A Common Cat Litter Box Problem – Feline UTI

By: Nancy E. Wigal

Cat litter box problems stem from a variety of sources. One of the most common causes is a feline Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).

Cats tolerate pain pretty well. As a matter of fact, we can be fooled that kitty is feeling fine because she’s eating, purring, and snuggling up to us for human love and attention. But at the same time, if she’s demonstrating out-of-cat-litter-box experiences, she could be suffering from from a feline UTI. It’s up to us to figure it out.

When you know the symptons, it becomes clear that kitty has a problem. She may cry in pain while urinating. She may try to urinate, but little or nothing comes out.

Your cat may groom her privates excessively, and cries while she does it. But the biggest indicator that your cat may be suffering from a feline UTI is blood in her urine.

If your cat has stopped using her cat litter box, and she’s urinating on a surface that’s white or very light colored, the blood will clearly stand out in the cat urine puddle.

Many cats who suffer from a feline UTI associate the litter box with the pain that comes from this infection. Their kitty logic says if they stop using the cat litter box, maybe the pain won’t come around again. This is when you start discovering cat urine puddles all around your home.

If you’re one of the lucky ones whose cat is still using her cat litter box while suffering from a feline UTI, the cat litter color and composition may hide the blood. It’s always a good idea to closely check your kitty’s deposits on a regular basis to make sure she’s healthy.

Feline UTIs are quite treatable with antibiotics from your vet. If you suspect a feline UTI, call your vet immediately and follow her instructions for bringing in your kitty for further evaluation.

Once the feline UTI is diagnosed and treated, your cat should regain her good litter box habits again. If not, a short period of confinement for cat litter box re-training is very effective.

Feline UTIs are preventable with a permanent change in your cat’s diet. Consult with your vet on how to safely proceed with this.

About The Author

Nancy E. Wigal solved the cat urine odor problem in her home, and kept the cat that caused it. Read “18 Ways to Stop Cat Urine Odor Problems” to discover your solution.

www.stopcaturineodor.com

This entry was posted on Monday, October 10th, 2005 at 8:00 AM. It is filed under Articles, Blog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

4 Responses to “A Common Cat Litter Box Problem – Feline UTI”

  1. Puppy Love? « Ask The Blondes says:
    June 13, 2007 at 6:44 PM

    [...] obnoxious and goes into great deal about a child’s vomit or diarrhea. Then you can talk about your cat’s urinary tract infection or your dog’s impacted anal glands to end the [...]

  2. Kimberly says:
    July 14, 2008 at 6:51 PM

    Here is where I was able to find the cat litter which turns pink if kitty’s got a UTI/bladder infection.

    http://www.thesophisticatedcat.com/litter_grooming/scientific_litter.html

    Hope this helps!!

  3. Kimberly says:
    July 14, 2008 at 6:54 PM

    Here is another site which carries another brand of UTI indicating cat litter:

    https://www.perfectlitter.com/flutd-indicator.asp

  4. Theresa says:
    September 15, 2009 at 7:35 PM

    I like a natural approach to taking care of my cat’s urinary problems. Of course, consulting a vet is important, especially if the cat already has a problem. My elderly cat started acting like she was really cold. The vet told us that this was one of the symptoms of kidney failure.

    Do everything you can to prevent cat uti’s; fresh water, good food, exercise, clean litter pan, etc.

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