Cat Cystitis: treatment, symptoms + home prevention

Cat cystitis treatment involves much more than a shot of antibiotics and to understand this and answer the question "why cant my cat pee" we need to know what causes cat cystitis.

Cystits in cats (also known as "feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) or feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC)) is rarely due to an infection. In fact stress is the main cause In the vast majority of cat cystitis cases with certain cats being much more prone to developing this disease. This seems to be a genetic predisposition which makes some cats very susceptible and other very stressed cats seemingly immune from the development of cat cystitis.

Unfortunately, once a cat has had one episode of cystitis there is a very high chance of future relapses. This means management and treatment will be needed long term.

Cat cystitis symptoms can include straining and trying to pee but cant or only producing very small amounts of urine very frequently. This might seem like they cant pee and if your cat is male then this might actually be the case.

Other cystitis symptoms in cats include bloody or pink-tinged urine, grumpyness, pain and vocalising.

Thankfully the treatment of cystitis in cats is also fairy straight forward with anti-inflammatory medication and increasing water intake being enough for most.

Once the initial episode has resolved, cat cystitis home prevention and treatment becomes vital to help prevent it from developing again in the future. This can involve a number of home remedies and management strategies to increase water intake and reduce stress. A holistic approach is essential and these two treatment strategies are the cornerstone of any cat cystitis holistic treatment plan.

These are discussed in full in other videos but some of the main cystitis home prevention strategies include:
- resource management - litter trays, water and food bowls
- providing a 3D space
- add tuna juice to the water for flavour

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The information provided on the Our Pets Health YouTube channel is not a substitute for the examination, assessment and advice given in person by a suitably qualified veterinary surgeon. The information is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute specific medical advice for any individual cat, dog or other animal of any species.

[OurPetsHealth]

Have you found a strategy that really helped prevent your cat from getting cystitis flair-ups? Let me know!
(sorry the audio sync seems a little off - not sure what's up with that!)

[manifestitnow]

Guys my cat went to the vet 3x for this thousands of dollars later and medications that didnt do anything guess what helped!….. you must change their water to distilled water, not fridge water not tap, but distilled and also switched to giving him tuna water with small chunks of tuna…. Hydrated him soo much!

[sophieanneburd]

My 11yo cat got one last year after fireworks and had the exact same thing this year. It lasts on and off for a few months and then goes away again. He’s peeing blood and struggling to go and isn’t going in his litter tray like he’s meant to. He’s on anti inflammatories and painkillers once a day. I’m so worried about him he’s literally like my child 😭

[mauraswenson]

Thank you so much. I have an appointment for my cat tomorrow. I noticed her straining last night and then again today. Both times in odd places. I love her so much, can't let her be in any discomfort. Thanks again, you've given me some assurance that she will be ok. 🇺🇸😘

[mikerostov]

My ragdoll cat just had it, picked him up from vet yesterday. It's a second time for two years. I see my mistakes now. Cat have to have an active life - play well, explore new stuff etc - especially big cats like ragdolls. I work a lot, so I don't have enough time to play with my cat. Thank you for video.
ps to every cat owner: treat your cat like you treat yourself(even better), and its a good idea to get another one or a dog so they could play with each other

[saniyakhan]

My cat is suffering from this since last month. I am so much in pain. I cannot look at him knowing the fact that he is in pain. I just hope he gets better. I also pray to all the cats suffering from stress cystitis

[annec]

I know this video is really old but I found a very cheap and effective way to drastically increase my cat's water intake. I put 1/4 can of Fancy Feast salmon in a cereal bowl, add lots of water, and stir it into a soup. Now I'm concerned she's drinking too much so I've cut back. I also go out with her now to scare off cat-bullies with a loud hiss. It works.

[incompetentlogistics]

Thank you for this video. I have a 6 year old male cat that I adopted earlier this year. Last Monday he was diagnosed with idiopathic cystitis after I took him to the vet when he couldn't pee and was yowling in pain.

He still has trouble peeing, I even took him to the vet again last Friday for a check up and might take him back today depending on how his peeing goes. He gets extremely scared and stressed visiting the vet, so it's very difficult to weigh the positives and negatives of going since it might worsen his condition.

With that said, I am pretty lucky with my cat when it comes to medicine, food and water. He will eat anything. I can place the medicine (which is in tablet form) on top of a piece of his dry food and he'll eat it now problem. I can also mix his dry food with plenty of water and he'll eat the food and drink all of the water. Furthermore, I can also mix the wet food he gets with water and he'll consume it all.

So if anyone is in a similar situation as me, try different ways of mixing in water with your cat's food. Some cats might be like mine and just consume the food and water whichever way you mix it in. Some cats might want the dry food to mix with the water for a while before they consider consuming it.

Also - stay in touch with your vet. Since my contact has been with the emergency vet in my city, I feel like I'm taking up their valuable time, but I have to remind myself that my cat is still walking a fine line between being resting at home and having to go to the emergency once more depending on the how his illness progresses. So staying in touch with my vet clinic ensures that I'll know exactly when I should go if the situation calls for it.

Finally, I have a camera by the two litter boxes that lets me know every time it sees movement. When it does, I'll check to see if it is my male cat and I'll immediately clean the litter box after he is done and check how much he has peed. Yesterday I collected all the pee mixed with the litter in a bowl to get an idea of how much he peed during his periods of peeing (he goes to pee several times for an hour, then he is fine for a few hours before he has to go again). I found out that he does empty his bladder quite well, even though it takes an hour and several visits to the litter box to do so.

Just stay super informed about every step your cat takes. If your cat can't pee or if your cat doesn't empty the bladder enough, the situation can very quickly turn extremely dire and in worse cases: death.

I hope my experience helps anyone who might be reading this comment. And I hope my male cat will get through this without any further visits to the vet.

[lenidubelinc]

Hey guys, I took my cat off tap water and he recovered. I believe it was the minerals in the hard water that were causing this. Even though the vet said that tap water can’t cause it and there were no blockages on his x-ray.

When I was at the vet I asked about the water and he said no. He said stress causes it. I literally looked it up on my phone as he took the cat to examine him and within seconds, found tons of evidence that cats who drink tap water in hard water areas are much more prone to cystitis.

He said to give him stress drops. The stress drops did NOTHING. He only was healed after I changed the water. He is still stressed out as he and my other cat fight all the time. He hasn’t had an episode and has miraculously recovered after I switched to the distilled water.

It must be distilled water. Animals cannot process the chlorine, fluoride or minerals in spring, tap, most bottled water. And refrigerator filters do not filter out chlorine and fluoride. The screw on tap filters do nothing to filter out the chlorine and fluoride either. Many of the pitcher filters do not either.

You can get it from any store or have it delivered. The water must read “000” or as close to it as possible. And also I gave the neighbor’s dog only distilled water when they were out of town to work with her and she made a 50% recovery in 6 days! She had osteoarthritis and couldn’t even lay down on her bed properly. It took her like 20 seconds just to sit and she groaned in pain. She is so much more agile and up and trotting around.

It says it will take 7-60 days for animals to recover from chlorine and fluoride or mineral toxicity. It is causing arthritis and cancer in animals. Not just that, it’s causing so many other issues with the pets I was pet sitting for. Lipomas, paw issues, skin issues, brain issues, unexplained health issues. You name it, tap and hard tap water were killing the animals I know and love. I started drinking it too and feel much better this week. Good luck with this guys!

[knitterscheidt]

this information is so extremely helpful, my kitty I adopted a year ago is very timid, she is 9 yrs old and recently started urinating outside her box and crying in pain, with the pandemic the vet has curbside drop off which is a disaster and prescribed antibiotics and was so rushed and distracted none of this was discussed

[dezij]

My cat is having this issue. She is 13 year old and was on uti medication, nothing changed. Given xray and bloodwork all were normal. Urinalysis showed blood and bacteria but no white blood cells (infection) .. so they diagnosed her with cystitis.. was on pain /anxiety medication for a week, symptoms never subsided. Shes back again today for more blood and urinalysis! I hope she recovers. I got a new cat last year .. and im almost 100% certain she is the #1 stressor. Ive changed her food, have her on soft foods with a little water added. Stopped giving her tap water, also giving her homeopet UI for her urinary tract.. she's still showing symptoms. Been almost 2 weeks! and $2000 later.. 0 answers! 😢

[sunbeltliving]

According to the cat rescue, red dye will trigger a flare up in some cats. It's in a lot of cheap treats and foods in the US (Friskies)

[siennafalls]

Im so depressed because of this, I dont know what can I do more. If it was only cystitis, I would handle it but he also tries to eat litter and every non-edible things.

[ShadowyFigure]

Would having extra Hypovase to hand remove the early stages of a complete blockage & save an extremely stressful vet visit, for the cat?
My 5 year old cat Snares is on his second blockage in 6 months. Just recovered, with a new diet. Thanks for the water bowl tips!
Rest In Peace Snares the Cat. - The 4th Blockage killed him. (well, the Barbiturate injection actually killed him)

[jenndougan]

My cat has been running to the litter box for about 2 weeks. I took her to the vets and gave antibiotics she had crystals. The blood stopped but she is still running to the box. I tried the prescription plan food but she just threw it up. She eat a brand called wysong urinary. She had bladder stones in the past and an X-ray was taken and that’s not the case now. I’m just at whits end and so confused

[katangel]

Is there a difference between struvite crystals and cystitis. My 11 month cat got urinary blockage of struvite crystals and the vet told me to feed him a prescription diet that I'm not a fan of the ingredients. They said the only cause is his diet. They just didn't explain much else about it.

[shanraye]

I wish and I want to bring my cat to the vet but because of the pandemic lockdown I can't. No vet is available. I DON'T know anymore what to do.

[Babylove]

I'm worried about my cat she just started having problem with urinating and I have no money to cure her because my mother funeral is taking up every penny help what can I do

[aakanksharao]

I have a local pet cat of society.. he roams around pees and poops out..sleep eat n play at home.. since 5 days he hasn't slept or rested for even 10mins.. he comes home drinks a lot of water or eats . Starts crying loudly for peeing..pees a little bit..but pees often..cries loudly while peeing. He is a male cat. As soon as he eats or drinks water he wants to pee .. vocalised loud meows.. tummyhas shrunked rapidly. Please help what can I do..no vets open till faraway at my place..

[josepeixoto]

Thanks; *very* informative, you know more about CATS than they themselves do...