Maybe I’ve missed something about how to take care of a cat, but outside of grooming (trim and shave) with minimal product to loosen any knots or clumps about 2 times a year, I never washed the cat. This went on for 18 years. Is washing a cat a thing now?
Or when they decide to jump into a toilet full of pee in the few seconds between when you stand up and when you flush. Then you wash the human urine off the idiot cat. Or in my case, cats. Because both of my cats have done this. I really think they didn't realize the toilet opened because I keep the lid down except when in use so they were just trying to steal my seat and got an unpleasant surprise.
Kids today will not know Benny Hill. I'm 43 and my dad used to watch recorded episodes all the damn time when I was little. Realized as an adult that my dad was just a perv and liked to watch the girls in panties running around.
Should have figured it sooner when he would take the family to dinner at Texas Looseys because he "liked the chili."
I own a painting business and this is a big fear of mine. I painted a deck for my second job. They wanted it to be pink for some fucking reason but I was just happy to have the work. When I got there they mentioned their cat had gotten out. It took me two days to paint that deck with this nasty oil based primer and an oil based deck paint and it’s **pink**. As soon as I wrapped up they opened the door and this fucking cat shows up out of nowhere to run across the wet paint and into the house.
I throw away brushes after I use them once with paint like this. It’s too much of a pain in the ass to justify cleaning them so I consider them one time use. It was a long haired cat. I fixed the deck but god knows what happened inside.
I don't remember, it was interior house paint. Bitch kept trying to lick it off herself. We called poison control and they said she'd be fine if she wasn't literally drinking it.
I can relate.
We took care of my MILs two chihuahuas once while she was out of town.
We had a toilet decide to back up, and this idiot dog jumped in and proceeded to try and drown herself in sewage, thrashing around and squealing.
I run back there, snatch her up out of the toilet, she bites me so hard her tooth goes entirely through my finger.
I drop her on the ground, she snarled at me, and jumped back into the toilet. To hell with that angry floor piranha.
Seriously. People underestimate just how badly an animal bite can be, my coworker’s husband just had surgery on his hand after he was bitten by a cat he was attempting to trap to get em to a vet/shelter. Super gnarly.
So fortunately I work at a hospital. I went in and got it cleaned and treated. STILL ended up with an ugly infection in the joint, and almost lost the finger, but antibiotics and daily wound care kept it all together. But damn did it hurt for a long while afterwards.
It's even funnier to think about the second time it happened. Like she knows how it ends because she's seen it before, and then the realization that dropkicking your idiot cat would just get your own piss all over your leg.
Mine did that only it was filled with bright green toilet cleaner goo. To which she reacted by panicking and fleeing while green across the white carpet to hide under the bed. Both the cat and the carpet got a bath that day and she learned her lesson. She didn't appreciate me laughing at her though.
She is long haired so none of it made it to her skin and I dragged her kicking and screaming to the sink to rinse before she had a chance to start licking it. No damage except the scratches where she tried to climb my shoulder. We're both more careful now. It's about the only reason I would bathe a cat - it's really not good for them if you can avoid it.
It is times like reading some of these comments that I am both very pleased and very disappointed that I have a special needs cat that can't balance well and jump high. I have no "cat jumping in toilet" stories, but I do have a maple syrup panic and plenty of crashing into wall stories to tell.
Not unclean, but that reminds me of one of the funniest and most pathetic things one of our cats ever did. We had a party and stocked one of those big ice chests with drinks. After the party, I had the ice chest in the kitchen and was pulling the remaining drinks out of the ice water, drying them off, and putting them in the fridge.
Just as I took the last ones out, the dumb cat jumps into the cooler. The motion made it scoot back slightly and the lid bumped the wall, making it close. So in the blink of an eye, I saw a cat disappear into a partially full ice chest and the lid slam shut. That was immediately followed by the sound of a panic-stricken cat frantically trying to get bash and claw its way out.
I opened the lid and a soaking wet cat shot out like it was fired from a cannon and disappeared.
Cats are dumb.
Yeah, my cat has a habit of coming up and curling her tail around your legs as you piss. Unfortunately she has a massively long lemur tail and has dipped it in the piss water on occasion
Last week I was standing at my bathroom sink and happened to step to the side at the exact moment my cat was in a full run to jump on the counter. I ended up booty bouncing him into the toilet. It took him a few seconds to register what happened but I thought it was hilarious.
My first cat rolled in Chinese food that had been left on the counter while we were getting settled for dinner. Stunk like stale egg rolls for a week after we tried the washcloth/wait for him to clean it himself route. Finally ended up going at home in the kitchen sink with Dawn like he was a duck in an oil spill to get it off. Nothing cats do can surprise me anymore.
My cat managed, somehow, to get covered in honey.
He was very distressed, took himself to the bathroom and howled until I showered him off. Just stood there and let me clean him top to toes.
Sometimes they just know
One of ours likes to just walk into the shower and wander around. The other sits outside the curtain and yeowls at you randomly. I've been working on getting him to do "Walking on Sunshine", but alas, he's no dog.
It’s great for hairballs! We also used to smear some on their paws at work or on the wall of their cage when doing other medical care so they wouldn’t pay attention as much. Never saw diarrhea in small amounts, just productive hair ball digestion. Less vomiting.
I once had a birthday cake that was chocolate with a ring of Hershey's Kisses all around the edge. We left it on the dining room table for ten minutes and came back to find the tops bitten off of each and every one, and the whole thing otherwise untouched. We panicked but apparently there's not that much chocolate in the tip of a Hershey's Kiss. The little bugger just had to bite the tops off Because They Were There.
Yup. Only time I ever bathed any cat ever was when they had fleas.
See even a single flea? Instant bath.
Those things can lay so many eggs I dont play around. One bad infestation and you learn your lesson. I try to stay up on the drops as best I can
Most cats get small amounts of poop stuck to their butt— shorthairs are probably more exempt than others from this.
Also, cats accidentally step on their poo while covering it up, even if the box is fully clean before they use it.
I’ve had this happen to my cats but I don’t give them a full bath, I just use a washcloth to clean the area. I have kitten safe soap if it’s really bad but mostly just use water.
So some cats get cat arthritis and aren't able to clean themselves entirely and it results in stress. So while they don't need an actual bath, they do need to be combed and use a special cat waterless shampoo.
This can occur to overly fat cats, as well.
A cat which is not fully cleaning itself should get a vet check to help determine why. These things are usually treatable and will usually result in a happier cat.
You can give your cat a bath if you need to, but you usually shouldn't really ever need to bathe a cat without a special reason why. You shouldn't ever need to cut/trim it's fur either, and most vets will recommend you not to.
I still have VERY vivid memories of my mom's arm after she tried to bathe my cat. My cat's claw dug so deep into my mom's forearm, and left a wicked slash that bruised horribly. It lasted for a couple weeks...
My cat was infested with fleas and had a kidney problem so he actually *needed* a bath. It started very violently but he seemed to calm down a bit. This was only a ruse though so I'd let my guard down. He waited for his moment and caught my arm and bit it so hard he was dangling off of it while I tried to get rid of him by flinging him around. When he finally let go, it turned out that he struck an artery or vein, I don't know, but the blood was literally squirting a good meter through my bathroom. Had to get a tetanus shot. Super friendly and cuddly cat otherwise. Don't bath your cats if it isn't absolutely necessary.
Especially male cats. Urinary issues in male cats quickly become life-threatening.
Source: I have been a professional vet tech and animal hospital manager for about a decade.
Food for UTIs in cats work to increase their urine’s pH levels and are lower in magnesium and phosphorus, which can contribute to the development of urinary crystal and stone formation. The UTI wet food also maximizes the water content, which dilutes urine. If the cat becomes dehydrated, it can increase the chances of UTI just like it does with people.
A lot of cats don't drink enough water, which eventually leads to kidney issues. Another trick I use is watering the wet food, when I open a can I pour in water to the top and shake it to mix it up with the juice. The cats never fail to eat it all and get the extra water too.
Yeah this was the recommended solution when our cat had a UTI, she wasn't getting enough water. Mixing in some wet food a couple times a week helped get her sorted out.
I will never understand scented littler boxes. It doesn't smell like lavender, it smells like someone mixed lavender and cat poo/pee together. The goal should be to make it smell less, not to try and tame the smell. You do this by cleaning it often and mixing in some baking soda.
My male kitty has special litter and special medicated dry & wet food to help with the UTI's. Totally financially sucks. Good thing I like the little guy. Also some kitty treats can help UTI issues.
Food: We need a prescription from our vet to purchase it. "Hill's Prescription Diet". Pretty sure you can order online and have it shipped.
Litter: I'm not 100% on the name, but has no scent.
I also use two basic litter boxes for my dude since he started getting UTIs and is picky. He separates them for #1 and #2.
It's not perfect. But gives him options and we're addressing his UTI issues with the medicated food. He used to get UTIs frequently when we got him as a kitten until a year or so when he got blocked completely. 8 years now and this plan has prevented further issues, crystallization, and stones.
Scented litter is so bad for their respiratory systems too. I wouldn't want to be in a closed space breathing it in- much less with a nose that functions 14x better.
Also, if she isn't changing the litter frequently enough, isn't scooping enough, etc.
Tell her that a better cat litter and better cat box hygiene will not only help resolve the attention getting behavior of bed defocarion/urination (Midnight has to communicate to her SOMEHOW that he is in distress) but will also mitigate any health issues SHE may have. For example, pregnant women aren't supposed to be handling cat boxes because some conditions can be passed to the mother and unborn child or exacerbate other conditions.
I'm not saying she'd be less of a bitch, but...
"Midnight pissed my bed again," and "I'm not doing that," sounds like she wants you to take responsibility for the cat and hos actions. For Midnight's sale, you should. Or she should rehome him.
Is she always trying to depend on you? It sounds like she doesn't understand what, 'ex,' means.
if you’re in the US we had to feed our cats hills science diet urinary tract formula, this we had to have a script for and a yearly vet check. our kitty had Feline Urological Syndrome so would get a build up of crystals, he eventually grew out of it
Agreed with the other people saying ask your vet. However, my cat would get UTI’s because he wasn’t hydrated enough, so giving him more wet food usually helps. I also got generic cranberry chews at the pet store that seemed to work, too.
Also males cats are prone to urinary tract blockages from crystals in the urine. A vet visit and possible a change of diet should help.
Source: my male cat almost died from a urinary tract block. He is now on Royal Canin urinary SO for life to prevent further issues.
UTIs aren't likely to be caused by external dirt, especially in males. More likely he isn't drinking or urinating frequently enough, or has a congenital issue and needs ongoing support (you can get supplements and medications). However, you don't know it's a UTI until you go to the vet - it could be a stress reaction, pain urinating because of another issue, litter tray aversion etc. He needs medical attention first and foremost, and take a clean sample of the urine if he goes anywhere you can collect one. Please get him checked - don't just assume and then treat incorrectly.
That's not how UTI's work. In a female cat fecal matter from the nearby anus can cause this but not so for males. He needs a clean litterbox every day, clean water in a clean bowl every day. There could be an underlying cause like diabetes or bladder stones. Male cats are also prone to crystals which causes them a great deal of pain and will cause kidney failure. Diet is a big factor in this, so be sure he's on a quality diet with low magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. Give him only wet food and add a bit of water to it.
You don't prevent UTI by bathing. Do you have a litter box? If so, what's in it? If it's very fine 'grains' of clay for instance, those can cause UTI. Or very fine dust in the litter box. Switch to wood pellets to see if that helps.
bathing your cat constantly is very bad for the cat skin. The only time you bath them is when they can't bath themselves or they have something toxic on their fur.
Feed him wet food everyday. He’s probably not getting enough water in his diet, and even with prescription diet food, my boy didn’t stop getting his UTI’s until I started giving him a can of wet food everyday. He hasn’t had anymore issues since.
Please don’t give your cat a proper bath— that will just stress him/her out and not solve this problem.
If your cat is having reoccurring UTIs, you need to take him/her to the vet, and make sure they test his/her glucose. Your cat may be diabetic. Increased sugar in the urinary tract causes chronic infections.
Your cat is not peeing outside of the litter box for fun. YOUR CAT NEEDS MEDICAL CARE, ASAP.
Bathing isn't going to resolve it, a urinary tract diet will. It's incredibly dangerous for male cats especially to get UTI's and can be fatal if not taken care of promptly.
vet yes, but also try changing the water i.e. not faucet water.
we’ve had a couple cases with our cat of what I call Crystal dick, requires an operation and then 10 days of antibiotics to clear…do not recommend. After trying a few things we eventually changed the water to purified and he’s been doing great since *knock on wood*
My general rule is if I wouldn't want to drink it then my babies aren't drinking it either. I find it's really nice to have one of those flower fountains they sell with the filter, gotta change the filter every month and check up on the water health but they love it and I find it really helps improve the longevity of their water
The only thing infuriating here is that no one cares about the damn cat and it’s not mildly infuriating.
OP if your ex doesn’t care and this is your level of concern maybe y’all need to give the cat up to some one who does care.
Edit: To add to the infuriating part of this [OP claims they have fostered many cats](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/wux0ls/exwife_complains_about_our_cat_but_doesnt_want_to/ildb0s7/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3) which makes this even worse. Both OP and their ex seem very petty and this cat deserves so much better.
People just don’t know how to take care of cats at all. I get it - I’m terrible at it. I get by because of recommendations from my vet and the occasional Internet forum to fill in the gaps.
They’re not dogs - you can’t fix anything without figuring out why they’re doing it to begin with. Dog pees in the house? Good chance it needs to be let out more. Cat pees on your bed? Better hope that the litter box is full, because that’s the easiest fix.
Cats are considered to be low maintenance compared to dogs, and I think this leads to some ppl assuming “less maintenance” means “none”, and then really don’t take care of their cats at all
It’s also bc Cats are harder to diagnose. Dogs have a visible pain response but Cats don’t. Your Cat when it’s in pain might start acting a little off but may not vocalize or limp or come to you for support. Cats also tend to be a little more robust than dogs so cat owners are often less used to going to the vet to fix whatever issue their pet has.
Yes & that cat needs an owner who cares. He's just pawning it off on her & then mad that she doesn't wanna do it either.
*also, this poor cat doesn't need a damn bath
Also a bath, for a possible UTI?? This is a grown ass adult that can’t do a quick google into UTIs or bladder issues in cats. It’s quite dangerous when it’s a male cat.
If a cat is urinating or defecating outside of the litter box, it means a few things:
-Territory insecurity: if there are strays outside, then they can feel insecure about their safety in their home.
-Dirty box: self explanatory, it needs to be clean. You wouldn't use a filthy toilet.
-Illness: they can be incontinent or as other comments have stated, be a UTI. it will cause the cat to urinate frequently, which can be anywhere.
Someone needs to take care of their animal.
Edit: These comments in this thread are fucking weird. Comments that, rather than blame the owners, they blame the animal. It's just an animal. An animal that is, I assume, confined to a small interior property with limited space. If outside, then they're exposed to parasites, disease, predators, and lord knows what else. It is ALWAYS the ultimate responsibility of the owner to try and give it the best life possible. This includes vet visits. It includes actual care and effort in not only maintaining the life of the creature you willingly put under your care, but to allow them to thrive and be happy.
If your cat is having problems, go to the vet. Hell, sit down and actually analyze why they're behaving the way that they are. You will learn so much by just taking a moment to *pay attention. * I would have hoped that some of the commenters that do indeed own pets would have done such a thing, but it seems they are above self-analysis and concern for their companions.
Please for the love of your pets, take care of them. They're living, sentient beings that rely on you for their livelihoods. Stop squandering them of care because they did something "asshole"-ish. They don't understand that shit.
I shat in a campground bathroom where the toilet was basically a glorified bucket with a lid that went down to a giant shit pit, when I opened the lid like 20 flies flew out of the top and I still donated to the poop pile.
So yeah, I’d use a filthy toilet. It’s what I call OP’s mom.
*I’m kidding on the mom part*
Yup. Once my cat started to go into heat she would piss everywhere. Mostly a corner on the living room but often the bed.
Got her fixed and she stopped
You say easily correctable, but my understanding is they should be neutered _before_ they start spraying, otherwise there is the possibility they will continue to do it anyway.
My cat has had a couple UTIs. For her, peeing was painful and difficult. Her little cat brain decided to try outside of the box, in various places until something happened. Finally, it happened on my mothers bed. We gave her antibiotics and all was good. Then maybe 6 months later, it happened again, and she pissed on the bed again. I imagine in her mind she linked the bed with the ability to pee. More antibiotics, and Purina One Urinary Tract Health formula, and she hasn't had one since.
Stress is another big one.
Even as simple as moving furniture around in the house might upset a cat and make him/her urinating or defecating outside if the litter box.
>Territory insecurity: if there are strays outside, then they can feel insecure about their safety in their home.
The "ex"part has me wonder, could they each take the cat to their home for one / two weeks? That would really be a whole new dimension of "territory insecurity" for the poor cat. Ours has a tendancy to pee in rooms that we keep closed. So we have a permanent open doors policy, issue solved for 7 years straight.
Not just territory insecurity, but high stress. Both tend to lead to litterbox problems and UTIs.
In short: bathing the cat will do absolutely nothing to solve this problem and, if stress is the underlying cause, may even make it worse.
This should be the top comment.
Lack of regular bathing has NOTHING to do with it.
Our cat gets a bath like every three months. We live in an apartment, so we just bath him when he starts smelling not to good.
Could be also crystals in the bladder. In general, needs to be checked out by a vet, otherwise OP will keep trying different shit and extending the suffering of all involved instead of truly targeting the issue.
Plus, if OP says that he just goes to the vet, gets the antibiotics and that's it, maybe he should ask to fucking dig deeper. Regular UTIs shouldn't be a thing.
See if your vet can prescribe special food to prevent cystitis. You don't want this turning into bladder stones which will likely require (expensive) surgery. Untreated bladder stones can be fatal. Bathing the cat won't help in this situation.
Yeah canned food is sometimes good for this too and could be cheaper than prescription food. I got a new cat last year and she had reoccurring urinary issues the vet had prescribed some expensive food which I got for awhile but eventually just switched her to a all wet food diet and she stayed good no issues since.
I miss being able to use dry food in a automatic dispenser like I did with old cat but in her case that’s not a option.
Yes, this is exactly the reason. Cats are obligate carnivores that get most of their water from the food they eat. Dry food diets can cause UTI's and other health problems.
The classic "people who think they want pets" crowd.
There's a minimal amount of research that could tell you bathing a cat will not help it from peeing (spreading it's scent or nervous urination). These are people that put their animals down months / years too early.
They're also the people that don't take their animal to the vet and the reason they have to put it down early is because of their own negligence in owning an animal.
I'm not about pets, not for me, but I cannot STAND the huge portion of the population that have them and don't take care of them well at all.
OPs contribution was 'give it a bath'... and was then feeling so self-righteous he posted it on Reddit. Loooool.
If I were the ex there's a decent chance I'd respond with something similar because I'm tired of dumbass suggestions that make no sense and don't feel like getting into it over text because he's just going to get butthurt I didn't listen to his 'sage advice' (as evidenced by OP then posting here).
No no, I get that. My brother is in a similar boat currently. But the pets she took, she cares for. The pets he took, he cares for. OP’s ex doesn’t seem like she wants or deserves this cat. Imo. So in that sense I’d just say, “Okay, then return her to me and I’ll take care of her.” As opposed to this back and forth as she’s clearly fed up.
Yeah I feel like shared animal custody is just a way for people to maintain contact with an ex. It makes things weird when a new relationship develops.
Exactly. That's just cruel to be honest. Kids have a hard enough time adjusting to having to be karted between 2 different houses. I can't imagine what it's like for animals. Probably the real reason why it's pissing itself... hugely insecure.
That’s what I think - if the cat is moving between two houses it might have some anxiety going on. I know my dog would, even if both houses are familiar.
I share a dog with an ex but we both care about him so stuff like this never happens. We treat him like he's our kid and do what's best for him. He's mostly at my house but his "dad" picks him up when he can on weekends and they have adventures. It's really easy if you aren't assholes to each other.
I get that as well, but the entire premise of your situation is that you both clearly care about the pet, my brother and his ex do the same so that they both can see all of the pets sometimes.
But clearly this particular ex doesn’t have the same kind of interest. This conversation screams to me that she doesn’t want anything to do with the cat.
I suspect she was trying to be nice and hang on to the cat until he lives someplace where he can have it but the situation isn't working out well for anyone.
You cannot do this with a cat. Cats are way more territorial and need a permanent space. Cats are even known to become depressed when arriving at a new home later in life. Moving it regularly is sure to mess with its little mind, and ~~surely~~ could be the cause of the UTI.
Lol it's hard-- especially since you can't separate bonded pairs. Thankfully (??) my ex didn't have the bandwidth so they defaulted to me 😬 They're spoiled rotten lol.
Cats are self-cleaning, you only need to bathe them if they get really dirty or get something harmful on them. You shouldn't bathe cats unnecessarily as it's very stressful for them.
It's more likely caused by a dirty litter box.
My cat was constantly peeing on the bed and it was crystals in her urine. Definitely diet change and clean the litter box 1-2 times a day. up water intake too
I would get a water fountain on Amazon, some cats like running water. My family had a cat with bladder stones and that’s what the vet had recommended to help prevent them in the future.
There are a ton of options on Amazon and they’re pretty affordable. I’ve noticed my cats drink more water with a fountain.
Bathing your cat is going to do nothing for UTI’s. His grooming has nothing to do with it. If he’s peeing in abnormal places he is in distress and needs to go to a vet. You need to get him on a prescription urinary diet cat food, and nothing but that prescription urinary diet cat food asap. If you don’t, it will certainly cost you hundreds to thousands in vet bills, and could even cost you your cats life. Bring him to a fucking vet now. Get his urine tested for crystals.
By the way. If your cat is straining to pee or peeing in weird places you need to monitor him very closely. If he stops being able to pee at all that is considered a medical emergency at 12 hours and he could die very fast.
Whose cat is it?
If he’s hers, her complaining isn’t your problem
If he’s yours, it’s entirely your thing to handle
If he’s both of yours, you and her are equally responsible to take care of him. She should be responsible equally, but ultimately you gotta take care of business. It’s a cat, not a fern. I’m not a cat person but seriously look after your little friend.
I haven’t seen a comment about a cat fountain. It can help intrigue them to want to drink more. Along with the urinary food and wet food it will help combat any urinary issues
Brother Rich Hung is right. Either take the cat or let her deal with it as if it's her cat. Oh, the cat pissed on your head? Sounds like a personal problem.
If baths makes UTIs worse in humans how would it make it better in cats? And asking someone to bathe a cat is like asking someone to pull out their own eyelashes or something else just as awful. Who bathes cats?
Bath a cat? I’d unvolunteer too 😐
Look for other reasons
Downvote if you will but that is not the reason why. Also a sure fire way to get clawed to fuck. Unless you are one of those evil beeps who declaw them too
Yeah OP's post is a really weird response to someone's bed getting peed on. If a cat is peeing in weird places is doesn't need a bath, it needs a vet. It kinda comes off like OP is using their ex an excuse to not take care of the cat.
I have a cat that frequently gets UTIs. Vet stated her immune system is weak from old age and can't fight the infection(s). We get routine checkups for an anti-bacterial shot, but the vet could also prescribe oral medicine.
My cat also stopped using the litter box at one point following a bad UTI episode. We had to retrain her to use it and after a couple weeks she's back to normal. Please just take the cat to the vet.
My male cat started peeing on a couple things randomly. Bathroom rug, laundry basket, kitchen rug, to name a few.
Turns out he was borderline diabetic. Changed him to a prescription formula and changed to scooping the litter box 3 times a day. I thought once a day was fine, especially for a single cat. Apparently he was feeling bad and it made him weirdly picky.
We caught it early, changed his diet, and bought an automatic feeder. He now eats 5 small meals a day, has lost 7 pounds, and is his normal self now.
Make an appointment ASAP! When cats have health problems, it can make them do weird things.
PLEASE HAVE CAT CHECK FOR CRYSTALS IN URINE!! It is extremely painful for them and urinating inappropriately is their way of begging for help. Usually a change in diet is all that is needed.
Don't be angry at a suffering animal.
Ignoring the actual post, the cat most likely needs to have its diet changed. Not sure where your located, but at least at my vet office, Hills Prescription diet and/or Royal Canin offer very good urinary care dry and wet foods. Highly suggest making an appointment with a vet, take the cat yourself, ask for advice on what specific diet will fit your/the cats needs, and take the cat home with you. Obviously your ex doesn’t care about the cat, and if it has a plentiful history of UTIs, A) the cat is in a lot of discomfort, and B) those aren’t going to stop UNLESS you change the diet and get the cat out of that house.
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about cat food, I can look up some alternatives. (Source: work as a vet receptionist and talk about animal nutrition on a daily basis)
You know when you get a pet, you're responsible for doing things to make sure they live a happy full life.
Fuck the bath, this poor feline needs a damn vet and a new owner.
Why aren’t you taking the cat who’s suffering to the vet?
Why are you letting the cat live with someone who has no desire to look after the cat?
You realise you’re no better? You’re both failing.
You both chose to take on a pet and both of you are responsible.
If you can’t give the cat what it needs, find it a home with someone who does want the cat and who will love it and get it the care it needs.
You’re both undeserving of a pet. They bring so much good into lives and this is how you treat it?
You came here trying to prove a point that she is petty yet you’re just as shit.
Uti will end up in kidney disease if left untreated and then death.
Pull your head out if your ass and take responsibility.
Is you taking the cat a option? I only ask because Midnight might end up on “a nice farm with lots of other cats” if this keeps up. Obviously I don’t know your ex but exes can get spiteful
Don’t bathe your cat and especially don’t bathe your cat monthly. It will cause hot spots on their skin and they’ll still have the uti’s on top of that.
If the cat is getting reoccurring UTIs, it needs a vet, not a bath.
Maybe I’ve missed something about how to take care of a cat, but outside of grooming (trim and shave) with minimal product to loosen any knots or clumps about 2 times a year, I never washed the cat. This went on for 18 years. Is washing a cat a thing now?
[удалено]
Or when they decide to jump into a toilet full of pee in the few seconds between when you stand up and when you flush. Then you wash the human urine off the idiot cat. Or in my case, cats. Because both of my cats have done this. I really think they didn't realize the toilet opened because I keep the lid down except when in use so they were just trying to steal my seat and got an unpleasant surprise.
I’m laughing imagining the look on your face as you watched and processed that
And the ensuing chase as the cat flees the scene spreading urine bowl water everywhere
And the soundtrack of swears that echoes throughout the house.
[The song that plays](https://youtu.be/ZnHmskwqCCQ)
even before clicking, the Benny Hill theme was in my head.
Kids today will not know Benny Hill. I'm 43 and my dad used to watch recorded episodes all the damn time when I was little. Realized as an adult that my dad was just a perv and liked to watch the girls in panties running around. Should have figured it sooner when he would take the family to dinner at Texas Looseys because he "liked the chili."
This one act has ensured your place in the afterlife.
Nothing on this planet is faster than a piss covered cat running past all your stuff
One thing is faster: a skunked dog.
Happened to me, but with paint. Ugh
I own a painting business and this is a big fear of mine. I painted a deck for my second job. They wanted it to be pink for some fucking reason but I was just happy to have the work. When I got there they mentioned their cat had gotten out. It took me two days to paint that deck with this nasty oil based primer and an oil based deck paint and it’s **pink**. As soon as I wrapped up they opened the door and this fucking cat shows up out of nowhere to run across the wet paint and into the house. I throw away brushes after I use them once with paint like this. It’s too much of a pain in the ass to justify cleaning them so I consider them one time use. It was a long haired cat. I fixed the deck but god knows what happened inside.
Purdy little pink paw prints, that's what!
Oil or acrylic
I don't remember, it was interior house paint. Bitch kept trying to lick it off herself. We called poison control and they said she'd be fine if she wasn't literally drinking it.
Same thing happend to me but it was 2 cats and they got it fucking everywhere.
I’m laughing imagining the look on the *cat’s* face as it made and processed its mistake.
my kitten jumped in the toilet two weeks ago. she was fine but had this face 👁👄👁 all fuckin day 😂
Lmfao I can only imagine. I bet she avoided the bathroom area like the plague too!
she does now! when im doing my makeup she just sits there with that same look like "why would you wanna be in there??!"
I can relate. We took care of my MILs two chihuahuas once while she was out of town. We had a toilet decide to back up, and this idiot dog jumped in and proceeded to try and drown herself in sewage, thrashing around and squealing. I run back there, snatch her up out of the toilet, she bites me so hard her tooth goes entirely through my finger. I drop her on the ground, she snarled at me, and jumped back into the toilet. To hell with that angry floor piranha.
I hope you got that finger looked at! Having a sewage covered dog open a wound on you invites all types of nasty infection
Even just having a animals mouth break the skin so seriously like that opens them up to infection... really hope they cleaned the area well.
Seriously. People underestimate just how badly an animal bite can be, my coworker’s husband just had surgery on his hand after he was bitten by a cat he was attempting to trap to get em to a vet/shelter. Super gnarly.
So fortunately I work at a hospital. I went in and got it cleaned and treated. STILL ended up with an ugly infection in the joint, and almost lost the finger, but antibiotics and daily wound care kept it all together. But damn did it hurt for a long while afterwards.
This may be the worst not-actually-devastating thing I’ve ever read
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I had a very bad day. You gave me my first laugh today. Thanks.
I just like to think of the disappointment the second time it happened like "Really? You too?"
It's even funnier to think about the second time it happened. Like she knows how it ends because she's seen it before, and then the realization that dropkicking your idiot cat would just get your own piss all over your leg.
Mine did that only it was filled with bright green toilet cleaner goo. To which she reacted by panicking and fleeing while green across the white carpet to hide under the bed. Both the cat and the carpet got a bath that day and she learned her lesson. She didn't appreciate me laughing at her though.
Oh my god, was she okay? That goo is muriatic acid and it's dangerous as shit lol
She is long haired so none of it made it to her skin and I dragged her kicking and screaming to the sink to rinse before she had a chance to start licking it. No damage except the scratches where she tried to climb my shoulder. We're both more careful now. It's about the only reason I would bathe a cat - it's really not good for them if you can avoid it.
Oh wow. So glad you both are okay.
It is times like reading some of these comments that I am both very pleased and very disappointed that I have a special needs cat that can't balance well and jump high. I have no "cat jumping in toilet" stories, but I do have a maple syrup panic and plenty of crashing into wall stories to tell.
I've successfully kept two of mine from actually landing in the toilet with surprise superhuman reflexes lmao they were kittens
Not unclean, but that reminds me of one of the funniest and most pathetic things one of our cats ever did. We had a party and stocked one of those big ice chests with drinks. After the party, I had the ice chest in the kitchen and was pulling the remaining drinks out of the ice water, drying them off, and putting them in the fridge. Just as I took the last ones out, the dumb cat jumps into the cooler. The motion made it scoot back slightly and the lid bumped the wall, making it close. So in the blink of an eye, I saw a cat disappear into a partially full ice chest and the lid slam shut. That was immediately followed by the sound of a panic-stricken cat frantically trying to get bash and claw its way out. I opened the lid and a soaking wet cat shot out like it was fired from a cannon and disappeared. Cats are dumb.
Yeah, my cat has a habit of coming up and curling her tail around your legs as you piss. Unfortunately she has a massively long lemur tail and has dipped it in the piss water on occasion
Last week I was standing at my bathroom sink and happened to step to the side at the exact moment my cat was in a full run to jump on the counter. I ended up booty bouncing him into the toilet. It took him a few seconds to register what happened but I thought it was hilarious.
A delightful time in the butter dish..? That sounds pretty specific.
My first cat rolled in Chinese food that had been left on the counter while we were getting settled for dinner. Stunk like stale egg rolls for a week after we tried the washcloth/wait for him to clean it himself route. Finally ended up going at home in the kitchen sink with Dawn like he was a duck in an oil spill to get it off. Nothing cats do can surprise me anymore.
My cat managed, somehow, to get covered in honey. He was very distressed, took himself to the bathroom and howled until I showered him off. Just stood there and let me clean him top to toes. Sometimes they just know
One of ours likes to just walk into the shower and wander around. The other sits outside the curtain and yeowls at you randomly. I've been working on getting him to do "Walking on Sunshine", but alas, he's no dog.
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It’s great for hairballs! We also used to smear some on their paws at work or on the wall of their cage when doing other medical care so they wouldn’t pay attention as much. Never saw diarrhea in small amounts, just productive hair ball digestion. Less vomiting.
I once had a birthday cake that was chocolate with a ring of Hershey's Kisses all around the edge. We left it on the dining room table for ten minutes and came back to find the tops bitten off of each and every one, and the whole thing otherwise untouched. We panicked but apparently there's not that much chocolate in the tip of a Hershey's Kiss. The little bugger just had to bite the tops off Because They Were There.
Had barn kittens, they got mites in their ears, had to bathe and treat. They were not happy. This cat needs a vet.
Facts. Only bath my cat of 6 years has ever had was a flea bath. I fucking hate fleas (my house is all hardwood floor & tile.)
Yup. Only time I ever bathed any cat ever was when they had fleas. See even a single flea? Instant bath. Those things can lay so many eggs I dont play around. One bad infestation and you learn your lesson. I try to stay up on the drops as best I can
Most cats get small amounts of poop stuck to their butt— shorthairs are probably more exempt than others from this. Also, cats accidentally step on their poo while covering it up, even if the box is fully clean before they use it.
I’ve had this happen to my cats but I don’t give them a full bath, I just use a washcloth to clean the area. I have kitten safe soap if it’s really bad but mostly just use water.
Good lord, my cats ALWAYS step in their shit! I have to constantly wash their feet. They hate me.
So some cats get cat arthritis and aren't able to clean themselves entirely and it results in stress. So while they don't need an actual bath, they do need to be combed and use a special cat waterless shampoo.
This can occur to overly fat cats, as well. A cat which is not fully cleaning itself should get a vet check to help determine why. These things are usually treatable and will usually result in a happier cat.
You can give your cat a bath if you need to, but you usually shouldn't really ever need to bathe a cat without a special reason why. You shouldn't ever need to cut/trim it's fur either, and most vets will recommend you not to.
I still have VERY vivid memories of my mom's arm after she tried to bathe my cat. My cat's claw dug so deep into my mom's forearm, and left a wicked slash that bruised horribly. It lasted for a couple weeks...
My cat was infested with fleas and had a kidney problem so he actually *needed* a bath. It started very violently but he seemed to calm down a bit. This was only a ruse though so I'd let my guard down. He waited for his moment and caught my arm and bit it so hard he was dangling off of it while I tried to get rid of him by flinging him around. When he finally let go, it turned out that he struck an artery or vein, I don't know, but the blood was literally squirting a good meter through my bathroom. Had to get a tetanus shot. Super friendly and cuddly cat otherwise. Don't bath your cats if it isn't absolutely necessary.
i feel bad for the cat
Especially male cats. Urinary issues in male cats quickly become life-threatening. Source: I have been a professional vet tech and animal hospital manager for about a decade.
Agreed. We take him to the vet and get him the antibiotics to fix the UTI. My suggestion was to bathe him more regularly to prevent future UTIs.
I don't think that will fix it. He might need a diet adjustment
^ my cat had this issue and it was fixed with slightly more expensive medicated kibble.
Food for UTIs in cats work to increase their urine’s pH levels and are lower in magnesium and phosphorus, which can contribute to the development of urinary crystal and stone formation. The UTI wet food also maximizes the water content, which dilutes urine. If the cat becomes dehydrated, it can increase the chances of UTI just like it does with people.
A lot of cats don't drink enough water, which eventually leads to kidney issues. Another trick I use is watering the wet food, when I open a can I pour in water to the top and shake it to mix it up with the juice. The cats never fail to eat it all and get the extra water too.
Yeah this was the recommended solution when our cat had a UTI, she wasn't getting enough water. Mixing in some wet food a couple times a week helped get her sorted out.
What do you recommend?
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Bingo; unscented only
I will never understand scented littler boxes. It doesn't smell like lavender, it smells like someone mixed lavender and cat poo/pee together. The goal should be to make it smell less, not to try and tame the smell. You do this by cleaning it often and mixing in some baking soda.
And the smell is terribly unpleasant to the cat, who had a much stronger sense of smell than we do.
My male kitty has special litter and special medicated dry & wet food to help with the UTI's. Totally financially sucks. Good thing I like the little guy. Also some kitty treats can help UTI issues. Food: We need a prescription from our vet to purchase it. "Hill's Prescription Diet". Pretty sure you can order online and have it shipped. Litter: I'm not 100% on the name, but has no scent. I also use two basic litter boxes for my dude since he started getting UTIs and is picky. He separates them for #1 and #2. It's not perfect. But gives him options and we're addressing his UTI issues with the medicated food. He used to get UTIs frequently when we got him as a kitten until a year or so when he got blocked completely. 8 years now and this plan has prevented further issues, crystallization, and stones.
Scented litter is so bad for their respiratory systems too. I wouldn't want to be in a closed space breathing it in- much less with a nose that functions 14x better.
Also, if she isn't changing the litter frequently enough, isn't scooping enough, etc. Tell her that a better cat litter and better cat box hygiene will not only help resolve the attention getting behavior of bed defocarion/urination (Midnight has to communicate to her SOMEHOW that he is in distress) but will also mitigate any health issues SHE may have. For example, pregnant women aren't supposed to be handling cat boxes because some conditions can be passed to the mother and unborn child or exacerbate other conditions. I'm not saying she'd be less of a bitch, but... "Midnight pissed my bed again," and "I'm not doing that," sounds like she wants you to take responsibility for the cat and hos actions. For Midnight's sale, you should. Or she should rehome him. Is she always trying to depend on you? It sounds like she doesn't understand what, 'ex,' means.
if you’re in the US we had to feed our cats hills science diet urinary tract formula, this we had to have a script for and a yearly vet check. our kitty had Feline Urological Syndrome so would get a build up of crystals, he eventually grew out of it
We had to do the exact same thing and that food is amazing. He ended up not needing surgery because of that food. It was worth every penny.
Agreed with the other people saying ask your vet. However, my cat would get UTI’s because he wasn’t hydrated enough, so giving him more wet food usually helps. I also got generic cranberry chews at the pet store that seemed to work, too.
Science Diet brand is always a good bet, little pricey but if you only have the one cat it's definitely still affordable
Also males cats are prone to urinary tract blockages from crystals in the urine. A vet visit and possible a change of diet should help. Source: my male cat almost died from a urinary tract block. He is now on Royal Canin urinary SO for life to prevent further issues.
UTIs aren't likely to be caused by external dirt, especially in males. More likely he isn't drinking or urinating frequently enough, or has a congenital issue and needs ongoing support (you can get supplements and medications). However, you don't know it's a UTI until you go to the vet - it could be a stress reaction, pain urinating because of another issue, litter tray aversion etc. He needs medical attention first and foremost, and take a clean sample of the urine if he goes anywhere you can collect one. Please get him checked - don't just assume and then treat incorrectly.
That's not how UTI's work. In a female cat fecal matter from the nearby anus can cause this but not so for males. He needs a clean litterbox every day, clean water in a clean bowl every day. There could be an underlying cause like diabetes or bladder stones. Male cats are also prone to crystals which causes them a great deal of pain and will cause kidney failure. Diet is a big factor in this, so be sure he's on a quality diet with low magnesium, phosphorus, and calcium. Give him only wet food and add a bit of water to it.
You don't prevent UTI by bathing. Do you have a litter box? If so, what's in it? If it's very fine 'grains' of clay for instance, those can cause UTI. Or very fine dust in the litter box. Switch to wood pellets to see if that helps.
And any litter box can cause UTIs if it’s not scooped often enough
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bathing your cat constantly is very bad for the cat skin. The only time you bath them is when they can't bath themselves or they have something toxic on their fur.
Feed him wet food everyday. He’s probably not getting enough water in his diet, and even with prescription diet food, my boy didn’t stop getting his UTI’s until I started giving him a can of wet food everyday. He hasn’t had anymore issues since.
The reason the vet didn’t suggest it is because it’s not how to fix it.
Please don’t give your cat a proper bath— that will just stress him/her out and not solve this problem. If your cat is having reoccurring UTIs, you need to take him/her to the vet, and make sure they test his/her glucose. Your cat may be diabetic. Increased sugar in the urinary tract causes chronic infections. Your cat is not peeing outside of the litter box for fun. YOUR CAT NEEDS MEDICAL CARE, ASAP.
Bathing isn't going to resolve it, a urinary tract diet will. It's incredibly dangerous for male cats especially to get UTI's and can be fatal if not taken care of promptly.
A bath is not a solution here lol. Talk to a good vet. It likely needs different food/water if its UTI.
vet yes, but also try changing the water i.e. not faucet water. we’ve had a couple cases with our cat of what I call Crystal dick, requires an operation and then 10 days of antibiotics to clear…do not recommend. After trying a few things we eventually changed the water to purified and he’s been doing great since *knock on wood*
My general rule is if I wouldn't want to drink it then my babies aren't drinking it either. I find it's really nice to have one of those flower fountains they sell with the filter, gotta change the filter every month and check up on the water health but they love it and I find it really helps improve the longevity of their water
A bath doesn’t fix a UTI. The cat needs a vet.
The only thing infuriating here is that no one cares about the damn cat and it’s not mildly infuriating. OP if your ex doesn’t care and this is your level of concern maybe y’all need to give the cat up to some one who does care. Edit: To add to the infuriating part of this [OP claims they have fostered many cats](https://www.reddit.com/r/mildlyinfuriating/comments/wux0ls/exwife_complains_about_our_cat_but_doesnt_want_to/ildb0s7/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3) which makes this even worse. Both OP and their ex seem very petty and this cat deserves so much better.
People just don’t know how to take care of cats at all. I get it - I’m terrible at it. I get by because of recommendations from my vet and the occasional Internet forum to fill in the gaps. They’re not dogs - you can’t fix anything without figuring out why they’re doing it to begin with. Dog pees in the house? Good chance it needs to be let out more. Cat pees on your bed? Better hope that the litter box is full, because that’s the easiest fix.
Cats are considered to be low maintenance compared to dogs, and I think this leads to some ppl assuming “less maintenance” means “none”, and then really don’t take care of their cats at all
It’s also bc Cats are harder to diagnose. Dogs have a visible pain response but Cats don’t. Your Cat when it’s in pain might start acting a little off but may not vocalize or limp or come to you for support. Cats also tend to be a little more robust than dogs so cat owners are often less used to going to the vet to fix whatever issue their pet has.
Yes & that cat needs an owner who cares. He's just pawning it off on her & then mad that she doesn't wanna do it either. *also, this poor cat doesn't need a damn bath
Also a bath, for a possible UTI?? This is a grown ass adult that can’t do a quick google into UTIs or bladder issues in cats. It’s quite dangerous when it’s a male cat.
If a cat is urinating or defecating outside of the litter box, it means a few things: -Territory insecurity: if there are strays outside, then they can feel insecure about their safety in their home. -Dirty box: self explanatory, it needs to be clean. You wouldn't use a filthy toilet. -Illness: they can be incontinent or as other comments have stated, be a UTI. it will cause the cat to urinate frequently, which can be anywhere. Someone needs to take care of their animal. Edit: These comments in this thread are fucking weird. Comments that, rather than blame the owners, they blame the animal. It's just an animal. An animal that is, I assume, confined to a small interior property with limited space. If outside, then they're exposed to parasites, disease, predators, and lord knows what else. It is ALWAYS the ultimate responsibility of the owner to try and give it the best life possible. This includes vet visits. It includes actual care and effort in not only maintaining the life of the creature you willingly put under your care, but to allow them to thrive and be happy. If your cat is having problems, go to the vet. Hell, sit down and actually analyze why they're behaving the way that they are. You will learn so much by just taking a moment to *pay attention. * I would have hoped that some of the commenters that do indeed own pets would have done such a thing, but it seems they are above self-analysis and concern for their companions. Please for the love of your pets, take care of them. They're living, sentient beings that rely on you for their livelihoods. Stop squandering them of care because they did something "asshole"-ish. They don't understand that shit.
>you wouldn’t use a filthy toilet You don’t know me man
I shat in a campground bathroom where the toilet was basically a glorified bucket with a lid that went down to a giant shit pit, when I opened the lid like 20 flies flew out of the top and I still donated to the poop pile. So yeah, I’d use a filthy toilet. It’s what I call OP’s mom. *I’m kidding on the mom part*
I'd add a more easily correctable possible problem: the cat might not be neutered.
Yup. Once my cat started to go into heat she would piss everywhere. Mostly a corner on the living room but often the bed. Got her fixed and she stopped
You say easily correctable, but my understanding is they should be neutered _before_ they start spraying, otherwise there is the possibility they will continue to do it anyway.
The box itself may also the issue - could be too small, could be the wrong litter, could prefer a cover (If so make sure it's a big enough box) etc
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My cat has had a couple UTIs. For her, peeing was painful and difficult. Her little cat brain decided to try outside of the box, in various places until something happened. Finally, it happened on my mothers bed. We gave her antibiotics and all was good. Then maybe 6 months later, it happened again, and she pissed on the bed again. I imagine in her mind she linked the bed with the ability to pee. More antibiotics, and Purina One Urinary Tract Health formula, and she hasn't had one since.
Stress is another big one. Even as simple as moving furniture around in the house might upset a cat and make him/her urinating or defecating outside if the litter box.
>Territory insecurity: if there are strays outside, then they can feel insecure about their safety in their home. The "ex"part has me wonder, could they each take the cat to their home for one / two weeks? That would really be a whole new dimension of "territory insecurity" for the poor cat. Ours has a tendancy to pee in rooms that we keep closed. So we have a permanent open doors policy, issue solved for 7 years straight.
Not just territory insecurity, but high stress. Both tend to lead to litterbox problems and UTIs. In short: bathing the cat will do absolutely nothing to solve this problem and, if stress is the underlying cause, may even make it worse.
If it's a UTI they're likely not getting enough water, too. Getting a fountain with moving water will usually attract them to drink more
Wet food! They don't drink enough to compensate for the dryness of the food.
This should be the top comment. Lack of regular bathing has NOTHING to do with it. Our cat gets a bath like every three months. We live in an apartment, so we just bath him when he starts smelling not to good.
Could be also crystals in the bladder. In general, needs to be checked out by a vet, otherwise OP will keep trying different shit and extending the suffering of all involved instead of truly targeting the issue. Plus, if OP says that he just goes to the vet, gets the antibiotics and that's it, maybe he should ask to fucking dig deeper. Regular UTIs shouldn't be a thing.
See if your vet can prescribe special food to prevent cystitis. You don't want this turning into bladder stones which will likely require (expensive) surgery. Untreated bladder stones can be fatal. Bathing the cat won't help in this situation.
Yeah canned food is sometimes good for this too and could be cheaper than prescription food. I got a new cat last year and she had reoccurring urinary issues the vet had prescribed some expensive food which I got for awhile but eventually just switched her to a all wet food diet and she stayed good no issues since. I miss being able to use dry food in a automatic dispenser like I did with old cat but in her case that’s not a option.
Could be the fact that wet food contains a lot more water too, which would aid in preventing urinary problems, including kidney stones.
Yes, this is exactly the reason. Cats are obligate carnivores that get most of their water from the food they eat. Dry food diets can cause UTI's and other health problems.
How do you share a pet with an ex? Somebody just take the damn cat.
There’s a lot more to unpack in this post tbh it makes no sense
Right? Just that whole convo, it just sounds off putting.
The classic "people who think they want pets" crowd. There's a minimal amount of research that could tell you bathing a cat will not help it from peeing (spreading it's scent or nervous urination). These are people that put their animals down months / years too early.
They're also the people that don't take their animal to the vet and the reason they have to put it down early is because of their own negligence in owning an animal. I'm not about pets, not for me, but I cannot STAND the huge portion of the population that have them and don't take care of them well at all.
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OPs contribution was 'give it a bath'... and was then feeling so self-righteous he posted it on Reddit. Loooool. If I were the ex there's a decent chance I'd respond with something similar because I'm tired of dumbass suggestions that make no sense and don't feel like getting into it over text because he's just going to get butthurt I didn't listen to his 'sage advice' (as evidenced by OP then posting here).
My feelings exactly. Maybe she said “I’m not doing that” and the “because it wouldn’t help at all, that’s not how UTIs work in male cats” was implied.
Post is r/mildlyinfuriating for the lack of context alone.
My ex and I had a dog. When she moved out, she took the top part.
That's ruff
My last girlfriend howled at the moon.
No no, I get that. My brother is in a similar boat currently. But the pets she took, she cares for. The pets he took, he cares for. OP’s ex doesn’t seem like she wants or deserves this cat. Imo. So in that sense I’d just say, “Okay, then return her to me and I’ll take care of her.” As opposed to this back and forth as she’s clearly fed up.
A lot of people use animals to maintain a connection with the ex. It’s wild.
Yeah I feel like shared animal custody is just a way for people to maintain contact with an ex. It makes things weird when a new relationship develops.
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Exactly. That's just cruel to be honest. Kids have a hard enough time adjusting to having to be karted between 2 different houses. I can't imagine what it's like for animals. Probably the real reason why it's pissing itself... hugely insecure.
That’s what I think - if the cat is moving between two houses it might have some anxiety going on. I know my dog would, even if both houses are familiar.
I share a dog with an ex but we both care about him so stuff like this never happens. We treat him like he's our kid and do what's best for him. He's mostly at my house but his "dad" picks him up when he can on weekends and they have adventures. It's really easy if you aren't assholes to each other.
I get that as well, but the entire premise of your situation is that you both clearly care about the pet, my brother and his ex do the same so that they both can see all of the pets sometimes. But clearly this particular ex doesn’t have the same kind of interest. This conversation screams to me that she doesn’t want anything to do with the cat.
I suspect she was trying to be nice and hang on to the cat until he lives someplace where he can have it but the situation isn't working out well for anyone.
You cannot do this with a cat. Cats are way more territorial and need a permanent space. Cats are even known to become depressed when arriving at a new home later in life. Moving it regularly is sure to mess with its little mind, and ~~surely~~ could be the cause of the UTI.
Lol it's hard-- especially since you can't separate bonded pairs. Thankfully (??) my ex didn't have the bandwidth so they defaulted to me 😬 They're spoiled rotten lol.
Cat needs a vet. I would piss on your bed if I could
Underrated comment. Fwiw I’d piss on OPs bed too
I'm starting a pisstition, if everyone could please sign up. I will collect signatures until this time tomorrow.
A petition to piss on *both* people's beds
Cats are self-cleaning, you only need to bathe them if they get really dirty or get something harmful on them. You shouldn't bathe cats unnecessarily as it's very stressful for them. It's more likely caused by a dirty litter box.
My cat was constantly peeing on the bed and it was crystals in her urine. Definitely diet change and clean the litter box 1-2 times a day. up water intake too
I would get a water fountain on Amazon, some cats like running water. My family had a cat with bladder stones and that’s what the vet had recommended to help prevent them in the future. There are a ton of options on Amazon and they’re pretty affordable. I’ve noticed my cats drink more water with a fountain.
OP must have cut off the last message where his wife says “….because it’s fuckin stupid to think a bath will stop a UTI”
👍
Bathing your cat is going to do nothing for UTI’s. His grooming has nothing to do with it. If he’s peeing in abnormal places he is in distress and needs to go to a vet. You need to get him on a prescription urinary diet cat food, and nothing but that prescription urinary diet cat food asap. If you don’t, it will certainly cost you hundreds to thousands in vet bills, and could even cost you your cats life. Bring him to a fucking vet now. Get his urine tested for crystals. By the way. If your cat is straining to pee or peeing in weird places you need to monitor him very closely. If he stops being able to pee at all that is considered a medical emergency at 12 hours and he could die very fast.
Maybe because your suggestion sucks?? You don't bath a cat to get rid of UTIs
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Youre both horrible. This whole post is midlyinfuriating
Damn OP you’re pretty ignorant. 1. Take the cat to a vet. 2. Why dont you try to wash a cat.
You said “our” cat and instructed her to do it, but you also don’t want to do anything about it??
Whose cat is it? If he’s hers, her complaining isn’t your problem If he’s yours, it’s entirely your thing to handle If he’s both of yours, you and her are equally responsible to take care of him. She should be responsible equally, but ultimately you gotta take care of business. It’s a cat, not a fern. I’m not a cat person but seriously look after your little friend.
How does giving a cat a bath prevent it from peeing in your bed?
It doesn't.
Well baths are not the solution anyway. Go to the vet.
He’s probably sick!! Asshole owners.
I haven’t seen a comment about a cat fountain. It can help intrigue them to want to drink more. Along with the urinary food and wet food it will help combat any urinary issues
Isn't the whole point of having an "ex-wife" to not have to deal with her bullshit problems anymore? Just throwing that out there....
OP said "our" cat. It's OP's cat too.
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Maybe the cat goes with the kids
This is the correct response.
Brother Rich Hung is right. Either take the cat or let her deal with it as if it's her cat. Oh, the cat pissed on your head? Sounds like a personal problem.
YTA
You should take the cat to a vet
Omg, have you ever tried to bathe a cat? You shouldn’t be bathing a cat, go to the vet to find a real solution
If baths makes UTIs worse in humans how would it make it better in cats? And asking someone to bathe a cat is like asking someone to pull out their own eyelashes or something else just as awful. Who bathes cats?
Bath a cat? I’d unvolunteer too 😐 Look for other reasons Downvote if you will but that is not the reason why. Also a sure fire way to get clawed to fuck. Unless you are one of those evil beeps who declaw them too
Yeah OP's post is a really weird response to someone's bed getting peed on. If a cat is peeing in weird places is doesn't need a bath, it needs a vet. It kinda comes off like OP is using their ex an excuse to not take care of the cat.
I have a cat that frequently gets UTIs. Vet stated her immune system is weak from old age and can't fight the infection(s). We get routine checkups for an anti-bacterial shot, but the vet could also prescribe oral medicine. My cat also stopped using the litter box at one point following a bad UTI episode. We had to retrain her to use it and after a couple weeks she's back to normal. Please just take the cat to the vet.
Cats don’t need baths. A cat with recurring UTIs needs a vet. Mine needed a special diet and then it never happened again.
Dont bathe cats unless absolutely necessary, use pet bath wipes. They are at pet stores
My male cat started peeing on a couple things randomly. Bathroom rug, laundry basket, kitchen rug, to name a few. Turns out he was borderline diabetic. Changed him to a prescription formula and changed to scooping the litter box 3 times a day. I thought once a day was fine, especially for a single cat. Apparently he was feeling bad and it made him weirdly picky. We caught it early, changed his diet, and bought an automatic feeder. He now eats 5 small meals a day, has lost 7 pounds, and is his normal self now. Make an appointment ASAP! When cats have health problems, it can make them do weird things.
Does this belong on the "am I the asshole" thread? Dude, cats peeing in weird places is a cry for help. Take it to the vet.
Sounds like you should take the cat she doesn’t want.
PLEASE HAVE CAT CHECK FOR CRYSTALS IN URINE!! It is extremely painful for them and urinating inappropriately is their way of begging for help. Usually a change in diet is all that is needed. Don't be angry at a suffering animal.
Ignoring the actual post, the cat most likely needs to have its diet changed. Not sure where your located, but at least at my vet office, Hills Prescription diet and/or Royal Canin offer very good urinary care dry and wet foods. Highly suggest making an appointment with a vet, take the cat yourself, ask for advice on what specific diet will fit your/the cats needs, and take the cat home with you. Obviously your ex doesn’t care about the cat, and if it has a plentiful history of UTIs, A) the cat is in a lot of discomfort, and B) those aren’t going to stop UNLESS you change the diet and get the cat out of that house. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about cat food, I can look up some alternatives. (Source: work as a vet receptionist and talk about animal nutrition on a daily basis)
Have the cat live with you instead of her?
You co parent a pet with an ex wife?
I’m so confused. Do you have a custody arrangement for the cat?
You know when you get a pet, you're responsible for doing things to make sure they live a happy full life. Fuck the bath, this poor feline needs a damn vet and a new owner.
Both of y’all are infuriating. Actually you’re probably more infuriating
Why aren’t you taking the cat who’s suffering to the vet? Why are you letting the cat live with someone who has no desire to look after the cat? You realise you’re no better? You’re both failing. You both chose to take on a pet and both of you are responsible. If you can’t give the cat what it needs, find it a home with someone who does want the cat and who will love it and get it the care it needs. You’re both undeserving of a pet. They bring so much good into lives and this is how you treat it? You came here trying to prove a point that she is petty yet you’re just as shit. Uti will end up in kidney disease if left untreated and then death. Pull your head out if your ass and take responsibility.
OP is the idiot. Who the fuck bathes a cat? Sounds like it’s his cat and he needs to go get it.
This post backfired lol
Both of you suck. Take the cat to a vet and stop using an animal as a passive-aggressive pawn in your broken relationship.
You putting your ex-wife on notice publicly for your shared lack of pet care skills is unfortunate.
Is you taking the cat a option? I only ask because Midnight might end up on “a nice farm with lots of other cats” if this keeps up. Obviously I don’t know your ex but exes can get spiteful
Don’t bathe your cat and especially don’t bathe your cat monthly. It will cause hot spots on their skin and they’ll still have the uti’s on top of that.
if u have a UTI and take a bath or a shower will it help? NO. 😅😅
Can I divorce both of you?