Cat Q&A

Posts Tagged ‘stressed out cat’

Cat urinary problems can be frustrating to deal with.  If recurring FLUTD is a problem for your kitty, maybe stress has something to do with it, especially if your vet can’t find any reason for the repeated feline urinary problems.  If your kitty has been diagnosed with feline idiopathic cystitis, read on for answers.

What Is Feline Idiopathic Cystitis?

Your kitty is showing all the symptoms of feline cystitis.  He strains to urinate, but doesn’t pass much urine.  His urine may be bloody.  He’s obviously in pain when he’s using the litter box.  And he may be urinating in places other than his litter box. 

But when your vet examines him and runs a urinalysis and a urine culture, there’s no sign of a feline bladder infection.  There’s no bacteria in his urine, and bladder stones, tumors, and even an anatomical defect have all been ruled out. 

Feline idiopathic cystitis is the diagnosis when there doesn’t seem to be any reason for feline urinary problems.  It’s very difficult to watch your cat suffer with FLUTD symptoms when there doesn’t appear to be any reason for these cat urinary problems.Vets are seeing this condition more and more often in cats.

Is A Stressed Out Cat Related To Feline Idiopathic Cystitis?

Research is showing that this condition in cats is very similar to interstitial cystitis in people.  In both cats and people, some sort of stressful event often happens just before the cat or person suffers another bout of cystitis.

We like to think our cats have easy lives, but they face stresses we aren’t always aware of.  It may be hard to believe, but being an indoor cat is stressful for felines.  We keep them inside for their own safety, but this is an unnatural environment for felines.  They do like to prowl around, especially at night.  Hunting for food provides lots of exercise that keeps them in shape. 

We also feed them the wrong type of diet, which is another stressor.  Most dry cat foods are made mostly from corn, which is very high in carbohydrates.  Too much of the wrong type of food leads to obesity, feline diabetes, and other health issues. 

Most cat owners don’t realize how the low moisture levels in dry food impact their cats’ heatlh.  Cats are meant to get most of their water from their diet, which should be mostly meat-based.  A cat who is always fed dry food is more than likely chronically dehydrated.  Even if a cat who is fed dry food does drink water, it’s hard for him to drink enough.

The problem with a dehydrated cat is that water doesn’t pass through his body often enough to flush out toxins.  His urine is also concentrated.  Urine is caustic, and if it’s too concentrated, it can irritate the bladder, which often leads to FLUTD.  Concentrated urine also has high mineral levels, which can result in cat bladder stones, and urinary blockage in cats.

This type of stress is low-level, but it can lead to problems over time. 

Your cat may be facing other types of stress.  Cats are very set in their ways, and any kind of change can be upsetting for them.Your cat may be stressed because of a move to a new home, a new person or animal in the household, or even because of a change in the weather.  Your cat may be having problems with another cat in the home, too, especially if the other pet is more aggressive and seems to bother him a lot.

Helping Your Stressed Out Cat

It’s been shown that reducing stress in cats does reduce the frequency of FLUTD.You can reduce stress on your cat’s body by feeding him a diet more naturally suited to felines.

If your kitty is plagued with recurring feline urinary problems, natural remedies for cats may help.  Just click on any link in this article to learn more.

Is cat urine odor a problem in your home?  If your kitty is urinating in different places all over your home, you have a problem that can’t be overlooked.  Often a stressed out cat is at the root of the problem.

Cat urine problems are sometimes caused by a health issue, including feline diabetes, or a feline urinary tract infection, so your first response should be to take the kitty to the vet for a check-up.Once you know she’s healthy, you can then focus on relieving feline stress.

Cat Litter Pan Problems Due To Stress Are More Common Than You Think

What could be better than being a cat?  All you have to do is just lay around and sleep all day, right?  Well, life for your kitty may not as rosy as you believe it is.Most cat owners aren’t aware of how common the problem of a stressed out cat really is.

A cat with nothing else to do except eat and sleep may become stressed.  Cats get bored, just like we do.  Set aside time to play with your kitty several times a day.  She needs the exercise, and enjoys interacting with you.

If your kitty is alone all day, you may want to adopt a feline companion so they keep each other company while you’re gone.  Or buy a cat video that features birds and other creatures that she can watch on TV while you’re gone. 

Another pet, or even a child, may be the cause of the problem.  If a dominant cat, a dog, or a small child is bothering Kitty while she’s in the litter box, she just may find another, more private place to do her business. 

Your feline may not like where her cat litter pan is located.  If you keep it in the basement, she may be scared of the furnace, or the washing machine, since they come to life when she least expects it, and make lots of noise.  Look at the situation from your cat’s point of view.Kitties have a different way of looking at the world than people do.

If her pan is in a busy, noisy place, she may be unhappy with it, too.Cats, like people, would rather have a private place for bathroom activities.

Tips For Solving Your Cat Urine Problems

If you have more than one cat, you should have one box for each feline, plus an extra one.You’ll want to locate them in various areas in your house.This can forestall one kitty claiming the litter pan for herself.Avoid the problem of one cat cornering another one in the litter pan by providing an extra escape route at each pan.

Try putting the cat litter pan in the location where the cat has been urinating.Encouraging her to use the pan is the idea.Once she does, move the litter pan an inch or so every few days until it’s where you want it.

Feeding the cat where she’s been urinating is suggested, because kitties prefer not to eat where they potty.  Put down a plastic runner or some aluminum foil to make the area less appealing.  Be sure to use a pet deodorizer to neutralize cat urine odor, so she won’t be drawn back to use the same place again.

Cleaning up cat urine on carpet certainly isn’t at the top of anyone’s favorites list.  Learn how you can end your cat urine problems once and for all by clicking on any link in this article.