The 'bladder squeeze thing' is really no big deal......I have seen it done to Paddy several times and the vet just palpates the area firmly to stimulate the flow...while I man the other end with a dish to catch the pee. Simples.
I 'charge him up' before a vet visit with some irresistible chicken broth or watered yoghurt to make sure the bladder is full ( luckily none of mine ever mess in the basket )

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Nellie Paddy Mitzy Milo Peggy Murphy

Millie and Monty, the White Devils!

Cool, I have some yeo valley natural pro biotic yughurt in the fridge, would that be ok?

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Hmm.. aren't cats naturally lactose intolerant? That might give him the runs and some stomach pains. :S

Well...!
The good news is the harsh breathing has calmed, so it was something seasonal and not asthma, so no more steroids.
Hopefully that settles his peeing problem outside the litter box, if it was just finding he was getting caught short with peeing more.
The vet couldn't get a urine sample by squeezing because his bladder was really empty. He had peed overnight at some point and peed a good 3 times yesterday. But vet has said all they need for the test is 1ml so even if I get a contaminated sample to take that in and they'll test it. He also doesn't think it is likely to be a UTI. Sometimes when he leaves pee, there's a little pool of it in the top so I'm going to try to get one that way.
Only thing is his blummin on strike now, and won't eat his dinner!

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Finally got a urine sample and the good news is that was clear, so I'm putting this down to the change from steroids to no steroids. His chest was also sounding good at his checkup last week so he isn't asthmatic.

He's been using his litter tray fine, he's being a bit fussy about eating, as he was trying bozita and schmusy and now he's blooming digging his heels in and refusing both.

EDIT: I meant to ask, do you think for 1 cat 2 litter trays is better than 1? I could put one in the spare room but it'd have to come out when guests come to stay and would that be more confusing, and more likely to lead to 'accidents' in there than if he never had a litter tray in there?

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Good news on the urine front ,as for the food thing looks like he is normal there too Cats there is no pleasing them

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