Problem Cat

Question
I have a male 4 year old cat. About 2 years ago he was in the hospital for a urinary blockage from struvite crystals and had to be flushed. Ever since then we have fed him wet cat food to prevent the crystals from coming back. But we have experienced a lot of different problems. He doesn't like to drink water. And because of this we have to put water in with his food. He is really picky and will eat only a little and meow later on because he didn't get enough. If we go any place like overnight or a camping trip it would have to be near by because we would have to come back because the ice pack on his cat feeder would not last long. All of this has been really frustrating and I keep contemplating if we should just give him up. What hinders this decision is how much I love him and the times he likes to cuddle with me. I know that you can't make the decision for me but if you could offer some advice I would appreciate it. Thank you.

Answer
Hi Tiffany,

I'm sorry it's taken so long to answer, but I've been out of town and just got home late last nite.  

I want you to know that cats do not have a natural instinct to drink.  They don't get thirsty, and then instinctively know to go drink water.  They will drink a couple of times a day, but not because they instinctively know they need to.  Therefore, it becomes important for owners to provide foods with high water content and make water more interesting to obtain.  

For instance, replacing your water bowl with a water fountain can help increase the amt that your cat drinks.  Cats can be curious about water falling, or streaming, not to mention the noise a fountain makes.  All these features alone can stimulate your cat to drink more.  Also, I'm glad to hear you're feeding canned food.  That has higher water content than kibble, and even better, is raw food.  I would never feed your cat kibble (if you do) for multiple reasons, but because it's actually dehydrating to cats, and for a cat that has a hx of struvite crystals, that is the last thing you want to feed him.  It can contribute to the formation of crystals.  So, stick with the canned, and if you ever want more info on raw feeding, I'd be happy to help you out.  

You really don't have to worry about his food staying cold or "fresh" by having an ice pack present on his feeder.  While it's nice, cats actually prefer warm food, as it stimulates their sense of smell, and the warmer food is, the more smell it gives off, and thus, the more likely your cat will eat.  That could be one problem is if you're giving him cold or cool food, then it's understandable that he wouldn't eat a lot, then be crying later for more.  When you give him canned, just give it to him as is, or try heating it up in microwave for like 8 seconds (be sure to check it similar to how you would check baby milk before giving it to a baby).  Cats also have very short digestive systems, so if some of their food sits out for hrs, they won't get sick from it.  Canned food will get yucky, because it will change texture due to the air, but it won't make the cat sick.  Also, if you're planning to go away, find a neighbor or cat sitter to come in 1-2x/day and feed the cat.  If you don't have a trusted friend or neighbor, then check with your vet and see if they can recommend anyone or even if one of the vet techs that knows your cat could come in and feed and play with your kitty.  You can almost always find someone, and then you can go off on a trip or vacation for several days and not have to worry about your cat getting enough food and water.  

I must tell you that most "problems" with cats are due to a specific reason that usually ends up with the cat not getting its needs met.  If you learn to understand your cat better and understand his needs, usually it's the human that's doing something wrong.  

So, in summary, stick to the canned, and consider raw.  Get a water fountain (I like the Drinkwell fountain) which may stimulate your cat to drink more.  Make sure the water is good and cold and always fresh (change it either 2x/day or once daily, unless you have a fountain in which you can change it once/wk).  Don't worry about your pet feeder having adequate amts of ice when you're gone.  The cat will be fine if the food is warm(er).  Obviously, you don't want a wks worth of food sitting out at room temp all day, but if only a few days, the ice should keep it cool, even if it's melted.  Better yet, find a petsitter through your local vet, or a neighbor or friend that you trust and have them come over 1-2x/day.  That will solve a big amt of your problems.  

I urge you to not give up on him and give him away.  It sounds like he's being misunderstood, and with some more education on your part on what he needs and wants, I'm confident you will realize he's not being difficult.  

Let me know if there's anything else I can do.

Savannah