I've written before, but brief synopsis:  Carey, 10.75 yo tortie.  Became
paralyzed April 2002, regained use with meds (continuing) and time.  Sees a
neurologist.  Narrowed down diagnosis is seizure-type activity/brain tumor.
Started at illness by attacking me if there was a noise/voice of a certain
pitch, switched that attacking to the dogs.  Has sucked on dogs obsessively,
with a 4 year gap, since she arrived at 8 weeks old.

Meds are prednisone 2.5 mg/day, phenobarbital 1/2 pill (16mg?) 2x/day.  The
phenobarbital replaced valium.  Since going on the phenorbarbital, no attacks
have occurred (about 4 months now).  THAT is the GOOD thing.

Carey initially was a 9# cat, now just 7# (was lighter, but gained weight back
- hooray!).  Demand for meds high, appetite adequate.  

Adequate rather than great due to changes in food due to borderline CRF.  Was
great.  Will still inhale a whole roasted chicken if given the chance! ;-D

The problem - increasingly problematic urination.  we have 3 boxes - 2 A&H Easy
Flush, 1 crystals, for 2 cats.  She'll use any of them.  they are kept
amazingly clean.  Still, she urinates in strange places - the top of my dryer,
a bowl, a box, in my shoes (which have ALWAYS been left all around the house as
long as she's been here), on a piece of plastic or plastic bags, on firewood -
very random surfaces.

We have scat mats on the leather furniture, and spraying the family room sofas
with citrus spray on a nightly basis MOSTLY keeps her from urinating on them.
I've recently thrown out throw pillows, wicker baskets of various sorts, etc,
due to this problem.

She and other cat (Skipjack, 2) mostly get along very well, sleeping nested,
sharing food and bowls and boxes and beds.  They get rowdy and a little over
the top once in awhile (her - 1/2 his size), but overall very good for each
other.  She adores the dogs and they are incredibly tolerant of her bizarre
behaviors.

I know the pred and the phenobarb can both increase urination and so does the
CRF, but I'm trying to figure out how to convince her to be able to live in the
whole house and use just her boxes when she needs to urinate - finding it in
weird places is pretty unpleasant.  She has no problem using her boxes.  I've
tried to make her a deal, that she MAY urinate on the dryer if she promises not
to on other stuff ;-D  So far she hasn't signed on the dotted line.

Any thoughts?  I love her to pieces, but this is a challenge to live with and I
don't think shutting her in a room is great quality of life.

Janet Boss
http://bestfriendsdogobedience.com/
http://photos.yahoo.com/bestfriendsobedience