that I add warm water to. I know for a fact he isn't going elsewhere as he is confined to a bedroom.

Special thoughts for you and your beautiful cat. I hope it turns out to be something that can easily be dealt with. It's just the worst thing when we don't know what to do for our fur babies.

Several mentioned kidney failure, lab tests (esp. increased BUN & creatinine) would be indicators of that diagnosis.

Suggest taking kitting to a veterinary teaching hospital, affiliated with a school of veterinary medicine, as that is where difficult to diagnose or treat cases are iften sent. They see the most unusual & challenging cases. In the Chgo area we have Univ of IL and Univ WI nearby.

You can search by state: https://www.avma.org/ProfessionalDevelopment/Education/Accreditation/Colleges/Pages/colleges-accredited.aspx

Possible causes:

http://m.petmd.com/cat/conditions/urinary/c_ct_urinary_retention

How old is he?

Mdln - There is a teaching hospital in Ontario that is ranked 4th in the world for veterinary medicine. That certainly is an option.

Chloe - Willow is almost 10.

summer, veterinary qualification and licensing are recognized reciprocally between the US and Canada. The accreditation of vet schools in both countries is handled by the US AVMA (Amer Veterinary Med Assoc) and medicine residency programs for both countries are under the aegis of the ACVIM, the American College. So, Canadian internists have the same DACVIM designation and truth is, most have trained in the US because there are only a very few programs in Canada.

Going back to the link I provided, if you put in your Canadian location, you'll find the board certified specialists in your area. In Canada as here, most are not at vet schools but are in private practice (depending on the area).

It may not be true in Canada but US vet schools are often in rural locations, inconveniently located at a distance from population centers. A consequence of that is that a specialist in a more urban location may see a higher volume (and diversity) of conditions than one in a rural academic setting. Ones in larger practices are better (group problem solving with colleagues), see what you can find nearby first.

(((( Summer & Willow ))))

((((Summer and Willow))))

Veterinary teaching hospitals help with access to not only specialists, but subspecialists. In this case, the internal medicine subspecialty of urinary tract disease. Good luck.

What's listed is a research interest - there is no recognized "subspecialty", nor training, nor credential for an interest in urinary tract problems. Note the cites are 9 and 11 years old. One of the required steps of an accredited residency is to perform research that gets accepted for publication - since she's the first name, these could be those projects and their derivatives (extended to boost her CV to get an academic job) and may reflect the interest of her residency mentor. Her more recent studies (as per PubMed) involve bone marrow and GI work.

There's no such thing as a veterinary urologist. Such problems are among those for which all internists are well trained to diagnose and treat. Using one at a busy referral-only hospital will insure the best of care, if you're not near a vet school or if the one nearby is small.

What an odd situation. I hope it gets resolved soon. We had a cat with advanced kidney disease and in spite of being stage 4 he was happy, playful, carefree. He lived another 5 years then died of something unrelated. Even with little kidney function he always used the litter box. It would be easily diagnosed with a blood test which it seems Willow has gotten. I wonder if it hurts to go? Or a blockage they aren't seeing. Coukd the litter formula been changed by the company somehow? Maybe sonething is in it he's avoiding. Very odd this isn't bothering him. Keep us posted.

I can't help you but wish you and Willow the best and the hope you find the answer. He's beautiful.

Lisa - Yes it is very odd. Nothing like it comes up when I search. As far as litter......I have two pans I rotate (one in use, one clean) and the litter is from the same package. Yesterday I added the second litter pan with a different type of litter to see if that might help.

U of Guelph is a top-notch university with a vet teaching hospital. A lot of our vets donate money for research when a pet passes. It's very common. We got a letter from the University when Smudge passed.

Where are you, Summer? I'm in Southwestern(ish) Ontario

No experience with you problem, but I did have a dog with a similar problem urinating. The vet hospital taught us how to express him while we waited for results to tests etc. Maybe they could do the same for you, Summer. Willow will certainly be more comfortable with you doing it at home. ((((Hugs))))

Inability to Urinate in Cats - FUNCTIONAL URINARY RETENTION IN CATS

Urinary retention is the medical term given to incomplete emptying (or voiding) of urine not associated with the obstruction of the lower urinary tract, whereas "functional" is defined as being caused by a problem with the normal action of an organ.

Complications resulting from functional urinary retention may come from a lower urinary tract infection that ascends into the bladder; rupture of the urinary bladder or urethra; and permanent injury and atony (weakness/loss of coordination) to the detrusor muscle, the muscular layer of the urinary bladder wall, which contracts, pushes down on the contents of the bladder, and causes the urine to leave the body through the urethra.

This condition is more common in male than in female cats.

SYMPTOMS AND TYPES

• Palpably distended urinary bladder

• Ineffective, frequent, attempts to urinate without success

• Urine stream may be weak, attenuated, or interrupted

• Bladder may be so full that it frequently leaks urine

• Abdominal distension, abdominal pain, or signs of postrenal azotemia may predominate in rare cases or with urinary tract rupture

• Recurrent urinary tract infections may have caused muscular problems associated with urinating

CAUSES

Hypercontractility of the Urinary Bladder Detrusor Muscle (Detrusor Atony)

• Most commonly develops after sudden (acute) or long-term (chronic) urinary bladder overdistension; many cats have a history of nervous system dysfunction or previous urinary blockage or obstruction

• Electrolyte disturbances such as hyperkalemia, hypokalemia, hypercalcemia, hypocalcemia

• Lesions of the pelvic nerves

• Lesions of the sacral spinal cord (such as congenital malformations, cauda equina compression, lumbosacral disk disease, and vertebral fractures/dislocations) can result in a flaccid, overdistended urinary bladder with weak outlet resistance (outlet resistance is inhibition of the ability to pass urine through the urethra)

• Lesions of the suprasacral spinal cord (such as intervertebral disk protrusion, spinal fractures, and compressive tumors) can result in a distended, firm urinary bladder that is difficult to express or empty by gentle manual pressure

• Cats with neuropathy, sacral lesions, suprasacral spinal lesions, or midbrain disorders may also suffer from detrusor-urethral dyssynergia, where the contraction of the detrusor muscle and the relaxation of the urethra are not coordinated

• Decreased contraction of the detrusor muscle (detrusor atony) with urine retention is a feature of a disorder characterized by abnormal function of the autonomic nervous system (known as dysautonomia); dysautonomia is encountered primarily in cats in Great Britain

Functional Urinary Obstruction

• Previous pelvic or urethral surgery

• Anticholinergic medications (which may affect normal nerve actions)

• Excessive urethral resistance, usually attributed to smooth or striated muscular components of the urethra (urethrospasm); may be seen after urethral obstruction or urethral or pelvic surgery, urethral inflammation, or prostatic disease

DIAGNOSIS

You will need to give a thorough history of your cat's health, onset of symptoms, and possible incidents that might have led to this condition. A complete blood profile will be conducted, including a chemical blood profile, a complete blood count, and a urinalysis. The urinalysis may reveal evidence of urinary tract infection or inflammation.

A neurologic examination will include a brief assessment of the lower, caudal spine. Peripheral nerve function will be apparent from the examination of anal tone, tail tone, and perineal reflexes (the muscle between the anal and urethral openings). l catheterization may be required to rule out urethral obstruction. If there is no obstruction the catheter should pass easily through the urethra.

Myelography, epidurography, or computed tomography (CT scans) can be used to determine if lesions are present on the spine, indicating a neurological cause. Another imaging technique veterinarians use involves injecting a radiocontrasting agent into the cat's body to follow the course of the urine from the kidneys through the urethral tract by X-ray.

Because there are several possible causes for this condition, your veterinarian will most likely use differential diagnosis to settle on the underlying cause. This process is guided by deeper inspection of the apparent outward symptoms, ruling out each of the more common causes until the correct disorder is settled upon and can be treated appropriately.

Here are some of the possible causes that will be considered and either discounted or confirmed:

• Extramural urethral compression, such as smooth bladder neck mass, a large prostate gland, or a caudal abdominal mass

• Oliguria, anuria, and urinary tract rupture

• Physical and mechanical obstruction; clinical signs of urinary obstruction include pollakiuria, stranguria, and hematuria; patients with mechanical obstruction may void a few drops of urine after long periods of straining

• Lesions above the spine or on the sacrum (the posterior base of the spine) that can affect signals from the brain and consequently the impulse to urinate; may also be indicated by partial or complete paralysis of limbs, hyperreflexia of limbs, and cervical, thoracolumbar, and lumbar pain; depressed tail tone;

• The urinary bladder is usually distended, firm, and difficult to express with lesions of the upper spine, and is typically distended, flaccid, and fairly easy to express with sacral lesions; in patients with chronic or partial lesions, reflexive voiding may return

• Loss of muscle coordination in the detrusor muscle

• In patients recovering from urinary obstruction, inability to void may result from re-obstruction, excessive urethral resistance (functional obstruction), or detrusor weakness (atony) caused by overdistension; if the urinary bladder can be expressed via gentle manual compression applied on the abdomen, detrusor atony is likely; if resistance to manual expression is encountered and urethral obstruction can be ruled out by examination or catheterization, functional obstruction is likely

((((Willow and Summer.)))) I hope you get some answers soon. It is heart wrenching when we can't do anything to really help.

Just as an aside one of my cats wasn't peeing for some reason so I stuck his paw under the lukewarm water tap and he peed right away at a vet's suggestion. (He liked water.) We had him tested and he had a very mild UTI. In one so small that can still be a total irritant though.

Knowledge by Google. Best to cite the source in such cases to be clear it's third party information and to allow followup by anyone so interested to do so.

Mr. Fudd, Source cited in previous post. Reference listed at the end was cut off. Text posted because received msg someone could not get link to work.

I have no help to offer but wish you the best with your beautiful kitty.

The encircled link worked for me last night...accessed from your original post above, Mdin. I wanted to view the info and had no trouble reading it from beginning to end. It was most informative. If the link stopped working, I think it was a Houzz issue and not the link you posted.

He's precious :) I have no experience with this particular problem therefore I have nothing to offer except my best wishes for an uneventful resolution.

I have no experience to offer either, but my thoughts and wishes are that this is resolved soon.

"Mr. Fudd, Source cited in previous post. "

Fine, you knew it. How was anyone else to know without your referring back to it? I didn't think the words were yours because I think you've mentioned before you're an ER doc. That's all. I found it a bit puzzling to find a technical essay in the middle of short layperson comments with no source shown. Maybe it was just me.

All the same, the important thing is to wish a speedy and very best outcome for this kitty and summer.

(((Summer & Willow)))

(((Summer and Willow)))

Lisa suggested what I was thinking and that was a change in the kitty litter. Did you use a different soap when washing the pan or a different deodorizer? I didn't notice but is he still eating?

Good luck and I hope he's feeling better soon

lisa_fla Could I message you?

How is Willow doing?

I am wondering, too

No UTI, blockage, or kidney disease with good vital signs. Due to circumstances, I won't go into right now, he is probably stressed which may contribute to the problem. A dry vet food for urinary health with supplemental tryptophan and nicotinamide, to ease stress and anxiety, has been added to his diet. I crumble it onto his moist food to insure adequate water consumption. I will continue to keep a close eye on him and the next step is to see a specialist.

Thank you for the information and well wishes.

Here's to hoping the stress dissipates entirely, very quickly!

Ditto what Andi said.........we all know the relief you feel. Thanks for posting

Oh I'm so glad he's ok. Pets do feel stress when their owners (or in the instance of cats, their servants) are out of sorts or there is a change in routine and circumstance. Take care, both of you.

Actually, he is not okay. I still have no explanation as to why he has no desire to use the litter. I am hopeful, that though it is puzzling, it is something simple.

Sure Hareball!

Our male cat is walked on a leash and pees outside to mark territory. Then comes inside and pees in his litter box as well, at night. Is Willow an indoors only cat? Maybe he could be coaxed outdoors for a few minutes and peeing out there would appeal to him? (Note: I'm not suggesting anyone leave their cat outside)

Little kids* will often do something naughty...or unexpected...to gain attention when they feel they're being ignored...or they're scared about something. I've had animals mimic this behavior for the same reason. Do you supposed Willow is doing the same thing by not using his litter? Your beautiful kitty knows his action is getting him more attention during the household stressful time you mentioned. Now you've essentially validated his faux pas by fussing over him. Maybe he just wants more of your attention throughout the day, Summer.

My cat was always allowed to roam freely throughout my home but when times were exceedingly stressful...during the months my husband fought pancreatic cancer...Tasha almost glued herself to my side...and if I wasn't available she sat glued to my husband's side. She'd suffered through the loss of her dog friend...our Golden. She knew something in her world was wrong again and she needed constant reassurance that she wouldn't be left alone. She instinctively knew the last night I could care for him here that he was a few hours away from dying and she did what I thought was a very odd thing. She left his side that night and came to be with me. Now that I look back on her act...I understand her need to be connected. She knew he was leaving her and she needed my touch to make sure she wouldn't be leaving, too.

* Little kids aren't the only ones who employ this attention getting scheme...but the older variety are just as childish when they resort to such practices. :-)

Nicole - Willow is an indoor only cat.

Andi - Your story has brought tears to my eyes. I am so deeply sorry for the loss of your husband. Willow has always been a sensitive cat and I do know stress is not a good thing. Lately, with all the trips to the vet to express his bladder, he mostly hides when I enter the room, but I haven't given up trying.

ETA - I think I would prefer having him "pee" inappropriately, rather than not at all which is the problem.

Did you try wetting his paw in the running water from a sink?

Yayagal - Yes, I did try that. He was not impressed, but I intend to try it again later today. Thanks for the suggestion.

You mentioned earlier that he's confined to a bedroom. You've now added that he is probably stressed due to "circumstances." There's a connection there, no? Please help us help you--and ultimately Willow--by going into those circumstances which are causing him stress. You don't have to get super specific with the details, but we can't really help you solve this puzzle if you're holding a few pieces in your pocket.

P.S. He really is so cute!

Sammy - Something has happened that has made me, and the other pets, extremely sad. With a multi cat household it is necessary to isolate a cat when monitoring a condition. And yes, there is a connection.

Summer - my sympathy to you and your pets as you deal with the sad situation you mention. Of course you know that pets also pick up on their humans' emotions and anxiety is manifested in all sorts of ways.

Is it possible that being confined to one room exacerbates his stress? Or has he always been confined as such? If the former, is there a possibility that he could be let out into the rest of the house? I completely understand that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to monitor his habits that way, but it might make him happier and more willing to "go".

I'm sure you're giving him lots of extra love and calming attention. Isn't it amazing how these little ones pick up emotions from us.

Maybe try getting a Feliway diffuser for the room he is in to help him calm down. And of course extra love and attention. I'm sorry your baby is having trouble. One of my baby's is sick so I know it's not easy.

lisa_fla it's not giving me the option to message you. Do you have that feature turned off perhaps?

I haven't read all the posts, so please forgive if this is duplicate. Many years ago I had a neutered male cat who had constant urinary infections, can't remember if it was a narrow urethra or something else. Don't know if they still do this, but the vet did tell me that if all else fails, the opening could be kept open by cutting off the penis. I almost passed out right there in the vet office, but I would have done it had nothing else worked. I wish you and your beloved cat the very best

Oh, Feliway! Yes, I had forgotten about that. I have used that quite a bit to calm that's in various actuations. For example, unsocialized fosters that I have had