Cat Urinary Tract Infection (UTI): Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are very common in cats. They can cause serious health problems if left untreated.

If you may have noticed that your cat has been going to the litter box a lot more or looking very uncomfortable while urinating. These are signs that your cat may have an UTI. 

In this article learn more about cat Urinary Tract Infection UTIs and their causes, symptoms, treatments, and prevention.

Has Your Cat Got A Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)?

Urinary tract infections are very common among cats, but most people don’t know what causes them or how to treat them. 

Urinary tract issues in cats are usually caused by an underlying medical condition.

These conditions include diabetes, thyroid disorders, kidney failure, and cancer. Cats over ten years old are more likely to suffer from UTIs than younger cats.

Most cats suffer from them at some point in their lives. Cats often pass bloody urine due to inflammation of the bladder caused by bacterial infection.

Symptoms typically occur after eating something that contains bacteria, such as onions or garlic. 

A cat may also get a UTI if there is damage to the urethra or bladder. This causes bacteria to enter the bladder. When this happens, the cat passes out blood-tinged urine.

Cats suffer from this disease when they urinate too much. Their urine gets stuck inside their body, and they have trouble peeing.

Sometimes they need to go to the bathroom every hour during the day. This causes them pain, and sometimes they get sick because of it.

Symptoms That Your Cat Has A UTI

If your cat has a UTI, then you may notice some strange behavior from them, when they need to use the bathroom. These can include:

  • Your cat is struggling to urinate at all. This is because it is quite uncomfortable for them.
  • Having to urinate a lot more frequently. This is because they feel like their bladder is still full.
  • They begin urinating in places other than the litter box. This can be annoying for you, but it is a clear sign that something is wrong. However, they may have lost control and can’t help when they urinate. 
  • You may notice your cat is suddenly drinking a lot more water than normal.
  • Their urine may be either cloudy or bloody.
  • Your cat may actually seem ill,  they could show signs of lethargy or vomiting.

Causes Of UTIs In Cats

Causes Of UTIs In Cats

Generally, a urinary tract infection will occur when bacteria reaches your cat’s bladder. The bacteria will have traveled through the urethra of the cat towards the bladder.

As established above, this is very common in older cats and also may be a result of an underlying health condition your cat may have as well.

There are various causes of your cat suffering a UTI, such as:

  • Spinal cord issues.
  • Tumor or injury.
  • Environmental or emotional stress.
  • Weak bladder.
  • Male cats are known to be more prone to UTIs as they have a smaller urethra compared to females. Thus, it is more common to become blocked. 
  • Weight and diet, you must make sure your cat gets plenty of exercises.

UTI In Cat Treatment

If you notice that your cat has a Cat Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), you must get it treated as soon as possible. If they aren’t treated, then this can lead to other health issues, including bladder stones and even kidney failure due to cat anatomy

As a result, the first thing you need to do is take your cat to a veterinarian. Your veterinarian will ask for a urine sample so that he can perform a couple of tests.

These tests will then reveal what course of treatment your cat needs. 

There are a couple of treatment methods that may be described to you, these include:

  • Increasing how much fluid and water your cat is consuming.
  • Changing your cat’s diet. This typically will reduce the chances of the UTI occurring again if your cat is becoming very prone to them.
  • Antibiotics or medicines will be prescribed to help fight the UTI. 
  • Therapy or surgery may be prescribed to your cat if the case is very serious. Also, surgery may be recommended with a male cat, to widen their urethra, to try to decrease the amount of UTIs they are contracting.

Home Remedies

Always speak to your veterinarian first, but there are some home remedies that you can use to try to help your cat.

As long as your veterinarian agrees, you can try the following home remedies:

  • Try giving your cat cranberries or cranberry juice. This is a very popular method for a lot of women who suffer from UTIs.
  • Give your cat much more water to drink, to try to encourage them to drink more. Also, a delicious broth, all of this is to try to promote your cat to drink more. 
  • Add extra litter boxes around your home, so your cat has more options to go urinate. This can also stop you from finding urine in random places of your home, which isn’t the litter box. 
  • Your veterinarian may suggest certain dietary supplements, which will help your cat decrease the amount of UTIs that they get.

Conclusion

Now that you have learned more about Cat Urinary Tract Infection, If your cat is struggling to urinate or drinking a lot more than usual, then they may have a UTI. These are very common in older cats and in male cats, however, they are simple to treat.

As soon as you notice any of the symptoms we have mentioned above, you should take your cat to the veterinarian to seek medical guidance. Changing your cat’s diet, or protecting them to drink more.

This will also help reduce the amount of UTIs they develop. However, when in doubt, take your cat to your veterinarian. 

Learn More

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