That sounds miserable for both you and your kitty!

What are you doing about the fleas now? Is she on some sort of medication for them?

She's on Revolution blue and they think the blood might be stress from losing the other cat but they weren't really close and the fought a lot when I moved here so think there is less stress in her life now. She was never really close to her littermates so I think she's a solitary cat by nature. Ever since he passed away I've given her nothing but moist food because she loves it and I was worried she won't drink enough water by avoiding the floor as she has been doing.

Just now she threw up a bit of yellow/brownish stuff so I moved her to another window and when I cleaned the one she was sleeping in I saw she had peed in that window and thrown up :( I move the litter and her food and water into another larger window and she ate a bit but didn't seem as into her food as she normally is. She also used the litter box but I'm concerned and will probably call the vet tomorrow. Maybe I'll call my old vet. If she doesn't eat her food in the morning I'll take her in but I'm worried about them ordering expensive tests that might not be helpful in diagnosing the problem. Would a vet clinic deliberately order useless tests before sending you for the tests that they would think best solve the solution to draw out the investigative process to make more money and hope that a pet might get sicker and need more extensive treatment later?

Are you saying your cat is staying in the window in order to avoid fleas? If your house is that infested, I'd say your first priority is to get your cat treated and then rid your home of the fleas. A major flea infestation can kill a pet.
Surely the expensive vet isn't the only vet in town? Call your local shelter or humane society and ask for a vet referral. Also, speak with the vet and let them know you don't want any tests run that aren't going to aid in her treatment.

There's got to be another reason, besides fleas, as to why your cat is continually hiding in a window and from your description she's definitely ill and showing signs of getting worse.

Tell your vet "What do you think the most likely problem is? Let's test for that first and wait on any additional tests for now. I need to keep costs down."

I take this approach with all my animals' vets, and also with my own doctors. No one has ever had a problem with this, and if they feel strongly about the need for a particular test, this is their opportunity to explain to me why we need to do it, how much it will cost, and so forth.

I think it's unlikely that your new vet is trying to jack up your bill on purpose, but they are trained to "sweep" to resolve a diagnosis quickly, so they'll do a bunch of routine tests all at once. It's perfectly reasonable to spread the tests out a bit, and try to nail (or rule out) he most likely candidates first.

Also, when I paid my bill and got a printout of what the visit and treatment consisted of, I would have asked that someone write in the name and dosage of that missing shot "so that my records are complete."

To me it sounds like a classic UTI (urinary tract infection). It's very painful for the cat, which may be why she's immobilizing herself in various places. Also, fleas can jump 6 feet or higher, so I can't see how the cat is escaping them by sitting on a windowsill.

I would go with my gut, if I were you, and arrange a trip back to your old vet, if you share a better rapport and communications with him/her.

Good luck.

Several comments:
1) unless your cat is old, has diabetes, renal failure or some other degenerative condition, it is unlikely your cat has a urinary tract infection (very rare in young cats, but not unheard of). Most of these cats with bladder issues that are uncomfortable and have blood in the urine have cystitis, but that does not necessarily mean infection, too. The causes of cystitis are many, from stress, diet, stones to 'idiopathic' (i.e.. no obvious identifying cause). It is such a common problem in feline medicine, it has its own name: FIC (Feline idiopathic cystitis), or the old name was FLUDT (Feline lower urinary tract disease).

2) but one things is for sure, your cat is uncomfortable. ONe of the main things that should be considered in any cat that is urinating blood, straining, crying when urinating, or urinating inappropriately is the potential pain issue. Pain relief alone can make many of these cats better. You might ask your vet for some help in this area.

3) Diet is a big area of concern and should always be addressed. Canned food is a FAR better choice for any cat with bladder issues for several reasons. One is canned food is mostly water, so cats that eat only canned food urinate more, and urinating more empties the bladder more, and emptying the bladder more can result in emptying it of irritating substances such as crystals and mucus (often the cause OR result of straining and bleeding). But possibly more importantly is the carbohydrate issue, which many specialists are considering to be a big deal when it comes to 'happy bladders' in cats. Canned food (MOST canned foods, not all) are lower in carbohydrates- significantly lower. Dry foods all have carbs with a minimum of around 22%... But carbs are really not part of a cat's natural diet and a diet of maybe 7% or less would be far better. So I suggest if your cat is amenable to this, feed her a pate canned food only- no dry. Many cats in my practice have been made symptom free by just switching to canned food.. and my own cat was 'cured' this way when my professor in vet school told me to do the same thing despite my arguing with him that I was sure she had a bladder infection (of course I turned out to be wrong).

4) the 'stress' issue is a bit harder to resolve or diagnose, but stress alone can cause cats to pee blood and be uncomfortable. Your cat's loss of another cat, or having fleas, could have stressed her out some... but most of the time, we humans really have no idea what is stressing a cat. But adding more litter boxes, giving meds to reduce stress and using pheromone diffusers can all help resolve or at least improve these kittie's stress.

5) and I mentioned stones up above... sometimes bladder stones can result from either a dietary issue (most common cause), infection (rare in young cats) or a genetic metabolic issue (not much to be done about that last one other than keep cat on canned food). But without an x-ray, this possibility cannot be ruled in or out. I know rads are costly, but they are one time only cost and worth it to diagnose some cats properly.

Discuss these things with your vet and see what they say.

I finally found someone who could take me to my old vet in a neighbouring town and am so glad I did. She got down to business, took x-rays, and we talked at length about her health and diet and how to get rid of the fleas. The x-rays show she has 2 large stones in her bladder so that is why she is peeing blood and uncomfortable. I had to borrow money from my mom but Muffin is getting surgery tomorrow and the vet feels she will be more comfortable very quickly after that. Tonight she's gotten some antibiotics and pain control, food and water and will spend the night.

The prognosis is very good and I'm so happy and relieved that I took her there. Just the whole feeling I got from the interest my vet showed in not only my pet's health, as well as my health, but also in her comfort and happiness makes me feel very at ease with her recommendations. She didn't even charge me yet for today's visit and sent me home with Siphotrol to de-flea my home (she said we'll settle up after surgery). I can see why I didn't trust that other clinic. While I'm sure they are thoughtful and care for animals, it is hard to go from an amazing and wonderful vet like I had to another. She even expressed concern for the cat upstairs and asked me to pass a message along to ask them to get their cat treated. I think the only thing they are doing is a flea collar for prevention but they keep finding a flea here and there. Now that I have full-time employment (I've been on contract for a year and half) I am thinking of moving and wonder if I stayed would this be a recurring event every year since their cat is an outdoor cat and sometimes gets in the hallway outside my door.

Thank you for your responses and I'll report on the Siphotrol spray when I see how effective it is.

I'm so glad you got a diagnosis and Muffin is under treatment. Those stones must have been so painful. Your old vet sounds like a keeper!

Thanks for the update.

I'm glad you were able to get to your old vet. Please keep us posted on Muffin's condition. : )

She had surgery yesterday and is home today. One of the ladies in my vet's office lives just near me so she dropped Muffin off for me. The bill is huge but I borrowed the money from my mom and will be paying her off as quickly as I can.