There are two broad categories of struggling to urinate with cats, and these are cystitis and urinary tract obstruction. Urinary tract obstruction is potentially life threatening, and so it is very important to be able to differentiate between these problems.
If you are concerned that your cat is unable to pass urine at all, and is showing a number of the signs listed below, you should call your local veterinarian immediately to book an emergency appointment. If you would like to find out more information about urinary tract obstruction then you can read this article which explains more about what urinary tract obstruction means for your cat and how it is treated.
Signs that your cat my have a urinary tract obstruction:
- Frequent, non-productive trips to the litter tray, often with straining and vocalisations
- Passing very small amounts of blood or urine when straining to urinate
- Lethargy or hiding away
- Vomiting or reduced appetite
- Abdominal discomfort
- Grooming around their genitals frequently
If your cat is frequently visiting the litter tray but passing larger amounts of urine with some straining then it is more likely they are suffering with cystitis. Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder lining which results in the sensation of needing to urinate more frequently, and so you will see signs related to this with your cat at home. Unlike urinary tract obstruction, which affects primarily male cats, cystitis can affect both male and female cats and cause similar signs in both. Whilst cystitis is not an emergency in itself, it can lead to urinary tract obstruction in some circumstances, so if you are suspicious your cat may have cystitis then it is safer to get them seen by your local veterinarian as soon as you can.
How will I know if my cat has cystitis?
There will often be a combination of signs that should make you suspicious that your cat is experiencing cystitis, you may not see all of these but if you are noticing a few then it would be worth getting your cat checked out by your local veterinarian.
- Increased frequency of urination (usually with smaller amounts of urine) – this is caused by the irritation within the bladder making your cat feel like they need to urinate more.
- Increased urgency of urination – just like with people with urinary tract infections, cats can experience urgency to urinate, and this may result in them urinating in unusual places and missing their litter tray
- Straining whilst passing urine – this is also related to the irritation within the bladder, as when your cat has finished passing urine they may still feel the need to go, despite their bladder being empty.
- Passing bloody or cloudy urine – when there is infection in the bladder it can cause the bladder wall to bleed slightly where it is damaged, and the extra contents of the urine from the bacteria and inflammation can turn it cloudy – you will often see evidence of this in the litter tray.
- Excessive cleaning of genitals – when passing urine with a urinary tract infection, some animals will experience an unpleasant sensation, and so you may notice your cat cleaning their genitals more frequently than normal.
With some medical conditions cats can have an increased thirst and urination, and so if your cat is visiting the litter tray more frequently but passing large volumes of urine with no straining or blood in the urine, then it may be worthwhile taking them to your local veterinarian to ensure they do not have any underlying illnesses.
What can cause my cat to have cystitis?
Cystitis in cats can occur for a number of reasons, including bacterial cystitis (urinary tract infection), idiopathic cystitis (unknown cause of cystitis, but very often stress related), and cystitis related to bladder stones (uroliths). All of these cause damage to the bladder wall, resulting in the signs of cystitis.
Bacterial cystitis, or a urinary tract infection, often occurs when bacteria make their way into the bladder from elsewhere in the body, usually the skin or intestines, causing irritation and discomfort.
Idiopathic cystitis, as the name suggests, has a unknown cause, and can be seen without any other underlying disease related to the bladder. In a majority of cases there are a number of predisposing factors that seem to be related to the development of inflammation in the bladder, and in a lot of cases stressful events are related to cystitis developing.
Cystitis secondary to the formation of bladder stones is not as common, but occurs due to the stones traumatising the bladder wall and providing areas for bacteria to grow. There are usually underlying reasons for stones to form in the bladder, such as diet and genetic factors.
How can I manage my cat’s cystitis?
In all cases of cystitis, bringing a fresh urine sample for your veterinarian to check is extremely helpful, as it will usually help identify what the underlying causes for the cystitis are. Getting a urine sample from a cat is not always easy, however there are a number of types of non-absorbent cat litter which will allow you to obtain a sample if they are still using their litter tray. If your cat refuses to use a litter tray or normally toilets outdoors then your veterinarian may recommend taking a sample directly from their bladder.
Once the underlying cause for the cystitis has been identified, then it can be effectively treated. In the case of infections this will involve antibiotics, and in all cases anti-inflammatory medications may be considered to help relieve the irritation in the bladder. There may also be the place for supplements to protect the bladder lining and alleviate symptoms.
If your cat is suffering from idiopathic cystitis, and has had a flare of symptoms related to a stressful event, then it may be worth considering the risk factors for idiopathic cystitis and try to minimise or remove these if possible. Your veterinarian will be able to discuss the risk factors that relate to your cat specifically, however in all cats with idiopathic cystitis, reducing stress at home is important and can help prevent recurrence of signs of cystitis.
Things you can consider to reduce stress in the home environment for your cat include:
- The use of pheromone diffusers to send relaxing messages to your cat in their home environment
- Providing extra resources to eliminate competition between cats at home (for example adding in extra food and water bowls, and litter trays)
- Reducing stress from local cats (for example discouraging neighbouring cats from entering your property, covering windows where you cat can see other cats outside)
- Minimising changes to your household or routine (for example when or what you feed your cat, where furniture is or any home renovations)
- Providing plenty of outlets for your cat, such as scratching posts and areas to hide
- In some cases using stress relieving supplements can be useful (e.g. zylkene)
Feline cystitis is a complicated condition and has a large number of factors affecting it, so discussing how best to care for your cat with your veterinarian can be useful, especially when deciding on changes to make to your cat’s management at home.