Today let’s talk about cat cystitis, because cat cystitis is more common than we think. Cystitis can be a serious problem for cats, so it's important for cat owners to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of this urinary problem.

　

1. What is feline cystitis?

Cystitis is an inflammation of the urinary tract in cats, also known as feline idiopathic or interstitial cystitis (FIC), Pandora syndrome, and feline urinary syndrome (FUS). ''This problem affects the cat's bladder and urethra and makes urination difficult due to inflammation and discomfort. Cats with cystitis can exhibit a variety of symptoms that may also be indicative of other urinary tract problems in cats.

Although some symptoms of cystitis are not obvious, cystitis can be serious and life-threatening for cats. That's why it's important to know what symptoms of cystitis your cat has.

2. Symptoms of cystitis in cats

So what are the possible symptoms of cystitis in cats?

Makes a sound when urinating

Increased urination frequency

Difficulty or nervousness during urination

Small or intermittent urine flow

Blood in urine

Urine with unusual smell

Urinating outside the litter box

Abnormally cloudy urine

Excessive licking of genitals

Unable to urinate

Large and strong bladder

The signs of cystitis are mainly the above points. We usually pay more attention to the peeing situation of cats. It is best to shovel poop regularly every day, so that we can know the daily urinary tract situation. If the cat’s urinary tract is small, but there are many , which may be the beginning of cystitis. As cystitis worsens, your cat may meow when urinating due to pain or discomfort and tension when squatting to urinate.

When your cat urinates, he may not be able to urinate completely. The urine is discharged in small streams and cannot flow smoothly. Eventually, cystitis will worsen until the body is unable to urinate. Cats with anuria will have a large, firm bladder that can be felt with your hands! Other symptoms of cystitis include blood in the urine, an unusual odor in the urine, and cloudy urine indicating the presence of crystals or small stones in the bladder. , excessive licking and attention to the urethral opening.

The most obvious is peeing outside the litter box. This inappropriate urination could be on the couch, in a plastic bag, on clothing or anywhere your cat deems appropriate to pee.

3. Causes of cystitis in cats

ThatSo, what may be the reason behind cat cystitis? In fact, many times, the cause of cats suffering from cystitis is unknown. That's why it's often called idiopathic, meaning an unknown cause. Among them, the most common motivating factors include:

Pressure

Anxiety

Other diseases

Urinary tract infection

Bladder stones

Urinary tract tumors, etc.

All of the above reasons may play a role in the development of cystitis. Separately, some studies have shown that cats with cystitis also have low levels of a component called glycosaminoglycans in the bladder wall cartilage, but the underlying cause remains a mystery.

4. Diagnosis of cystitis in cats

So, how do you diagnose whether your cat has cystitis? In addition to the clinical symptoms mentioned above, doctors usually do some tests to ensure that there is no underlying disease causing cystitis. Common tests include X-rays, urine tests, B-ultrasounds, and even blood tests.

5. Treatment of cystitis in cats

When a cat suffers from cystitis, the first step is to treat the symptoms, because you must first ensure that the cat can urinate. If the cat is unable to urinate, this is already an emergency situation, and it must be "unblocked", artificially assisted drainage, or the use of a urinary catheter, bladder puncture, etc.

If your cat has cystitis that is not severe enough to have a blockage, medication will usually be needed to help your cat reduce urinary tract inflammation, pain, pressure, and cramping to urinate. If crystals, stones, or bacteria are present in the urine, a special diet, antibiotics, and other treatments may be needed.

6. Prevention of cystitis in cats

The most common way to prevent feline cystitis is to control stress and anxiety! Cystitis is often associated with nervous cats. All kinds of things can stress your cat, so the first thing you should do is figure out what your cat is stressed about. Additionally, stress can be reduced through medications, special diets, supplements, pheromones, and sometimes by changing things in the environment, such as the location of the litter box and the type of litter.

Pay attention to choosing high-quality cat food with a suitable calcium to phosphorus ratio in daily food. Try to trick your cat into drinking more water, but do not feed it raw water directly, because tap water is rich in minerals and can easily cause small stones. In short, a good, stable and relaxed breeding environment is the best preventive measure!

I hope all kittens will not suffer from cystitis!