Very new to reddit and normally just lurk and never post, but I'm at a point where I really need some advice about my cat. I'm also sorry that this is really long.
So, I am currently away from home at college. Unfortunately, I had to leave my 5 year old baby boy behind as I can't have him in the dorms.
For some back story when I went home for Fall break last semester I immediately noticed that something was wrong with him. He had seemed like he lost a lot of weight, was drinking a lot of water, and was peeing everywhere but the litter box. I let my parents know that something was off about him as I guess neither them nor my sister noticed. A few days later he went to the vet and they said that his glucose levels were high and that they were gonna monitor that. They were not that concerned about diabetes (or other illnesses/infections) as we had just had a really bad wildfire (Northern California) near our home and my family had to be evacuated. Fortunately for my family we didn't loose anything due to the fires, but they were living in a tent trailer for about 5 days, my cat included. The vet chalked his high glucose levels up to the stress of being evacuated and decided to watch those levels to make sure he was not diabetic. We've continued those vet appointments and so far everything is good glucose wise.
He is no longer losing weight or drinking water excessively, but he is still peeing everywhere but the litter box. When I am home he doesn't typically pee anywhere but his litter box. And the only time he does when I am home is when I've gotten lazy and forget to clean out the boxes (most of the time I'm very on top of it). My family isn't as on top of it as I am so he acts out. However, as of late I guess it's been very unprompted and done without warning. He's even peeing directly on the floor which he has never done before. I used to spend a lot of time with my cat when I was living at home full time and now that I'm gone he doesn't get as much attention.
As of right now my family wants to "ship" him away to my grandma (she lives less than five minutes away from us so it's not that far, but still). I have a couple problems with this. I do not doubt my grandmas ability to take care of my cat cause she has three cats of her own and a dog. All her pets are happy and healthy. My problem is that her cats are outdoor cats and have the freedom to leave the house whenever they feel. My cat has only ever been an indoor cat and he does not do well being outside because of this. She also happens to live near some woods that have animals that could very well have my cat as an afternoon snack. For these reasons I am opposed to having my grandma take care of my cat. I really do want what's best for him and his wellbeing, but I also don't wanna lose him metaphorically and literally.
I've suggested to my parents adopting another cat to get him a friend, but I really don't think it's fair of me to suggest something like that when I'm not even living at home. Are there any other things you guys would suggest that will stop this behavior? Is another cat a good idea or is getting rid of him a better option?
Another thing to add is we also have two dogs at home. He and one of my dogs were the only pets in the house for a while (about 2 years), and they were the best of friends. We then adopted another dog and he didn't really know how to act around cats (chases him, gets jealous when we hold him, etc.), so my cat then became secluded to one part of the house. I do understand that this seclusion also contributes to his loneliness, stress and behavior. Are there ways we can get my one dog to behave nicely towards my cat so he can once again have free range of the house?
Ultimately, I want to do what's best for my cat even if it means having to get rid of him. However, before I do that I want to try everything I can to make him happier in the place that he already is. Any and all suggestions are welcomed. Thank you for bearing with me on this very long post!
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from Pets https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/f6p3ic/i_need_advice_on_what_to_do_about_my_cat/
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