 Cat owners tend to be very familiar with their pet's bathroom habits, thanks to litter box duty. Cleaning the box isn't anyone's favorite chore but it can be an excellent way to keep an eye on your pet's urinary tract health. If your cat's bathroom habits change, it might be a sign that they have a urinary tract problem. Cats of any age can have problems with their lower urinary tracts. Some cats are prone to urinary tract infections, UTIs, that go away after taking antibiotics. Other cats get blockages and bladder stones that need surgery to fix. Learn more about cat UTIs and other urinary tract problems and how to treat them. While cats often have urinary tract issues, our kitty companions are more prone to urinary tract disease than infections. Cats that do develop urinary tract infections are typically 10 years of age or older and often suffer from endocrine diseases, including hyperthyroidism and diabetes mellitus. If your feline companion is displaying symptoms of a urinary tract infection, see below, and is diagnosed with cystitis, your veterinarian will prescribe an antibacterial to help battle your cat's UTI. The most common symptoms of urinary tract infection in cats include reduced amounts of urine, straining to urinate, pain or discomfort when urinating, not urinating at all, urinating around the house, outside the litter box, and passing urine tinged with blood, pinkish color urine. These symptoms may be caused by a urinary tract infection, but there are also numerous feline lower urinary tract diseases, flute, that may cause your cat to display the symptoms of UTI that were mentioned earlier. Feline urinary tract disease, flute. Flute, feline lower urinary tract disease, is actually a term that covers many clinical symptoms. Flute can lead to issues in your cat's bladder and urethra, often causing the urethra to become blocked or preventing your cat's bladder from properly emptying. Left untreated, these conditions can even become serious or life-threatening. If your cat is suffering from flute, they may find urination difficult, painful, or impossible. They may also urinate more often, or in inappropriate areas outside the litter box, perhaps on surfaces that feel cool to the touch such as a bathtub or tile floor. Causes of feline urinary tract disease. Flute is a complex condition to diagnose and treat since there are multiple causes and contributing factors to this disease. Crystals, stones, or debris can gradually build up in your cat's urethra, the tube connecting the bladder to the outside of your cat's body, or bladder. Some other common causes of lower urinary tract issues in cats include incontinence due to excessive water consumption or weak bladder, spinal cord issues, urethral plug caused by the accumulation of debris from urine, bladder infection, inflammation, urinary tract infection, UTI injury or tumor in the urinary tract. Congenital abnormalities. Emotional or environmental stressors. Urinary tract disease in cats is most often diagnosed and overweight, middle-aged cats who have little to no access to outdoors, eat a dry food diet or do not get enough physical activity, although cats of any age can get the condition. Male cats are also more prone to urinary diseases since their narrower urethras are more likely to become blocked. Using an indoor litter box, emotional or environmental stress, multi-cat households or sudden changes to their everyday routine can also leave cats more vulnerable to urinary tract disease. If your kitty is diagnosed with flute it is essential to determine the underlying cause. Flute symptoms can be caused by serious underlying health issues such as bladder stones or infection due to cancer or a blockage. If your veterinarian is unable to determine the cause of your cat's flute, kitty may be diagnosed with a urinary tract infection called cystitis which is inflammation of the bladder. Hello. This video is sponsored by Beemix Pets. Are you looking for high quality cat collars at an affordable cost? Check out BeemixPets.com. Use coupon code KittenLife to get 20% off. Symptoms of feline urinary tract disease in cats. If you suspect your cat has flute or a cat urinary tract infection, watch for the following symptoms. Inability to urinate, loss of bladder control, urinating small amounts, urinating more than usual or in inappropriate settings, avoidance or fear of litter box, strong ammonia odor in urine, hard or distended abdomen, cloudy or bloody urine, drinking more water than usual, excessive licking of the genital area, lethargy, vomiting. It's critical that any bladder or urinary issue be treated as early as possible. If left untreated, urinary issues in cats can cause the urethra to become partially or completely obstructed, which can prevent your feline friend from urinating. The symptoms above indicate a serious medical issue that could quickly lead to kidney failure or rupture of the bladder. Flute can quickly be fatal if there is an obstruction that is not eliminated immediately. Diagnosing feline urinary tract disease. If you believe that your feline friend may be having problems with their lower urinary tract, contact your vet right away, especially if your cat is straining to urinate or crying out in pain. Your vet will perform a complete physical exam to help assess your cat's symptoms and perform a urinalysis to get further insight into your cat's condition. Ultrasound, radiographs, blood work, and urine culture may also need be done. Treatment. Recommended treatments for a urinary tract problem will vary depending on the cat's situation. For instance, in Tyler's case, antibiotics were prescribed to knock out the infection. If your cat needs to go on antibiotics, be sure to follow the instructions and finish the entire prescription even if your cat seems better. The infection could recur if you stop the medication early. In most instances of a urinary tract issue, you'll need to increase your cat's water intake. Here are three suggestions to help you do this. Make sure your cat has a bowl of fresh, clean water that's easy for them to access. Offer your cat diluted, warm chicken broth, not too hot, or your cat's mouth could get burned. Shift their diet to include more wet food, which contains more moisture than dry kibble. Alternatively, you can try soaking the dry kibble in water for about 15 minutes to moisten it. As with any change in diet, it is best to ask your veterinarian for advice on how to best approach it. In addition, it can help to scoop out the litter box more often so you can keep a better tab on how much and how often your cat is going to the bathroom. Most cats prefer a squeaky clean litter box, so it can also help your ailing cat feel more comfortable when they go. Antibiotics can treat cat UTIs. Your vet will prescribe the right medication for your pet. They can advise you on diet changes that might prevent future UTIs. Clearing obstructions in the urethra. The vet will insert a tube into the urinary opening and flush the area with sterile fluid to clear the obstruction. Follow-up care may be required as well. If your cat has diabetes, thyroid disease, or cancer, talk to your vet about treatment options. Cat urinary tract issues are serious and you should not ignore the symptoms. Call your vet if you think your cat has a UTI or other urinary tract problem. Note, the advice provided in this video is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet's condition, please make an appointment with your vet. Prevention Tips With proper treatment, a urinary tract infection will usually resolve itself within a week. However, it can recur, so it's good to watch out for the symptoms and take some steps to help prevent another bout. Add more canned food to your cat's diet to help increase water intake. Consider buying a pet fountain. Some cats will drink more water when it runs fresh from a fountain. If you enjoyed this video, kindly press the like button. Also don't forget to subscribe with notifications on, so that you don't miss out on videos like this. Thank you for watching.