Feline Cystitis Symptoms and Its Treatments

Cats are usually healthy critters who love to play, eat, cuddle and sleep. Pet owners have to be always on the look out, though, for when their cats display symptoms of an illness. Take for example, Feline Cystitis. Cystitis is caused when a cat develops a disease called, “Feline Urologic Syndrome” (FUS), or “Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease” (FLUTD). These diseases pertain to a cat’s bladder. In the veterinarian’s world, the medical definition of “Cystitis” is an “inflammation of an animal’s bladder.” The good news is that Feline Cystitis symptoms are easy to detect and it has its treatments.

If you notice that your cat strains when he or she urinates, urinates frequently, or only urinates a small amount, then they could be suffering from Feline Cystitis. Or, if you notice blood in your feline’s urine, the cause could be an inflamed bladder. Or, if your feline is urinating outside of the litter box, he or she,(male cats get Feline Cystitis as often as females do), maybe doing so because its bladder is sore and irritated. If you notice any of these symptoms in your cat, take him or her to your veterinarian as soon as possible.

The actual cause of Feline Cystitis remains a mystery to veterinarians. Bacteria is known to cause Cystitis in dogs and human beings, but not in cats.

Initially, Feline Cystitis, if it’s symptoms are detected at an early stage, can often be treated by simply increasing water intake, reducing minerals in a cat’s diet, and reducing stress. Your veterinarian can also prescribe a pain reliever for your cat so he or she doesn’t suffer from the pain and discomfort. And, antibiotics can help stop an infection from happening.

An easy way to increase your cat’s water intake is to mix tap water in with canned kitty food. Look for a canned food that promotes acidic urine pH balance.) Soaking dry cat food in water doesn’t work in the treatment of Feline Cystitis. Because, dry cat food has been shown to worsen the inflammation. Dry cat food doesn’t cause the illness, though. But it contains a higher amount of minerals (often called “ash” on the ingredient labels), and a lower water content.

Once your cat has proper treatments and is cured of an episode of this illness, you can help him or her avoid future recurrences. Simply reduce his or her intake of dry cat food. Again, dry cat food doesn’t actually cause Feline Cystitis. However, it does tend to reduce a cat’s water intake. The reduced intake of water, in turn, causes your cat’s urine to contain more minerals. This concentration of minerals can easily lead to more recurrences of Feline Cystitis.

Look for cat food that’s made by Science Diet, Iams, or Purina as they manufacture special pH balanced food. And, always provide a fresh supply of water for your cat too.

If Feline Cystitis is left untreated, your cat can easily develop a blocked
urethra. In this case, your veterinarian will have to insert a catheter inside your feline in order to clear the obstruction. If an obstruction isn’t cleared right away, the cat can die from kidney failure in a day or so. There are other serious health problems that can stem from the Feline Cystitis illness.

Besides following the important food and water guidelines, you should always watch your cat for symptoms of this illness.