SOS: bladder problems in your cat
Bladder problems in cats are more common than you think. Suddenly finding pee in the house or seeing that your cat has difficulty urinating are typical examples of such a bladder problem. Very uncomfortable for your cat but fortunately quickly remedied. So best not to wait too long to intervene.
Cause of cystitis?
You're probably wondering why your cat has these problems, how quickly they heal and how you can best help. Today we are going to provide you with an answer.
In dogs, cystitis is caused by bacteria so you automatically assume that this is also the case with cats. Yet this is not true. In up to 70% of cats suffering from a bladder infection, the cause is virtually unknown and the infection goes away on its own. Presumably stress is a major factor in the inflammation.
In the remaining 30% of cats with cystitis the biggest factor is stones. These two phenomena occur mainly because cats do not drink enough water. This increases the chance of grit or stones and consequently the chance of an inflammation in the bladder.
What exactly is cystitis?
Bladder powder is a collection of the various types of minerals present in a cat's urine. Does this concentration become too high? Then the body has difficulty excreting them and they turn into crystals. It is similar to fine sand, which starts to clump together and transform into large stones. Those stones then try to pee out but often they get stuck in their urinary tract, which can be very painful.
Which cat is at risk for a bladder infection?
Some cats are more at risk for a bladder infection than others. E.g. cats that are easily stressed, overweight cats, older cats, neutered males, cats that are fed poor nutrition, cats that don't drink enough, indoor cats, etc are more likely to suffer from inflammation.
How can you recognize a bladder infection?
Does your cat start behaving differently than usual, such as peeing in the house or having trouble urinating? If so, this may be a sign that your cat is running with a bladder infection. Do you see blood in your cat's urine? Then this also indicates an infection of the bladder.
Do you see any of these symptoms in your cat? Then it's best to contact your veterinarian as soon as possible. Because such a bladder infection can be quite painful for your pet.
How to prevent a bladder infection?
By following these tips you can help your cat to avoid such a painful cystitis.
Make sure your cat drinks enough
Cats generally find it hard to drink. It is best to provide fresh water each time to encourage them to drink enough. Because a cat that drinks enough also urinates more. The chance that cystitis or bladder stones get stuck somewhere (and cause an infection) is a lot smaller.
A cat drinks about 300ml per day, if it only gets dry food. Is your cat drinking less than the average? Then it's time to encourage your cat to drink more. You can do this by placing several drinking bowls in quiet spots throughout the house. Another way is to place a drinking fountain. Cats simply love to drink from running water. Thanks to that drinking fountain, they have continuous access to running water and so you encourage your cat to drink more.
Finally, cats who don't drink enough also benefit from wet food. Wet food helps dilute your cat's urine and thus automatically prevents the production of crystals.
Looking for wet food for cats? Discover our product range here!
Provide your cat with quality food
Giving the right food to your cat does wonders. Cats that live indoors, neutered cats or overweight cats are very susceptible to bladder infections. Adapted nutrition for them is obviously very important.
Cats that are overweight, or don't exercise a lot like indoor cats should be given food that is easily digestible like Delcon Sensitive with lamb.
Sterilized cats should be given food that is suitable for them, such as Delcon Sterilized. Thanks to the balanced minerals it helps to reduce the risk of urinary stones.
If your cat often suffers from bladder problems, you should switch to Delcon Urinary. This is specialized food to maintain the health of the urinary tract. This food provides less concentrated urine because of balanced minerals and a low pH of the urine. This reduces the chances of getting urinary stones.
Looking for dry food for cats? Discover our product range here!
Provide enough litter boxes and keep them clean
Provide enough litter boxes in your home. Provide 1 litter box per cat and 1 extra. Suppose you have 2 cats, then it is best to provide 3 litter boxes. Do you have one? Then it's best to have 2 litter boxes.
A clean litter box seems obvious but unfortunately it is not. Many owners really hate to clean the litter box. It is a task that we quickly postpone. But cats, of course, are not very happy about this. Is their litter box dirty? Then they quickly look for another place to do their business. Cats have a very strong smell so they are easily overwhelmed by strong odors. Do you smell the litter box, even though the lid is closed? Then it's time to clean it out.
Cats like to have enough places where they can do their business. This way they can pee enough and keep their bladder clean and healthy.
No stress
Stress is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to bladder infections. Avoidance is the message, but how do you do that? A cat likes structure in their daily life. Situations like traveling, boarding, having visitors over quickly send their structure into disarray. Try to keep stressful situations to a minimum and always make sure your cat has an 'escape route'. If things get too busy for your cat, it can flee to a place that is quieter for it.
How best to treat a bladder infection?
Have you been to the vet and they diagnosed your cat with a bladder infection? Then your cat may be given medication over the next few days. These will help your cat to recover. Yet it is also important that you make sure your cat lives in good health. It is certainly important that your cat gets the right food. We recommend that cats who suffer from frequent cystitis switch to a food that has been specially developed for this purpose, namely Delcon Urinary.
Want to know more about our healthy cat food that keeps your cat healthy? Take a look at our extensive range!
