The Wee Saga

How A Minor Request Became A Major Battle!

On Wednesday, 24 July, I took Bracken to the vets due to changes in her body and behaviour. After an examination, the vet said she suspected there was arthritis in Bracken's rear legs, and she would like me to collect a urine sample and film Bracken walking, etc. After showing me how to turn my phone's camera into a video recorder, she gave me a pack of plastic pellets, pipette and some specimen bottles. I paid the bill and returned home

Our triangular tray

This oblong tray came when my youngest sister had to lose her cuddly cat a few years ago

Because I knew it would take time for Bracken to recover from her visit to the vets, I decided to wait until Monday, 29 July, to try for the sample. Cleaned out the triangular tray - which wasn't difficult as I had changed cat-litter on the Friday. The pellets looked lost in the big tray, so on Tuesday I bought another pack of the plastic pellets. The tray looked more appealing - Bracken kept smelling them and walking away! Thinking she might be better tempted with a smaller tray, I bought a kitten starter kit - hot pink - the next day. Feeling I had solved the problem, I stacked the other trays so she couldn't use them. Success?

No way!!!

NO!!

My lovely, cuddly cat was NOT amused. At about 4.30 am, she woke me up  had made so much noise to wake me that I was surprised some neighbour didn't complain! We went into the bathroom and she started trying to get one of trays down to use.  Not for the required wee - a bm. After clearing the smelly deposit out, I sanitised the tray and  both covered trays were put in the kitchen - nothing in there at risk of contamination.

Decided to make an effort to persuade Bracken to use the tray by keeping her in, which was a good idea except for the fact that by Noon Bracken was desperately in need of some grass to help  a fur ball come out of her tummy. When she returned and ejected the fur ball, she went straight into her normal tray to have a wee. There was no chance of her using the plastic pellets, even after trying to entice her by putting some crystal litter in the tray.

I should have saved the  crystals by leaving them where they were! But, desperate times call for desperate measures! Luckily I had a much better idea - buy a pheromone spray to entice her into the pellets! Shall hopefully obtain the spray on Monday and [metaphorically speaking] cross my fingers. Failing that, back to the vets - am sure she can find a way to  gather some urine - and could take a blood sample, which she may need to do anyway!!! Pheromone spray cost didn't fit into my budget and I saw on tv how a cat can be persuaded to have a wee - need a helper, but think I'll leave it to the professionals.

I remembered that I had really thought it would be very easy to collect a sample - totally wrong!! Bracken is such a stubborn cat!!

Cine camera - a doddle, I thought as Bracken loves to have her  photo taken - NO, she didn't like the lack of clicks so moved away! Back to the drawing board!