Medically, cystitis in cats refers to inflammation of the bladder. This condition is quite common in cats. Primary causes include Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC), bacterial urinary tract infections, and urinary crystals and stones.
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Bladder infections in cats are not uncommon.
Untreated bacterial infections of the bladder can ascend the ureters, causing kidney infections and damage. Additionally, bladder inflammation is very painful and adds stress to the cat.
One complication is inflammation leading to partial or complete obstruction of the urethra. This prevents the cat from passing urine, turning the situation into an acute emergency requiring immediate veterinary attention.
The cat’s bladder is part of the lower urinary tract. Inflammation here can lead to these symptoms:
Emergency: If the cat struggles to urinate, it could indicate a complete blockage of the urethra. This can rapidly deteriorate the cat’s overall condition and become life-threatening. Seek a vet immediately.
Learn more: How You Can Recognise Pain in Cats
The vet will start with a thorough discussion with the owner (anamnesis) to gather important information about the illness. The vet may ask if the cat shows any other symptoms while urinating, whether it produces only small amounts of urine, and inquire about any potential injuries and the cat’s diet and living conditions.
Tip: If possible, bring a urine sample to your vet visit!
Though bladder inflammation in cats is usually not an acute emergency, a general clinical examination is recommended to assess the cat’s overall health. This quick check covers vital signs like general wellbeing, breathing and heart rate, mucous membrane condition, and rectal body temperature.
If all vital parameters are normal, the vet will proceed with a special examination of the urinary tract using three diagnostic methods.
Treatment for cystitis involves addressing both the causes of bladder inflammation and alleviating the cat’s symptoms.
Regardless of the cause, pain relief and antispasmodic medications are necessary. For bacterial cystitis, targeted antibiotic treatment, determined by a resistance test, is essential.
If urinary crystals or stones are present, additional treatments are needed. The cat may need medications to lower urine pH and a specific diet. A lower pH can dissolve crystals and even stones.
If a large stone cannot be dissolved with medication, surgery is necessary.
Emergency: If there’s already an obstruction in the urinary tract, surgical intervention may be required!
Alongside medication and diets, you can help your cat by minimising stress and encouraging weight loss. Always follow the vet-prescribed diet.
Ensure your cat drinks enough water. Cats on dry food diets tend to drink less, so offer wet cat food to balance water and electrolytes.
Clean the water bowl daily and place multiple bowls around your home, or use a cat drinking fountain to encourage better hydration.
Learn more:
Note: Choosing suitable diet food for cats can support your cat’s natural bodily functions. However, please note that diet foods cannot cure or prevent diseases. You should always consult your veterinarian about the right diet for your cat. You can find special diet foods in the zooplus online shop.
The required treatment and prognosis depend on the cause. While bladder inflammation in cats usually responds well to treatment, urinary tract obstructions pose life-threatening risks. The longer an obstruction persists, the worse the chances of recovery and survival. In contrast, Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) often resolves quickly.
Cystitis is common in cats, and the causes can vary. Indoor cats and male cats are particularly prone. Understanding is improved by categorising the causes as infectious or non-infectious.
Older cats often suffer from infectious cystitis triggered by various bacteria. Cats with underlying health issues (e.g., Diabetes mellitus)) are more susceptible. There are typically two main pathways for infectious cystitis in cats:
Even with exhaustive diagnostics, sometimes the cause of cystitis in cats remains unknown; this is termed Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC). It refers to a sterile inflammation of the bladder with currently unknown causes.
It is suspected that multiple factors, such as stress or neurological and hormonal changes, weaken the immune system, leading to inflammatory responses in the cat.
Certain measures can help prevent bladder inflammation in cats by focusing on:
At the Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen I was extensively trained as a veterinarian and was able to gain experience in various fields such as small animal, large animal and exotic animal medicine as well as pharmacology, pathology and food hygiene. Since then, I have been working not only as a veterinary author, but also on my scientifically driven dissertation. My goal is to better protect animals from pathogenic bacterial organisms in the future. Besides my veterinary knowledge, I also share my own experiences as a happy dog owner and can thus understand and enlighten fears and problems as well as other important questions about animal health.
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