-> MEDICAL! Before you automatically assume your cat is peeing on your clothes because it is “mad” at you, TAKE YOUR CAT TO THE VET! There are SO many medical reasons why your cat is inappropriately eliminating. Your cat could have a UTI, it could be blocked (Is he straining to pee, peeing little bits all over, or screaming when he pees? THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!!!!!!!!!!), it could have arthritis and can’t jump or move to wherever the box is anymore. There could be kidney disease, endocrine disease (hyperthyroid, diabetes), GI disease, etc. PLEASE, if you cat is suddenly peeing or pooping outside of the box when it has never done that before, GO TO YOUR VET.
-> Stress: Cats normally don’t pee out of “spite”, but they can surely pee out of stress. Stressers can be any sudden change, new baby/pet, moving, etc.
-> Litter Box Aversion: Whether it be the box itself, the type of litter, or the location, cats can have aversions to these things and decide to eliminate elsewhere. One important thing to remember here is to frequently clean your box! This is simple solution that is easy to forget!
-> Unable to access a box: Similar to the one before, but some questions to ask: Can your cat get to the box? Are there multiple litter boxes if in a multi-cat household? (A rule of thumb I always heard of is 2 litter boxes plus 1 for every extra cat). Is there a dominant cat or dog that is preventing the cat from getting into or out of the box?
Every time you say vets are money grubbing, or ‘too expensive’ or just in it for the money.
Every time you decline all diagnostics yet demand to know ‘what’s wrong with my pet’
Every time at a social function or other completely inappropriate
place you find out that someone is a vet you ask them for free advice
about your animal.
Every time you feel justified posting a shitty practice or vet review
when everything was done according to the standard of care but your pet
died anyway.
Every time YOUR lack of preventative care resulted in your pets early death yet you blame the veterinarian.
Every time she gets in early and stays late and works an 80 hour week
because your pet that had been ill for days suddenly becomes an
emergency at 5pm on a Friday and you demand to be seen – claiming these
heartless vets won’t treat your baby.
Every time someone says ‘why didn’t you become a real doctor?’
Every time someone complains about the cost of veterinary care…
comparing human medicine and insurance subsidies to pet ownership
(totally voluntary btw).
Every time that someone doesn’t pay their bill and thinks that they are entitled not to because pet ownership is their ‘right’.
Every time someone walks in to a clinic and threatens to ‘sue your ass if you make one mistake with my baby’.
Every time a graduate vet looks at the hundreds of thousands of
dollars in crippling debt and listens to clients driving Mercedes and
bmws complain about the cost of a spay using good anesthetic care and
adequate pain management.
Every time… You are part of the problem.
The problem is suicide in veterinarians. Most of us went to
veterinary school because we care. We have a calling to care…. but there
is a dark and expensive cost to compassion.
ifesbob 