One of the cat's most common health problems is linked to the urinary tract. Studies have shown that approximately one in ten veterinary visits for cats is related to urinary tract disease. But is it possible to prevent it, and if so, what can you do?
Which urinary tract diseases are common?
Urinary tract disease in cats is often grouped under a common term called FLUTD, Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. The causes of FLUTD can be several: urinary tract infection, inflammation of the bladder, crystals in the urine or urinary stones. By far the most common cause of FLUTD is inflammation of the bladder, or cystitis as it is also called. A common misunderstanding is that the cat has a urinary tract infection and therefore needs antibiotics - but bacterial urinary tract infection is uncommon in cats.
What FLUTD cases have in common is that they cause similar symptoms, such as:
- the cat has trouble peeing
- the cat starts peeing outside the litter box
- the cat pees often but only a few drops come out
- the cat has blood in the urine
Another common symptom is excessive grooming of the lower part of the belly, and the cat therefore gets thin or no fur in the area. This is often mistaken by the pet owner for the cat having problems with skin, fur or itching, but is instead due to excessive grooming caused by stress and pain from the urinary tract.
If your cat has any of these symptoms you should see a vet, and if the cat does not seem able to pee at all it is an emergency! There is no over-the-counter treatment and do not try any home remedies - always consult a vet.
Which cats are affected?
Urinary tract diseases are common in all cats, but there are certain factors that have been seen to increase the risk:
- overweight cats
- indoor cats
- neutered cats
- middle-aged cats
- cats that only eat dry food
Both female and male cats are affected, but in male cats the problem more often leads to more severe symptoms that can be harder to treat, because of their anatomy with a longer and narrower urethra.
It is not certain that the fact that the cat is neutered or an indoor cat increases the risk in itself - these cats are more often overweight, which has a strong link to the disease. Indoor cats are also more often affected by stress, which in itself has a strong link to cystitis, the most common cause of FLUTD.
How can urinary tract diseases be prevented?
By identifying the risk factors above, you can also try to prevent them:
Keep the cat in slim and healthy shape
Obesity is directly linked to an increased risk of urinary tract disease. So keep the cat in good condition, and this becomes especially important if you have a cat that has had urinary tract problems at some point.
If you find it hard to assess your cat's body condition, you can get help in our article about Body Condition Score in cats. Also make sure to follow the feeding recommendation, and adjust it to your cat's weight.
Keep good hygiene in the litter box
Clean the litter box every day and wash it thoroughly on a regular basis. Cats are very clean animals and can be reluctant to go to the box if it is not clean and fresh, and it is not good for the cat to hold it in for too long. A clean and dry litter box also reduces the risk of bacterial growth, for example unwanted bacteria from the cat's faeces.
Use a cat litter that does not dust or is not perfumed, since cats are sensitive to smells and dust, and if you keep the litter box clean no perfume is needed. If you have several cats you should have at least one litter box per cat, plus one extra, to avoid rivalry over the box and to let the cats choose where they prefer to go.
Make sure the cat takes in fluids
A cat that drinks less gets more concentrated urine. More concentrated urine means there is a greater risk of crystals forming. Diluted urine does the opposite, and makes it easier for bacteria and crystals to be "flushed out". Cats that only eat dry food generally take in less fluid than cats that eat wet food, since these cats naturally take in fluid via the food.
That is why it is good to make sure the cat takes in enough water. You can increase your cat's water intake by, for example:
- feeding with wet food
- having several water bowls in different places
- water bowls in different shapes - for example, some cats happily drink from a glass, others want a completely flat bowl
- a water fountain can be a good way to get the cat to drink more, since many cats prefer moving water over standing water
Feed with food that prevents urinary tract disease, especially for neutered indoor cats
We have designed our dry food to prevent urinary tract disease. This works in two ways:
- The levels of minerals in the food have been carefully balanced to give a desirable pH value in the urine. A low pH means there is a lower risk of crystals forming, and a lower risk of bacteria growing in the urine.
- We have added cranberries to the food, which have been shown to have a positive effect on the health of the bladder wall and can therefore help prevent cystitis.
We are currently also developing wet food for cats, as we see this as an important complement to our dry food.
What is the link between stress and urinary tract disease?
Stress is strongly linked to the most common cause of FLUTD - that is, inflammation of the bladder, or cystitis. There are several factors that cause stress in cats, and it is seen that indoor cats and cats in multi-cat households run a greater risk of being affected. Stress in cats is a big topic and is caused by and shows itself with symptoms other than stress in humans, and we go deeper into this in another article.
To prevent urinary tract infection it is also of the utmost importance to prevent stress.
In our cat food we have worked with this by adding the ingredients tryptophan and L-casein:
- two bioactive ingredients that have been clinically shown to reduce stress and stress-related behaviours in cats
- the ingredients can also help reduce the occurrence of stress-related diseases in cats, such as FLUTD.
- the substances are often found in supplements for stress or the urinary tract, and are the same natural substances that the mother shares with her kittens via the mother's milk, giving the kittens a sense of calm and safety.
Are you curious to read more about our cat food? You can find it via this link.