Did you know that senior cats (cats ten years and older) are more likely to get urinary tract infections? That’s right. Your elderly cat could be suffering from a urinary tract infection, and you would have no idea.
That is if you aren’t educated, however.
That’s why we’re here. We’ve lined up the most popular symptoms found in cats suffering from urinary tract infections. If you can identify cat UTI symptoms, you can get your furry friend to the vet in time.
So, to learn about UTI symptoms in cats, keep reading. You’ll have your furry loved one feeling better in no time.
1. Straining to Urinate
If you happen to notice that your cat is straining to urinate, he or she may have a urinary tract infection.
Usually, the straining comes from the feeling that they have to urinate but are not able to. This means that they’re outputting less urine than they feel like they need to. Therefore, they’re trying to push the rest of the urine that they believe that they have left out.
2. Increase in Urinary Frequency
If your cat is peeing more than they normally do, he or she might have a urinary tract infection. It could be that you noticed that your cat is going to the bathroom more or that you noticed that their potty is fuller than normal.
However you find out, it’s important to get this checked out. Your cat could be having trouble in the bathroom because of a urinary tract infection.
3. Dysuria
The term “dysuria” refers to painful urination. This is different from straining, although they’re both signs of a cat UTI.
If you hear howling, meowing, or some kind of distressful noise coming from your cat’s potty, your cat may be suffering from dysuria. In turn, they could be suffering from a UTI.
Your cat may not be as vocal with their pain. You could also listen for heavy breathing or grunting noises as a sign of distress.
4. Hematuria
The term “hematuria” refers to blood in the urine. If you see a red tint or full red color in your cat’s litter, your cat may have bloody urine.
It can be extremely scary to find blood in your cat potty, but a visit to the veterinarian can give you some relief.
Blood in a cat’s urine is one of the most alarming UTI symptoms in cats. It definitely catches your attention, but – lucky – UTIs can be easy to treat.
5. Frequent Licking in Genital and/or Abdominal Areas
If your cat is consistently licking his or her genital and/or abdominal areas, he or she may be telling you something is wrong with the urinary tract.
He or she might be licking because he or she is uncomfortable. He or she may have foul-smelling urine that is making their undersides smell foul.
Whatever the reason, his or her licking is a sign to you that something isn’t right. If you notice that your cat has been licking his or her genital and/or abdominal areas, you should have those areas (and your cat as a whole) evaluated by a veterinarian. He or she should be able to give you some insight into why this is.
You don’t want this to turn into a long-term issue.
6. General Irritability
Let’s be honest. Cats run the house, and they know it. They can be moody and irritable, even.
However, if your cat is getting moodier and angrier than he or she may usually be, it could be a warning sign for something bigger. They could be in pain or dealing with another uncomfortable feeling.
Specifically, they could be dealing with a urinary tract infection and the pain that comes with it. If you find that your cat is rougher during playtime or irritable during cuddle time, it may be time to take him or her to your local vet.
Mood changes are not good. In fact, they can stress you out and then stress your cat out in turn. It’s a cycle of stress that keeps turning and turning until your house is no longer livable.
Getting to the root of that stress is important. A trip to the vet can tell you if these issues are from a urinary tract infection or some other issue.
Whatever they’re from, your veterinarian can walk you through the treatment.
7. Urinating Outside of the Litter Box
This is quite possibly the worst symptom for cat UTIs. At least, it’s the worst symptom for the cat’s owner.
If you find that your cat is urinating outside of the litter box, it’s time to take him or her to the vet. Assuming that your cat was able to urinate in their designated potty prior to this, peeing outside of the litter box is a concern.
Plus, cat urine cleaning is not the most fun job to do. You and your carpets won’t be too happy with this symptom, but it is one of the most effective ways for a cat to get its owner’s attention.
If your cat has resorted to peeing outside of the litter box, it may be a meow for help.
Cat UTI Symptoms & More
After hearing our top seven habits to look out for, we’re sure that you’re ready to spot any of these cat UTI symptoms. In fact, you’re probably so much of an expert that you could recognize when a cat has a UTI relatively quickly.
If you see or observe any of these habits in your cat or another cat you know, you should call your trusted veterinarian as soon as possible. Because you can’t ask the cat about his or her symptoms, you have no way of knowing how long the problem has been going on. Therefore, you don’t know the extent of the problem.
To learn more about your furry friend, feel free to check out the rest of our blog where we have content just like this.
If you’re looking to learn more about your fluffy friend, we’ve got you covered.
