StemCell Therapy

Dear Cathy,

This letter is in response to the reader with the Manx cat with the litter box problems (Reader says kitty pee pads a lifesaver, Oct. 4).

Her letter reminded me of a woman I worked with in Houston who adopted a shelter kitten with an extremely small stub of a tail, small even for a Manx. The cat had trouble controlling her urinary flow, both timing and location.

A vet examined her and said that cats with vestigial tails frequently have bladder control problems. I took this kitten to a friend who lived out in the country, and she found a good home there.

So, I am wondering if the reader with the Manx cat has taken her cat to the vet for an exam. This bladder control problem might help explain why she goes on the floor rather than in the litter box.

It might also explain why she was found wandering the neighborhood even though she had a bell and collar on. Its possible the previous owner just turned her outside because they didnt want to deal with her urinary problems anymore.

Dallas Henderson

Dear Dallas,

I asked Bonnie Beaver, professor at Texas A&M Veterinary Medicine, for the answer.

There are many reasons a cat does not use a litter box. The short tail of the Manx can be associated with this problem, she said.

If really short, there are abnormalities of the spinal column that affect nerves going to the urinary bladder and sometimes the rectum. They are much like people with spina bifida, in this regard. Affected Manx cats usually have little control and so dribble urine. It could appear that they dont use the litter box, but it is because their bladder really doesnt fill up. The urine that is not in the box would tend to be small amounts in several locations, not larger amounts in one location.

If the cat was using one or two locations away from the litter box instead, it was likely associated with the more typical causes of house soiling.

So youre correct. It could be part of the problem. Thanks for writing.

Dear Cathy,

About a month ago, I noticed a cat living under the garden shed. She was a trap/neuter/release cat with a clipped ear.

She was friendly, so we took her in and set her up in a room until she got used to the other cats. My son put poop from the other cat boxes in her box. She sniffed and figured out that is where she is supposed to go. Smart cat.

She is now known as Lucy instead of Clippy the Second.

Norm

Dear Norm,

Proof that a clipped ear (TNR) cat is sometimes a very friendly cat. Thanks for giving her a home.

Send your pet questions, tips and stories to cathy@petpundit.com. You can read her Animals Matter blog at http://blog.mysanantonio.com/animals and follow her at @cathymrosenthal.

The rest is here:
Cats with stubbed tails more prone to litter box issues - San Antonio Express-News

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