Is your cat suffering from a urination problem? If you are a cat owner, you will be very familiar with your cat’s behavior, food habits, playtime, and more. Apart from all these, cat parents need to find out whether the pet is having any medical issues or not.
The major medical ailment that most cats are prone to is urinary tract infection [UTI]. Irrespective of age, cats can face urinary tract infection problems. Just by giving appropriate antibiotics as suggested by the vet, urination issues can be treated. But, how to find your cat is having a urination problem?
To understand whether your cat is suffering from a urination ailment or any other chronic disease, you need to focus on its symptoms and signs. Let us discuss more about Cat Urinary Problems, urination habits in cats, symptoms of UTIs, potential causes of urination issues, treatment, and prevention tips in this in-depth guide. Have a look!
Contents
Cat Urination Habits
How Often Do Cats Pee? In general, healthy cats urinate 3 to 4 times a day. The urination frequency in cats is also affected by the amount of water consumption, diet habits, age of the cat, and weather conditions. This is the normal urination pattern in most healthy cats.
If your feline friend is suffering from any health problem, this urination pattern will likely change. When the weather is too hot, your cat may rarely urinate. You need to observe if there are any changes in the peeing pattern of your cat.
If your cat hasn’t urinated throughout the day or faces difficulty while urinating then, you must consider it as a problem. In that case, you must immediately take it to the vet. Your vet will diagnose the problem and give proper treatment.
Signs / Symptoms of Urination Problems in My Cat
Usually, cats aren’t willing to exhibit their symptoms and health issues to their owners. The owner has to figure out the underlying health problem of the cat. You can notice specific indications and signs when your cat is having a urination problem.
If you suspect that your kitty is having a urination issue then, you need to watch out for the common symptoms. The major indication of urination problems in your cats is difficulty urinating. Sometimes, your cat may pee repeatedly or move in and out of the litter tray.
- Urinating outside the litter box
- Difficulty urinating
- Urine associated with blood [Bloody Urine]
- Licking the Genital area excessively
- Avoiding Using Litter Box
- Vomiting
- Urge to drink more water than usual
- Urinating frequently in small amounts
- Excessive Vocalization
If you notice any of the aforementioned symptoms, make sure you consult a veterinarian as soon as possible. If the urination problem of the cat is not diagnosed at the right time or ignored could lead to fatal diseases.
If the Cat Urinary Infection is left untreated, it could cause urinary blockage. As a result, your cat may not be able to urinate causing a medical emergency. All these problems may cause kidney failure in the cat.
Possible Causes for My Cat Having Trouble to Urinate
Wondering what are the causes of Cat Urinary Tract Infection? There are several potential causes of Cat Urinary Problems. The major causes of cat urination problems include Urinary Tract Infections, urinary blockage, kidney issues, and more.
It may be quite arduous to pinpoint the actual cause of the Urination problem specifically if the cat is not suffering from any kind of chronic kidney disease or bladder issue. Once you understand the main cause of your cat’s urination problem, you can diagnose and treat it precisely. If not treated at the right time, it could lead to serious health issues.
We have covered the most common causes of a cat having trouble urinating in this post. Check it out!
1. Kidney Stones
One of the major causes of your cat having urine problems is kidney stones. If your cat has a kidney problem like blockage or kidney stones, they tend to use the litter box frequently.
When the cat has kidney stones, it will be experiencing pain and doesn’t like you touching its belly. Due to severe stomach pain, the cat doesn’t like its owner or any other person touching it. Try to treat this issue as early as possible to evade further health deterioration.
2. Urinary Tract Infections
UTI is another cause of urination problems. If the cat is suffering from UTI, it becomes quite difficult for it to urinate like a healthy cat. But, what causes UTI? When cats get a bacterial infection in their urethra or bladder, it causes Urinary Tract Infection.
Cats suffering from UTI may often come into the litter box and strive hard to urinate. However, it may produce only a small amount of urine due to bacterial infection. Sometimes, due to UTI, your cat may pee outside the litter box. Take your cat to the vet immediately to provide necessary Cat UTI Treatment.
3. Interstitial / Idiopathic Cystitis
Interstitial or Idiopathic Cystitis is another major cause of urination problems in cats. It’s a common condition when cats face trouble while urinating. Cystitis is generally caused in cats due to urinary bladder inflammation. As a result, it faces difficulty in passing urine. Sometimes, it could be slightly painful urinating for your feline friend.
Interstitial Cystitis is a neural ailment that affects a cat’s urinary bladder. Symptoms of idiopathic cystitis include difficulty urinating, the amount of urine coming out is very little, and sometimes, urine comes out with blood. It’s a serious health condition for the cat. When you witness bloody urine, take your cat to the vet immediately.
4. Urinary Obstruction
Urinary Blockage in Cats is another possible cause of your cat facing problems while urinating. Urinary blockage may happen due to a urinary tract infection. As a result, urine can’t come out of the body from the bladder. Due to urinary obstruction, the cat may experience extreme pain.
In some cases, urinary blockage could become fatal within less time. The urinary bladder becomes bulky and gets ruptured as the urine doesn’t go out of the bladder. Otherwise, it may cause permanent damage to the cat’s kidneys.
Compared to female cats, male cats are more prone to urinary obstructions. The reason behind female cats being less prone to urinary blockage is that female cats have long and narrow urethra.
The major signs that your cat is suffering from urinary obstruction include a painful abdomen, repeatedly trying to pee but urine doesn’t come out of the body, and feeling stressed. If the problem is ignored, it eventually could lead to urinary stones and sometimes it may cause urinary tract infection.
5. Cancer
Cancer is one of the possible causes of Cat Urinary Problems. If a cat has cancer then, it struggles to pass urine associated with other symptoms. like rapid weight loss or gain, respiratory problems, loss of appetite, vomiting, and more.
How Can I Help My Cat If It Can’t Pee?
When you observe that your cat is struggling a lot to pee or is unable to urinate, you must contact your veterinarian. If you think it’s serious, take your cat to the clinic immediately. Your vet may suggest some techniques or ways so that your cat can urinate. Implement those techniques and check if your cat can pee or not.
Keep Hydrated: Make sure your cat drinks more water so that it remains hydrated throughout the day. In general, kittens drink more water frequently compared to adult cats. So, if you have an older pet cat in your house, make sure it drinks adequate water to urinate at regular intervals without any difficulty.
Feed Liquid Foods: Feeding dry food to your cat may lessen the water levels in the body. Try to provide liquid food that contains more water content to your cat. By doing so, it helps your cat to urinate frequently.
Check the Medications: Few medications may increase heat in the cat’s body which in turn results in difficulty urinating. Some other medications like sterroids can help your cat drink more water resulting in regular urination without any problem.
Vet Treatment for Infrequent Urination in Cats with Serious Problems
If your cat can’t pee for some serious reason, contact your vet immediately. There could be various reasons and causes behind your cat’s urination problem as mentioned already. Whether your cat is suffering from UTI or cystitis, you need to get your cat treated under the supervision of an experienced vet.
Sometimes, serious medical conditions like kidney stones, urinary blockages, Idiopathic Cystitis, cancer, etc., may cause urination problems. If that is the case, you shouldn’t neglect or ignore the problem.
Once you take your cat to the vet, he/she will diagnose the actual cause of the urination problem and treat it accordingly. Your vet will diagnose the cat’s problem by doing various tests like urine culture, sensitivity test, etc. After diagnosing the problem, the vet may provide antibiotics depending on the test result.
Give antibiotics to your cat as prescribed by the vet until the course is completed. If in case, your cat is experiencing painful urination then, your vet will give pain relief medications and anti-inflammatories to calm down your cat from the pain. After completing the course, your vet will tell you to re-visit and re-check the urine. If the infection in the urine is gone, your vet will tell you to stop the medication.
If your cat is suffering from any underlying chronic disease, your vet will provide proper medication to treat it. Ultimately, your veterinarian will help your cat urinate freely without any difficulty.
Preventing Urinary Problems in Cats
Prevention is better than cure. By following some tips, you can prevent your cat from suffering urinary tract infections or some other urination problems. Take proper care of your cat by keeping an eye on its health condition frequently.
- Allow your cat to drink more water than usual to prevent your cat from developing the risk of UTIs. Encourage your cat to eat food comprising more water instead of canned and dry food. Also, try to speak with your vet regarding your pet’s food changes.
- Make sure your cat maintains proper hygiene while using the litter box. If required, help your feline friend to groom on its backside. Cats who are obese may struggle grooming on their back.
- Cleaning the litter box frequently can help prevent urination problems in your cat. Make sure you observe the cat’s urine quantity and quality before cleaning the litter box every time. If you find any change in the urine color or amount of urine, try to contact your vet and discuss the problem.
- Lifestyle habits and stressful situations could sometimes lead to urinary problems in cats. Give attention to your cat whenever needed to reduce its stress.
- Try to engage your cat to involve more in physical and mental activities to get proper physical movement and playtime. Allow your cat to indulge in playtime by giving pet toys, scratching posts, climbing trees, and more.
By doing all these, you can prevent your cat from experiencing various Cat Urinary Problems and Urinary Blockages in Cats.
Conclusion
Well, this is everything you need to learn about Cat Urinary Problems. Through this article, we have explained cat urination problems, causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention.
We hope this article has helped you understand the cause of your cat’s urinary problem and treatment for the same. Stay tuned to this website TheCrazyCats for more articles related to cats, health problems, food habits, general behavior, and more.
