my cat is peeing everywhere

[marbles]

He is peeing all over the house. Random spots, not usually the same place twice. The only other times he has done this has been from stress and they were short lived. This has been going on for a couple weeks probably. My MIL suggested that it could be a UTI and that we could get something to treat it from PetSmart. We are short on money and don't have a regular vet. Going anywhere is also a HUGE deal with him. He gets majorly stressed out and will hurt himself trying to get away, poor guy has scars on his head from banging his head against a carrier :(. Anytime we've taken him to a non-cat specific vet they didn't know what to do with him anyway. Is it safe to treat him without knowing that this is what it is? I think this (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11654681&f=PAD%2FpsNotAvailInUS%2FNo) is what my MIL recommended.
For some background on him: He is 6, he was the runt so he's very small, he has respiratory problems from a bad infection when he was abandoned as a kitten, he is blind and has separation anxiety. He almost died once because an emergency vet thought maybe falling over was just normal for a blind cat, even though we told him it was not. The only times I've taken him in I've had experiences like that ("Well wheezing could just be normal for him, I don't know" :banghead)
Anyways, is it really most likely just a UTI? Is this the best way to treat it? If it's not a UTI, will I be hurting him by doing this? I'm nervous about giving him anything since he had a seizure once from a flea medicine.

[Weezie]

I personally wouldn't give him anything OTC, especially when he hasn't seen a vet. You could try a little cat nip (it helps relax cats sometimes) or Feliway (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2755197).
Have you changed litter? Cleaned the box with something new?
Changed his food? Brought a new baby or child into the home? (our cat didn't appreciate when new ones came into our house).

I would get him into a vet.:hugheart

[ShangriLewis]

It probably is a UTI but it could be more serious such as bigger kidney problems.

[marbles]

I personally wouldn't give him anything OTC, especially when he hasn't seen a vet. You could try a little cat nip (it helps relax cats sometimes) or Feliway (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2755197).
Have you changed litter? Cleaned the box with something new?
Changed his food? Brought a new baby or child into the home? (our cat didn't appreciate when new ones came into our house).

I would get him into a vet.:hugheart

Thank you for the recommendation. We have changed the litter a couple times, his favorite we can no longer find and the next favorite is wheat, which Lucca is avoiding. The one we have now he does use and it even smells like his favorite. He's never rejected a litter before, he's always used it even if he didn't like it. No other changes. I'm not pregnant, I checked.

[Macky]

He needs to see a vet. There's no way around it. An untreated infection could mean losing him eventually. IF (and that's a big *IF*) you can find a vet who will let you bring in a urine sample that you collect at home, that would at least be something. You'll need a clean container, plastic "litter" beads and a syringe for collection. Our vet will let us do it only when it's a re-check; she always has to see them at least once with any new complaint. We've have had many cats over the years (we currently have seven, five are in the house) and the cause behind uncharacteristic urination has been as simple as a UTI and as dire as renal failure and cancer. The vet exam is the only way for them to give you useful advice based on the whole picture. (((hugs)))

[Glitterfish]

He needs to see a vet. There's no way around it. An untreated infection could mean losing him eventually. IF (and that's a big *IF*) you can find a vet who will let you bring in a urine sample that you collect at home, that would at least be something. You'll need a clean container, plastic "litter" beads and a syringe for collection. Our vet will let us do it only when it's a re-check; she always has to see them at least once with any new complaint. We've have had many cats over the years (we currently have seven, five are in the house) and the cause behind uncharacteristic urination has been as simple as a UTI and as dire as renal failure and cancer. The vet exam is the only way for them to give you useful advice based on the whole picture. (((hugs)))

:yes When a cat (especially a male, neutered cat) has a UTI, they form crystals in their urine that can eventually block up their tiny urethra so that they can no longer pee. If that happens, they start yowling and laying around, and it's an emergency situation. A UTI doesn't seem like a big deal, but to a male cat, it can turn bad very quickly.

[marbles]

So could the OTC uti medicine be harmful? We could swing a vet visit but if it has to happen this week we would have to go into our meager savings. We are living really tight and just did a too expensive weekend away for family. I obviously don't want to hurt him or neglect him but I also would like to get around paying a vet if it is at all possible.

[Weezie]

My male cat, the ONLY times he pees out of the box, is when he has crystals in his urine. He had emergency surgery to remove the blockage as well.
I personally, wouldn't use anything OTC with him at this point, until I knew.

[itzj]

Can you call area vets or shelters and explain how tight finances are? They can probably put you on a payment plan that would be more managable. The random peeing definitely points to medical to me.

[marbles]

Can you call area vets or shelters and explain how tight finances are? They can probably put you on a payment plan that would be more managable. The random peeing definitely points to medical to me.

That's a good idea. I will do that tomorrow.

[Amber]

He really does need to be seen.

It could be a UTI, it could be crystals in his urine, it could be stress. But he needs to be seen to determine what it is and what will be the best help for him.

I don't put a lot of stock in that OTC medicine helping him. I wouldn't give him anything until he is seen.