Incontinence in Cats or Inappropriate Urination? How You Can Tell the Difference

Has this ever happened to you?  You're noticing that your cat is urinating in places other than his litter box.  People automatically assume that inappropriate urination in cats is because of a behavior issue, or it's because their cat is getting older. 

However there could be a medical problem causing incontinence in cats to be a problem for your feline friend.  A trip to the vet is always in order for a cat who suddenly starts showing signs of feline incontinence.

Feline Incontinence Versus Inappropriate Urination

An incontinent cat has no control over his bladder at all.  He may urinate when he's lying down, or sleeping, or even dribble as he walks around.  The usual cause is a weak sphincter muscle.  This is not a very common condition in cats, although it's sometimes seen in spayed females who are somewhat overweight. 

Incontinence in cats may also be a symptom of feline diabetes.  Diabetes causes your cat to be extremely thirsty.  If he's drinking lots more water, he may not always make it to the litter box in time.

If your cat is incontinent when he's resting, you should have him checked for feline leukemia. Both male and female cats who are positive for this virus are sometimes incontinent. 

While inappropriate urination is sometimes a behavior problem, it can be a result of feline lower urinary tract disease.   

Feline Cystitis Is The Most Common Reason For Urination Outside The Litter Box

A cat with a feline bladder infection has an inflammation of his bladder.  This causes him to need to empty his bladder frequently.  If you use clumping cat litter, you should see a few big clumps of urine when you scoop it.  If you find many small clumps, this is a sign of cat urinary problems.

Other symptoms include crying out in pain as he tries to use the litter box.  You may see him crouching over, straining to pass urine.  Many cat owners mistake this for constipation, which can be a fatal mistake if he has a urinary blockage.  A blocked cat is a veterinary emergency.  Your cat will die within a day or two if he's completely blocked.

What Your Vet Needs To Know

Your vet will ask the following questions:

• Has your cat been under a lot of stress lately?  Have you moved, or added a new person or pet to the household?  Have you changed his diet?




• Where is your cat urinating?  In a corner?  On your bed?  Where he sleeps?




• Is he drinking more water than he usually does?




• Is he dribbling urine or is he just urinating more often than usual?




• Does he have blood in his urine?




• Has your cat ever been injured?

Your vet will check your cat for a urinary blockage that could be caused by cat bladder stones. 

Treatment For Feline Cystitis

Antibiotics are usually prescribed to clear up any infection.  What you need to do at home is to increase the amount of water your cat is taking in.  The easiest way to do this is to switch him over to canned food, which has a much higher moisture level than dry.  It's been found that the key to preventing feline bladder infections is to increase the amount of liquid going through your cat.

You may also want to consider a natural remedy for feline urinary support.  Look for one that contains both herbal and homeopathic remedies that support bladder health in animals.  Uva ursi and barberry, along with Cantharis and Staphysagria have stood the test of time in humans, and they can be very effective for cats, too.

Your next step? To take what you've just learned and determine what's causing feline incontinence in your furball.