It can be very annoying for you to see your cat urinating outside of his litter box. But what if your cat also urinates excessively? If your cat has always been clean and never displayed this kind of behavior before, then there is a strong possibility that he is having a urinary tract infection, which is commonly known as feline lower urinary tract disorder (FLUTD).
The reason why your cat is having a urinary track infection can in fact be a combination of factors. Contamination by bacteria is one of them. The food you are giving him could also be responsible for a PH problem in your cat's urine, resulting into an infection. If your cat is not drinking enough water every day, that could also promote this kind of infection. Other factors may be stress, a lack of exercise, breeding propensity, allergies and obesity.
The Most Common Symptoms of FLUTD
- Cat urinating in house, often in the most inappropriate places
- Excessive urination
- Incontinence or inability to control the flow of urine
- Smelly urine
- Cloudy urine
- Bloody urine
- Having crystals or stones in the urine
- Licking of the genital area
- Straining in pain while urinating
- Crying in the litter box
- Producing only trickles or a small amount of urine
- Inability to urinate
Observe your cat for a day and if you notice any of those symptoms and also signs of depression, loss of appetite or dehydration, you need the help of your veterinarian right away.
If your cat is older, keep in mind that he is more susceptible to get a urinary track infection than a young one. This is a serious disease and delaying a treatment could be fatal for your cat.
If you see your cat urinating in very odd places like on your bed or
furniture, he is telling you that something is wrong with him. Your cat is associating his pain with his litter box and is avoiding it.
Diagnosing and Treating Cat Urinary Problems
Your veterinarian will perform the necessary tests and examinations to determine a diagnosis.
If the cause of the problem is a urinary track infection, he will
prescribe an antibiotic treatment and a change in his diet to get rid
of the bacteria responsible for the infection. Your cat should stop
urinating excessively within a week after the beginning of the
treatment.
Once your cat had his medication and gets back
to normal, there are things you can do to prevent this situation to
happen again in the future. Here are a few tips to help with that.
- Always give your cat fresh water everyday
- Keep your cat's litter box clean. If you have more than one cat, give each its own litter box
- Feed your cat high quality high protein moist food
- Give your cat a supplement to support healthy bladder function daily
Ask your veterinarian about a good supplement. The right supplement
prevents urinary problems by adjusting the pH of the urine to keep the
urinary tract free of bacteria and soothes bladder tissues with herbs
to prevent further inflammation.
Keep in mind that daily
exercise and a good diet are essentials to keep your cat healthy. .If
your cat is getting older and seems lazy, try to make him play with
toys as often as possible.