Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) in Cats

 

If your cat is urinating frequently or straining to urinate, he or she may be experiencing a urinary tract infection. Other common signs of a cat urinary problem include changes in the size of the litter clumps (lots of little clumps, for example), or accidents outside the litter box.

While urinary illnesses are relatively common in male and female cats, they can be uncomfortable and painful for diagnosed cats and potentially lead to other health issues if left untreated.

Interestingly, male cats get slightly different urinary illness than female cats, and we will explore how that translates to the approach for treatment and prevention in this article. Knowing the potential causes, various symptoms, treatment options available, and ways to prevent urinary issues in cats can help keep your cat healthy and save you from an unexpected vet bill.

Urinary tract disorders are fairly common in cats while urinary tract infections (UTIs) are fairly uncommon. Cats with UTIs try to urinate very frequently, they may pass only small amounts of urine, they may strain to urinate, they may cry out or whine when urinating, and there may be blood visible in their urine. Urinating outside of the litterbox is also a red flag that something is wrong in the bladder. Finally, frequent licking around the rear end may signal that a UTI is present.

 

What does a urinalysis look at?

If your cat presents to your veterinarian with urinary signs, your veterinarian will first perform a urinalysis. The urinalysis can reveal so much important information about the urine when a UTI is suspected. Your veterinarian will look for the following:

 

  • urine-specific gravity (how well the cat is concentrating their urine)
  • pH (certain pH levels can indicate infection or other problems)
  • ketones (sometimes seen in cases of diabetes or body-wasting)
  • glucose (sugar in the urine, usually a sign of diabetes)
  • bilirubin (a breakdown product of blood)
  • blood
  • protein

Once these levels are measured, the urine specimen is placed into a centrifuge and spun down to allow cells and other debris to accumulate at the bottom of the sample tube. That debris can then be evaluated, revealing the presence of red blood cells, white blood cells, bacteria, and crystals.

 

 

Urinary Tract Infection Symptoms in Cats

One of the hallmark signs of urinary tract illness in cats is an increase in the frequency of urination. Usually, the amount of urine eliminated is very small as well. This may be evident by smaller urine clumps in the litter box, or if the urine is voided inappropriately outside the box, you may notice it is a small volume than normal.

Many times, the urine will be pink tinged, indicating the presence of blood, and occasionally you may notice a strong or unpleasant urine odor.

Crying or straining to urinate can stem from pain. Painful straining to urinate without the production of any urine is always an emergency.

 

Causes of Feline Urinary Tract Infections

In a true cat UTI, bacteria is always the actual cause for the infection. Female cats are more at risk for a bacterial urinary tract infection due to the wider size and shorter length of their urethras as compared to male cats.

Obesity can exacerbate bacterial UTIs in male and female cats, since overweight cats have a harder time reaching to keep themselves clean by grooming. Weight loss can help prevent this from recurring.

Bladder stones can act as a nidus for repeated infections. Imaging with radiographs or ultrasounds are needed to rule out the presence of stones in the bladder, and removal of the stones with surgery or occasionally with a diet change are indicated.

 

Sample of urine sent to a laboratory for what she called a culture and sensitivity test

All urinary tract infections are NOT created equal! Even though the most common organism to cause UTIs in cats is Escherichia coli (the bacteria found in feces), there are several other organisms that may be involved. The only way to identify which specific bacteria is causing the UTI, is to grow it in a laboratory. At the same time, the laboratory can also test which antibiotic is best suited to treat the infection.

 

 

Treatment Options for Urinary Tract Infection in Cats

Treatment of cat urinary tract infection, of course, depends on the underlying cause. Cats with documented bacterial infections will need to be placed on antibiotics. Often a veterinarian might prescribe pain medication in addition to antibiotics, to help with the discomfort causing the straining and inflammation.

Cats with FLUTD are often prescribed urethral relaxing medications and pain meds. Occasionally they may be prescribed anxiety medication to help with underlying stress.

 

Tips for Preventing Urinary Tract Infections in Cats

Feline urinary diets can help prevent urinary tract disease by targeting stress and by altering the pH of the urine to prevent crystals. These diets often contain ingredients that encourage cats to drink more water, thus diluting the urine. This can help prevent the formation of crystals and promote a healthy urinary tract.

Switching to a canned food diet will sometimes help as well. The increased moisture content in the canned food helps to keep cats better hydrated, and therefore may improve urinary health.

Weight loss will help cats with recurrent bacterial infections to keep themselves cleaner, as they’ll be more mobile and able to groom effectively.

 

Your veterinarian will let you know if there is anything that can be done to prevent your cat’s UTI from coming back. There is evidence that specific diets can support lower urinary tract health. It is best to discuss UTI prevention and bladder health with your veterinarian in order to put into action an effective plan.