My cat is leaking from many orifices. Awesome.

September 24, 2011 5:28 PM

My four-year-old cat has recently started drooling when happy. Okay. But in the last two days she has twice peed in weird places inside.

Coco had a vet checkup in August and all was fine. However, since then she has started drooling when she's on our laps and purring. We didn't think too much of it as she is still eating normally so there's no obvious dental issues.

Last night I went to put away my (thankfully waterproof) jacket and there was cat pee on it. When I told my husband he said she'd also recently peed in his office. The cat pee didn't smell overly strong (yes, I did smell it because on a dark coat I wasn't sure what it was) but seemed to have a brownish residue. She is an outside cat and has never used a litter tray so peeing inside is very odd behaviour.

I suspect it's a UTI but wonder whether there's a connection between the drooling and the peeing? We will be going to the vet this week to get her checked but in the meantime I'm curious.

posted by tracicle to pets & animals (6 answers total)

The drooling thing could be a sign of tooth trouble -- maybe even an infection there, too. Be sure to mention it at the vet.
posted by vorfeed at 5:40 PM on September 24, 2011

On second read-through: cats will often eat normally even with a messed-up tooth or two, as they don't really chew their food the way we do. It's worth ruling out, at any rate.
posted by vorfeed at 5:41 PM on September 24, 2011

Pray for tooth decay & feline dental bills. Have them check for mouth cancer while they're in there.
posted by Ys at 6:14 PM on September 24, 2011

I don't think the two are necessarily related. All three of my kitties drool when they're being petted in our laps, are getting treats, or are otherwise very happy. It's a pretty normal thing for cats to do when they're over-the-moon with joy.
posted by lambchop1 at 7:20 PM on September 24, 2011 [1 favorite]

Get her a litter box and put away all plastic-y items until she's used to it. I've had cats who, litter-trained or not, love to pee on plastic, be it a plastic-lined coat or a scrunched-up shopping bag. I think it's something about the smell.. Either give her a bathroom or make her an outdoor-only kitty.
posted by Carlotta Bananas at 9:20 PM on September 24, 2011

Very much could be a UTI. My cat has them often due to crystals in her urine, and when she has one she will find "soft" places to pee (like the bed...YAY!) because cats think that's what will make it hurt less.

She has never drooled, but a neighbors cat who also had urine crystals would start drooling as a sign of illness or pain. I have also heard of cats who purr when upset or in pain as a self soothing technique but I may be wrong on that. Mine purrs at the vet, and she's very much NOT happy there.

Definitely see the vet, and keep checking on kitty especially when you think she's going to the litter box. See if she's peeing her usual amount. Cats with UTIs will "strain" to pee because just like humans, they feel the need to go all the time but there's not much urine in the bladder. If she's still eating and drinking you don't need an emergency visit, but I would try to go Monday for sure.

I feel like the cat UTI expert.
posted by MultiFaceted at 9:44 PM on September 24, 2011