What Are Cat UTI Symptoms?

Has your kitty ever started acting strange or even agitated around their litter box? There are a few explanations for this behavior, but it's possible they're suffering from a urinary tract infection (UTI). While it’s difficult to watch our cats in distress, it’s easy to recognize the symptoms early on so you can get them treated as quickly as possible. Learn more about cat UTI symptoms and the best ways to help your kitty avoid them!

What is a Cat UTI?

UTIs occur when bacteria travel up the urethra and into the bladder. This condition can affect a feline of any breed, age, or sex, so it’s important to know the signs of discomfort. While UTIs in cats are not the most common infections our feline friends develop, they do have very detectible symptoms.

Typical Symptoms of a Cat UTI

A quirky cat behavior like urinating outside of the litter box may be an early indication of a UTI. Acting stressed around the potty is likely your cat's way of communicating that they are in pain while they go. You’ll want to monitor when your feline urinates, especially because they will go more frequently than normal if they have a UTI. Plus, this will be the best way to check for other cat UTI symptoms, which include:

  • Loss of bladder control
  • Struggling to urinate
  • Urinating small amounts
  • Excessive licking around the rear end
  • Bloody or cloudy urine
  • Vomiting

If your cat is presenting any of these symptoms, take them to your veterinarian to perform a urinalysis so they can diagnose and properly treat the infection.

cat walking out of a litter box

How Do Cats Get UTIs?

If you've trained your cat to use a litter box, be sure to clean it frequently. A dirty litter box may lead to a UTI because the bacteria in the litter can easily access their system. Other common causes include emotional or environmental stressors, not enough water intake, and pre-existing conditions. Cats with health problems that affect the endocrine system (which controls the body’s hormones), like diabetes or thyroid disease, are more susceptible to this infection.

How to Prevent UTIs in Cats

The best way to help prevent future UTIs is to boost your cat’s overall urinary tract health. Provide your feline all the nutrients their body needs and consider adding additional supplements to their diet. Healthy Promise® Supplements for Cat Urinary Tract Health feature a 6X SuperBlend, which includes cranberry extract that helps support your cat’s urinary tract. 

You can also give your cat a bath to clean harmful germs from the skin that can potentially infect the urethra when they groom themselves.

Stay Clean & Healthy!

Now that you know the most common cat UTI symptoms to look for, it’s always best to take your feline friend to your veterinarian to receive the appropriate treatment. Hopefully, your kitty will be back to their happy (and sassy) self in no time!