Urine Trouble With Your Cat?
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It’s always good to know what ur-ine for if your cat has problems peeing.
Seriously though, urinary issues are quite common in cats and can escalate into an emergency especially if your cat is peeing in drops or unable to pee at all.
Here are some of the signs, risk factors and what you can do to help.
Comic credit: Liz Climo
Your cat may have urinary issues if he/she is…
Peeing outside of litter tray
Visiting the litter tray more often and straining to pee, but unable to produce any urine
Peeing with blood. This can range from tinges of blood (i.e. pinkish urine) or actual blood found on the litter or floor.
Showing signs of pain when peeing e.g. vocalising or hunching up
If your cat shows one or more of the signs listed above, it is time to visit your vet.
A blockage in your kitty’s urinary tract can lead to serious problems like bladder rupture or arrhythmia (irregular heart rate). This also brings us to the potential causes.
So why would your cat have urinary issues?
It is possible that your cat has..
An inflamed bladder wall
Stones or sediments in the bladder
Stones in the urethra (Male cats are more prone to this than females)
Tumours in the urinary tract (Possible in elderly /senior cats)
Some structural abnormalities in the urinary tract
Behavioural problems
Urinary tract infection (Rare, but not impossible in cats)
Whatever the cause, it is worthwhile to get it diagnosed and treated quickly since the causes vary from mild (e.g. behavioural problems) to severe (tumours).
Aside from bringing kitty to the vet, what else can you do?
Cat owners, if you know your cat has a higher risk of getting urinary problems, you can be more vigilant and look out for the signs.
So here are the risk factors and some things we can all do for prevention below.
Your cat is at a higher risk of developing urinary issues if he/she is…
Overweight
Not drinking enough water
Consuming too much minerals in the diet, e.g. calcium, phosphorus, magnesium etc. These minerals can form sediments or stones in the urinary tract.
Chronically stressed from inter-cat conflict, noisy environment, change in environment or routine, new animal or person in household etc.
Besides being aware of the risk factors, you can also prevent urinary issues by…
Not overfeeding your cat.
This is a tough one, we get it. But high-fat diets can lead to obesity which causes a lot more problems than just urinary issues. Do purchase cat food that contains more antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids as these can help to maintain good bladder health.
If your cat has a history of urinary problems, your vet may recommend urinary-care diets for long-term consumption. And yes, they do help your cat so it is good to continue to feed these special diets.
Encouraging your cat to drink more.
Add extra water bowls in different places around the house so your cat can access water easily. You can also add water to dry food or switch from dry to canned wet food.
Got a cat that doesn’t like to drink? Try meat broths or water fountains to keep it interesting for your cat.
Avoiding things that trigger stress in cats.
Bringing home a new pet or having new people over to the house? Try to introduce them to your cat gradually while keeping your cat’s routine as consistent as possible. What we mean by routine includes keeping feed times, play times etc. regular.
Trying to train your cat? You can do so using more positive reinforcements rather than shouting or hitting your cat.
Sharing an apartment with your cat? Give your cat some enrichment using physical gyms such as climbing structures, viewing perches, scratch posts etc. Keep your cat engaged with some of these ideas here.
Avoiding inter-cat conflict if you have more than one cat.