Cat Bladder and Urination Problems

Cats do not drink a lot of water. If you begin to notice your cat is drinking a lot of water, it can be a sign of kidney issues. While male and female cats have different propensities to develop certain bladder issues, one that you will find plagues cats are urinary tract infections, or UTI.

Symptoms of Feline Bladder Issues

You will notice these infections through common behavior symptoms in cats, such as:

• Frequent urination where it is as though they are squeezing every last drop out
• Constant licking of crotch
• Increased complaining and restlessness (yes, it is possible)
• Blood in urine

As long as your cat is not drinking more water, your cat is lucky. Cats in general do not drink a lot of water, so if you notice increased visits to the water dish or increased amounts of urine in the litter box (as opposed to frequent visits with only a few drops of urine), this could mean a kidney problem as opposed to UTI issues.

Feline bladder infections are not contagious, so they will not spread to other cats in your home.

Treatment for Bladder Issues in Cats

Once your cat has been diagnosed with bladder issues or if they are found to have crystals or stones in the bladder, your veterinarian will offer you different options. Many times if the bladder issue is related to crystals in the bladder, this can be dissolved through a change in diet. If you are feeding your cat a lot of fish-filled foods, let your veterinarian know. Purina One adult formula with lamb and chicken is a good choice for most adult cats, especially the one with Omega 3, which helps improve your cats coat (just make sure it’s not a fish flavor).

Your veterinarian will likely prescribe a treatment of S/D canned or dry food for bladder health. Hills Science Diet is a popular brand for this treatment. You might also be asked to try antibiotics and need to get ultrasounds and blood tests to check for any other issues. The whole process can cost about $1,000, but you’ll be insuring a longer term healthy existence for your feline companion.

If your cat is uncomfortable initially, your veterinarian might also prescribe relaxants for the bladder so that your cat is not suffering while trying to fix the bladder issues or UTI.