cats urning problems

Question
My cat had christals and my vet gave my cat some medicine and changed his diet to feline cd, it seems that he shakes his but when he goes to the bathroom and he goes out of the litter box sometimes. What should I do?

Answer
Michelle,

Your cat may very well have crystals or even a urinary tract infection. Just because this condition was treated once doesn't mean that it won't show up again. I think that your first stop should be to the vet. If the vet determines that there is no medical reason for your cat to be peeing outside the litter box then the problem may well be behavioral. I am not sure how long your kitty had crystals before you were aware of it and had him treated. If the issue was ongoing for a short while he may have developed litter box avoidance, what that means is that he is avoiding using the litter box most likely because he associated the litter box with the pain he was having. This can sometimes be a difficult problem to treat. I would suggest that you try changing his litter to an unscented clumping litter if you don't already use one. I would also suggest that you keep any air fresheners or scented products away from the boxes as this may discourage him further from using the litter box. If your kitty has developed litter box avoidance I would suggest that you speak to your vet about treating him with anti anxiety medications. You should be aware that these medications are not without side effects or risk. You can try finding a holistic vet in your area. What a holistic vet does is practices conventional medicine when needed but also uses homeopathy, herbal remedies and sometimes even acupuncture to treat pet health issues. In the meantime you can try a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy. Rescue Remedy is a blend of flower essences that is well known for calming anxiety as well as dealing with trauma. You can generally find Rescue Remedy in health food/natural health stores. What the Rescue Remedy may do is to calm your kitty down enough to be less anxious in general and he may use the litter box. This remedy isn't really generally used for this, but it is worth a shot, I would recommend that you try a dosage of 10 drops per day in fresh water each morning. Hopefully this information is helpful and that there are enough tips to get you started. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again.