Cat having trouble urinating.

Dr. Marie replied:

Poor ZoZo. She sounds very uncomfortable.

If ZoZo were a male cat I would be advising that you take him to the vet immediately. This is because the small urethra that male cats have make them very prone to a life threatening urinary tract blockage. A urinary tract blockage is extremely uncommon in female cats though. I have seen it, but only a couple of times in my career.

The most common reason for a female cat to have urinary straining and blood is a condition called interstitial cystitis. This is an unusual situation where there is inflammation in the bladder. It feels just like a urinary tract infection but there is not any bacteria there.

We don't know what causes interstitial cystitis. For some cats they get bouts of it when they are stressed. I have some clients that know that when company comes over at Christmas time the cat will probably have another bout. But, most of the time no cause is found.

We don't know the exact cure for interstitial cystitis. Sometimes it will just go away on its own within a few days. But usually I will prescribe small doses of an oral anti-inflammatory drug called Metacam to use when a cat has flareups.

There are other possibilities though. A urinary tract infection is possible although not as common as interstitial cystitis. Also, bladder stones or crystals are possible.

Really the best option is to have a vet examine ZoZo. They will get a urine sample and find out what the problem is. If it is interstitial cystitis they can get you medication that you can use during flareups.


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