Cat UTI Symptoms, Problems & Treatment

Considering how influential a part cats play in our everyday lives, it is no surprise that as caring and affectionate cat parents, we are constantly worried about the general health and well-being of our elegant furry friends. Although cats generally lead a healthy, happy life, suspecting a concerning health disorder, such as a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) in our feline munchkins can feed our anxiety. 

While urinary tract infections in cats are surprisingly common, they can cause substantial discomfort in your feline munchkin, and may result in drastic changes in their everyday moods and lifestyle. UTI in cats can cause health complications too and must be treated at the earliest to avoid any lasting health problems. 

So, in this article, we discuss the common causes and cat UTI symptoms, as well as the cat urinary tract infection home remedies, UTI cat foods and other effective treatment of UTIs in cats.

What are some signs and symptoms of UTI in cats?

It is important to be more attentive to your feline munchkin’s everyday lifestyle and consult a veterinarian if you suspect your adorable furball is suffering from the cat UTI symptoms as mentioned below:

• Cats with UTI often face inability or difficulty while urinating.
• Cats with UTI are known to vomit frequently, as well as develop a distended or hardened abdomen. 
• UTI can also lead to loss of bladder control, leading to frequent urination or urination in small or abnormally large amounts.
• Since UTI can cause pain and discomfort while urinating, it can also cause cats to completely avoid or be afraid of litter boxes.
• The urine of cats suffering from UTIs have a strong ammonia smell, and can be bloody or cloudy.
• UTI in cats can even result in drastic changes in moods and behavior, such as lethargy, drinking excessive water, or continuously licking the genital area. 

How to treat Urinary tract problems in cats?

It is vital to pay attention and make sure your kitty gets started on the necessary treatment soonest. If your cat is suffering from male cat UTI symptoms, you may resort to male cat UTI treatment such as:

• Fluid therapy: Fluid therapy involves intravenous or subcutaneous administration of a medicated fluid and cat UTI medicine. 
• Urinary acidifiers: Urinary acidifying agents for male cat UTI treatment can also be used to dissolve the UI-causing kidney stones and other debris present in the bladder. 
• Expelling small stones from the urethra: Renal problems and kidney stones can also cause discomfort while urinating, often leading to an UTI, and must be expelled by a professional.
• Urinary catheter: Severe cases of urinary tract infection and male cat UTI symptoms can require specialized male cat UTI treatment, such as urinary catheters to allow them to urinate.
• Antibiotics and cat UTI medicine: If suggested by your veterinarian, UTIs in cats can also be effectively treated with over-the-counter cat UTI medicine and antibiotics such as amoxicillin, trimethoprim-sulfonamide and cephalosporins.

How to treat UTI in cats at home?

Knowing the following home remedies for UTI in cats can allow you to alleviate your munchkin’s discomfort easily:

• Increasing your feline’s everyday water intake can significantly lower the risks of UTIs in cats, or help treat existing conditions.
• A modified diet for cats containing a high concentration of fluids or wet UTI cat food can also mitigate the severity of cat urinary tract infections. 

If you want to rewards your cats but still fear the dryness of cat biscuits, you can choose our Temptations™ lickable cat treats, Temptations™ Creamy Purrrr-ee! It comes in a range of flavors to select from.

What are the causes of UTI in cats?

Although urinary tract infections in feline furries are fairly common, they can lead to severe health complications if left untreated. The treatment of UTIs in cats can also be complex, considering there are several contributing factors for UTIs in cats. So, mentioned below are some of the common causes that result in UTIs in cats:

• Weak bladder and an excessive consumption of water can cause urinary incontinence in cats, resulting in a urinary tract infection.
• Renal diseases in cats can also result in kidney stones, crystals and accumulation of debris in the urethral canal, causing it to plug up, and be infected.
• Injuries and tumors in the urinary tract can also be a potential cause for UTIs in cats.
• Congenital abnormalities as well as spinal cord issues also contribute to cat urinary tract infection.
• In addition to build-up of debris, crystals and kidney stones that cause cat urinary tract infection, inflammations and bladder infections can also result in cat urinary tract infection.
• Environmental and emotional stressors can cause several health disorders in cats. In fact, shifting to a new home, or drastic changes in their environment can also trigger signs of UTI in cats. 

If your cat doesn’t like to drink water yet you want to ensure they are hydrated, you can choose to feed them wet cat treats such as Temptations™ Creamy Purrrr-ee.

How Vet Diagnoses UTI in Cats

Urinary tract infections and other renal diseases are most commonly diagnosed in middle-aged cats and overweight cats. Additionally, housecats are also prone to contracting cat UTIs and show signs of UTI in cats as well as obesity due to their diet and insufficient physical activity.

To ensure the cat UTI symptoms indeed point to urinary tract infections in cats, veterinarians may ask for urine samples or suggest tests in order to diagnose:

Feline Idiopathic Cystitis

Reactions to stress and environmental changes may also result in irritations in the urinary tract of cats, causing a cat UTI.

Urethral Obstruction

Urethral obstructions such as inflammations or build-up of minerals in the urinary tract can also lead to cat UTI if left unchecked.

Uroliths

Uroliths or kidney stones are the major contributing factors for UTIs in cats, which might result in difficulty while urinating, and even bloody urine in cats. Uroliths in cats, cat UTI and cat urinary tract infection symptoms are detected using urine tests, x-rays and ultrasounds.

Your veterinarian may also suggest additional tests for diabetes and thyroid issues other than cat urine infections, as they are also major contributing factors that might result in cat UTI symptoms.  

Conclusion

Although UTIs in cats are often a call for concern, which might make it necessary to consult your veterinarian and get started on the appropriate cat UTI treatment, the cat UTI symptoms can also be mitigated using cat urinary tract infection home remedies and over-the-counter cat UTI medicine and cat UTI treatment. While there are no failsafe ways or cat UTI treatment to guarantee your adorable kitty will never suffer from UTIs and cat urinary tract infection symptoms, knowing and recognizing the possible causes of cat urine infections and cat urinary tract infection symptoms can help you keep your feline munchkin away from the avoidable risks of cat urine infections, making you the fabulous feline parent to root for!

FAQs