It has happened to all of us at one time or another. You've really got to go, but there's no bathroom available. You hold it and hold it for as long as you can, and you become increasingly uncomfortable. To make matters even worse, you begin to worry that you won't be able to hold it much longer, and that you will embarrass yourself by peeing in your pants in public!

Now, imagine that you finally find a bathroom and try to relieve yourself, and you can't. No matter how hard you try, or how much you squeeze, not a single drop of urine will pass. Your abdomen is now so full and painful that you feel like you're going to explode any minute. You're also beginning to feel sick to your stomach and you've got a pounding headache. Then the vomiting starts. I'm guessing that you are headed to the nearest emergency room ASAP!

This scenario is happening to cats every single day, and many of them are dying needlessly because their owners didn't realize that their cats were in need of immediate medical attention. Urinary blockage occurs most often in male cats because of their narrow urethras, but, on rare occasions, it can occur in female cats as well. Blocked cats are usually, but not always, very vocal because they are uncomfortable. They may keep going into and out of the litter box, or remain in the litter box for long periods of time with only a few tiny drops passed or no urine at all produced. Owners will often assume that their cats are constipated and will give them Laxatone (or a similar product) thinking that with a little time, the situation will correct itself. The problem is that these poor kitties don't have any time to spare. They may become increasingly lethargic and begin to vomit as their condition worsens. Their kidneys will become unable to remove toxic wastes from the bloodstream, and their urinary bladders may actually rupture. Unfortunately, many cat owners are not even aware that this sort of problem exits. 

With this in mind, if you observe any of these behaviors in your pet, please seek immediate medical intervention. Perhaps your kitty may just be constipated, but better to err on the side of caution rather than risking a needless and painful death for your beloved pet. 

Many cat owners feel that it is perfectly OK to leave their cat at home alone for several days at a time. After all, they're "independent", they seem to spend most of their time sleeping, and they're happy as long as they have plenty of food, water, and a litter box. So what could possibly be wrong with this logic? Actually, there are several things that could go terribly wrong. Please allow me to explain.

Cats are not truly "independent". They enjoy time spent with people; they just don't express their affection in the same way that dogs do. They enjoy companionship and interaction. This is why feral cats live in colonies rather than in a solitary state of existence.

Food becomes stale and tasteless and water becomes flat tasting after standing out for an extended period of time. Although pets have no choice but to eat and drink what is left out for them, they really don't enjoy doing so anymore than we would enjoy eating and drinking under these conditions.

Cats are very fastidious animals, as evidenced by their constant self-grooming, and could resort to house-soiling if a litter box goes too long without being cleaned. Once this behavior starts, it can be difficult if not impossible to correct!

There is also the possibility of serious injury or illness going undetected if there is no one coming in to check on the welfare of your pet. A friend's cat was playing with the cord on a set of mini-blinds and somehow managed to get the cord wrapped tightly around his front leg. When she found him he was hanging by the leg and had broken several teeth trying to chew his way out of his predicament. There was genuine concern that he might lose the leg due to permanent nerve damage or tissue death due to lack of blood circulation. Fortunately, he recovered the full use of his leg, and his mouth healed well, although the broken teeth eventually had to be removed. Imagine the tragic outcome if he had not been found for several days. 

Another possibility is that of a male cat "blocking", or being unable to urinate. Surprisingly, many cat owners have no knowledge that his can happen. Unless this situation is corrected within several hours of onset of the condition, the cat faces almost a certain and miserable death.

These are only a few of the reasons why a cat should never be left without someone checking on its welfare at least every twenty-four hours. You obviously love your pet, or you wouldn't have taken the time to read this post. Have someone come by at least once a day to supply fresh food and water, scoop the litter box, and spend some time with your pet. Even if your cat isn't sociable, its well-being is being checked upon. Peace of mind is priceless, and so is your pet's life!

My father used to say that experience was a good teacher, and a smart one too, because she always got paid in advance. Turns out that he was a pretty smart man, because I've found this to be oh so true!
Over the course of the fifteen plus years that I worked in the veterinary field, I learned a lot about pets, their owners, and preventive care/advice that could have possibly saved them a lot of heartache and expense in the long run. I have never written a blog before, so this is a new experience for me. Its purpose is to give me a way to share what I have learned with you. I have ideas for several topics to discuss, but it is input from you, the pet owner, that I want to receive. I need your comments, questions, and suggestions to make this blog successful! If I can't answer your question, I'll do my best to refer you to the proper source of the information that you seek. Please join me as I embark on this new adventure and let me hear from you!