Poor Monty... peeing probs / cystitis

**Antonia** · 17th October 2010, 12:25 PM

I hope it’s not too soon to cheer, but El Monto appears to be doing well. As far as I can tell he pees a good volume, due to drinking copious amounts of tuna water. In the morning I open a tin and squeeze out the water, which I give him to drink. Then I mix the tuna with some tap water and put it in the fridge. Each hour I drain the water, let him drink it, and top up the tuna with fresh tap water. It’s amazing how many brews you can get out of a single tin before it loses it taste! Especially if you put the ‘broth’ in the microwave for a few seconds to bring out the flavors.

So, there’s hopefully no need of syringes and X-rays. Still keeping my fingers crossed though.

By the way, now that all three are on wet food they pee a LOT. I have to scoop out the litter boxes several times a day. But I don’t mind because this seems so much more natural and healthy. And there was me being so happy about the dry food regimen in an earlier post!

By now I have really gone back on that. Yesterday I’ve been reading up on feeding cats and learned that all this dry food is quite unnatural. Moreover, there seems to be a correlation between too much dry food and bladder trouble!

Here’s a very interesting link – it was a real eyeopener for me:
Feeding Your Cat: Know The Basis of Feline Nutrition

I’ve also become interested in the concept of raw food. There’s a lot to be found on the web about the BARF method… I wonder who first came up with that acronym and what were they thinking?

Anyway, I am going to study this subject. Maybe even try to slowly introduce the odd chicken leg or neck… see what the Coonies make of it.

Anyone on here have any experience with raw feeding?

**FreyjaRoMaine** · 17th October 2010, 12:48 PM

No experience with raw food although I recall WoodsideMaineCoons feeds raw minced rabbit and gives it rave reviews - I enquired at the butchers yesterday about this and plan to try it over the next few weeks, so will watch this thread avidly for future posts.

Fab news about Monty; as you say, hopefully not too soon to cheer but all the signs are looking good. Will keep fingers and paws crossed here that progress continues.

**jckkerrison** · 17th October 2010, 01:07 PM

So pleased about Monty's big pee,I am sitting here feeling really depressed,I have just been to collect the body of my Merlyns mum for private cremation,she has been fighting mammary cancer for the last few months & although the prognosis was not as good as we had hoped she still seemed bright until this last Thursday & she passed peacefully over to Rainbow Bridge this morning,not a good day for my breeder friend,or a good last two years, she has lost five of her cats,all through something different,all under 10 years of age ,two of them under three,tears are flowing today as af if she was mine.....

**Antonia** · 17th October 2010, 04:01 PM

Jackie, what sad news about Merlyn’s mum! I am so sorry for you and her owner. She has had a terrible two years indeed. I wish you both courage! And hugs for Merlyn.

**Howlinbob** · 17th October 2010, 07:50 PM

Oh Jackie I'm so sorry, what a sad time for you and your friend. I'm sure you will be giving your crew some extra special hugs xxxx

**FreyjaRoMaine** · 17th October 2010, 09:56 PM

Jackie, I'm so sorry to hear about Merl's mum. It's no consolation I know but the poor little lady won't be suffering anymore and she'll be at peace and free from pain at Rainbow Bridge. Wish there was something I could say that would make it easier - thoughts and paws are with you x

**jckkerrison** · 18th October 2010, 09:29 PM

How are things going with Monty,still in the right direction I hope ?

**Antonia** · 19th October 2010, 03:04 PM

Thanks for asking Jackie.

Judging by his behavior he seems fine. No more frequent trips to the loo, and he's relaxed and seems happy. All the pees I find in the litter boxes are a good size, but of course I can't tell which are his and which are the girls' (I sometimes wish they'd each pee a different color, lol).

So there's good hope he's out of the woods now.

**jckkerrison** · 19th October 2010, 04:33 PM

Thats great news,I am sure he would have shown more signs by now if things were still going downwards,all sounds pretty good.
I agree with the different colour pees,the other I can pick up on,will not go into how I know all their different piles but even little Pansy P pees for England so you wouldn't even be able to look & think its hers because she is so much smaller,she keeps up with the rest of them...

**Howlinbob** · 19th October 2010, 04:54 PM

You know, it never ceases to surprise me how much waste these lads produce. Some days it's like a pile of dog poo or a cowpat. (sorry to be graphic). I have 2 trays on the go all the time, but over the past week someone has been missing the tray entirely and going 'over the edge' and I even had a puddle on the floor to clear up just inches away from the tray. Something told me it could be time to upgrade. Following a great tip on another thread, I went to my local hardware shop and got a large shallow storage box, about 60x40 cm, for a fiver. So now there's bags of space for their little arses and they seem much happier.