Home Remedies For Cats With UTI

Urinary Tract Infections: What Are They?

UTIs, or urinary tract infections, sound intimidating. However, when you break it down, urinary tract infections are a basic form of bacterial infections. The condition earned itself the name of urinary tract infection because of its location within the body. UTIs quite literally infect the urinary tract of humans and animals alike.

The urinary tract includes four different organs: the bladder, the kidneys, the ureters, and the urethra. UTIs typically start out in the bladder. Nothing about a UTI is comfortable, but the worst part of a UTI occurs when the infection makes its way to the kidneys. At this point, the pain is nearly unbearable.

From there, UTIs can take on two different forms. There is feline idiopathic cystitis and urethritis urinary tract infections. The first type is one that stays contained within the bladder. The second category of UTIs includes those that spread to the urethra. Basically, the type of urinary tract infection that is contracted depends on where the infection initially begins.

Both cystitis and urethritis UTIs have the potential to spread to the kidneys, so no matter which one you or your cat is facing, it is very imperative that you seek vet help and guidance for treatment. While UTIs are a frequent occurrence, their severity is nothing as mild as the common cold. Urinary tract infections require medical attention because they must be treated with antibiotics, which can only be obtained by way of a prescription.

How Do Urinary Tract Infections Affect Cats?

The thing about cats is that they often appear to be very cool, calm, and collected, even when they are in pain. They aren’t known as silent sufferers for no reason. In fact, cats cover up their misery because it’s so natural and innate for them to do so. It’s not necessarily on purpose. In fact, it just happens to be an instinct for our feline friends. So how do you know if your kitty cat is suffering from a UTI? Well, cats are sneaky, but they’re not totally deceptive. Let’s talk about the signs and symptoms of UTIS for cats.

The Signs and Symptoms of A Cat UTI

As you might expect, the symptoms of feline lower urinary tract infections are closely aligned with the functioning of the kidneys, bladder, urethra, and ureters. If you assumed that the symptoms of UTIs for cats include trouble with urination and odors.

The signs that your cat has a UTI include…

• Blood in the Urine
• Painful urination or empty attempts to urinate
• Straining to urinate and possibly bowel movements
• Refusing to use the litter box
• Accidents on rugs, carpets, floors, et cetera
• Abnormal urination patterns
• An unappealing odor stemming from your cat’s urine
• Noticeable thickness along the wall of the bladder during a physical exam at the vet
• Changes in bathroom behavior, like urinating more or less often than usual
• Inability to use the bathroom, urethral obstruction
• Scratching, licking, or biting in the genital area

When compared to the symptoms of urinary tract infections for people like you and me, the effects of UTIs for cats are quite similar. The primary difference between cats with UTIs and humans experiencing urinary tract infections is that people can speak up and seek help on their own.

Cats, on the other hand, cannot look up the phone number for their local veterinarian and schedule an appointment for themselves. That is why it is beyond necessary that we keep a close eye on our cats and make sure we take action if their behavior is off.

Even if you aren’t completely sure that your cat has a UTI, it is far better to go to the vet and learn that your kitty is fine than to ignore the problem and hope that it’s nothing. Sure, you may end up spending a little bit of money to hear that your cat is perfectly okay, but if you ask us, it is totally worth it. You can’t put a price on the wellness or the health of your beloved pet!

What Causes a Urinary Tract Infection?

As mentioned earlier, urinary tract infections are caused by infections that occur in the urinary tract of your cat. Pretty self-explanatory, right? Well, maybe not so much. After all, if anyone could diagnose and treat a UTI in cats, it wouldn’t be so confusing! There are more details to urinary tract infections than meet the eye.

UTIs are the result of bacteria in the urinary tract. The type of bacteria responsible for causing urinary tract problems in cats is called enteric bacteria. Usually, a urinary tract infection will be caused by E. coli that has spread to the organs of a cat's urinary tract.

Other types of UTI-causing bacteria include...

• Klebsiella
• Proteus mirabilis
• Staphylococcus saprophyticus
• Enterococcus faecalis
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Streptococcus agalactiae

Urinary tract infections stem from bacteria that enters through the urethra. We will go into greater detail about this organ later on in the blog post, but for now, all you need to know is that this is the point at which urine exits the body. Bacteria travels from the exterior to the interior of cats, making its way through the urethra and into your cat’s bladder.

UTIs that begin in the bladder are most common, but sometimes, the bacteria won’t just stop at the bladder. Instead, bacteria might continue traveling even farther into the body of a cat, settling within a kidney. This is a little more dangerous and far more painful for your cat, and the symptoms of kidney-related urinary tract infections tend to present in more obvious ways. This is because the UTI pain is more severe for cats.

Predispositions to UTIs: How Do You Know if Your Cat is at a Higher Risk for UTIs

Urinary tract infections tend to affect older, female cats more so than they do a young, male kitten. UTIs are more likely to happen in females than males strictly due to the fact that women have shorter urethras than men. You may be wondering why the anatomical length of an internal organ matters in relation to UTIs. We were, too, so we looked deeper into this.

The urethra of women is relatively shorter than the urethra of men. In case you aren't sure what the urethra is, it is an internal organ that urine flows through as it travels out of the body. The urethra looks like a small tube, and in short, it simply carries urine from your bladder to the toilet. Or litter box, since we’re talking about cats.

According to the Affiliated Urologists, the fact that the urethra of women is short means that UTIs have a better chance of making a home in the urinary tracts of women, as opposed to men. Since the urethra is shorter, bacteria has to travel a smaller distance to reach the urinary tract of females. As a result, bacteria has a better chance of making it into, say, the bladder, and surviving. In contrast, when it comes to the urethras of males, the distance is longer and bacteria have a harder time going the distance. All that said, female cats are more likely to get UTIs than male cats.

Urinary tract infections are also more common in cats that have been diagnosed with kidney disease. If your cat does not have kidney disease, but he or she was born from parents that did have kidney disease, your cat is also at a greater risk of developing a bacterial infection that evolves into a UTI. The fact that the parents of a cat had kidney disease is not a definite deciding factor in whether or not your cat has a UTI at some point in his or her life.

However, it does expose them to the possibility of developing one, more so than it does cats with parents that did not have kidney disease. The more you know about your cat’s history and birth parents, the more educated and informed you will be about your cat’s predispositions to UTIs. Also, cats who have bladder stones and urinary stones are not only more likely to have a UTI but are also more at risk for recurrent urinary tract infections.

One final predisposition that poses a higher risk factor of your cat getting a UTI is stress. That’s right. One of the most common symptoms of life, in general, is also a cause of some UTIs. Luckily for cats, their stress levels are much more easily controlled and regulated than ours are as people. Cats do very little throughout the day. From lounging on the couch and grazing dry food to playing with balls on strings and meowing until you pay attention to them, cats are living the good life. So, you can imagine that being introduced to anything new, whether it be people or places, could really stress out your kitty cat.

More often than not, UTIs related to stress factors have less to do with nutrition and more to do with the cat’s surroundings. One example of UTI-inducing stressors is If you live in the city and your cat fears loud noises. Another scenario is one in which another animal has been introduced into the home at too fast a pace for your cat’s comfort. If your veterinarian thinks that the UTI is a result of stress, try to evaluate the place in which your cat spends his or her time. Maybe there is something you can adjust in order to make the day-to-day less draining for your feline buddy!

What To Do If You Think Your Cat Has a Urinary Tract Infection

First things first, you should schedule an appointment with your veterinarian as soon as possible! The sooner your cat begins taking antibiotics, the sooner the little guy or girl will start to heal from the UTI. If symptoms of a UTI are noticed but not acted upon, they will persist and worsen very quickly, potentially resulting in the death of your little furry friend.

Urinary tract infections are not usually fatal, so try your best not to worry that something seemingly so small might be the end of your little buddy. That outcome is incredibly rare, happening only as a result of negligence and neglect.

From there, just do as much as you can to comfort your little buddy as he or she heals. Everyone, including cats, gets better faster when they are shown some love and compassion. Your cat is in pain and distress, but the fact that you are there with them through it all will bring them some serious comfort.

If you had a UTI, you would probably prefer to have a friend or family member hang out with you while it passed. Cats are much the same. After all, you mean the world to your little feline friend, so what better way to show it than by consoling them during this painful time?!

At-Home Remedies for Cats with Urinary Tracts Infections

Once your cat has seen a veterinarian and you’ve been given the prescription intended to rid your kitty of the UTI, chances are the first thing you’ll do is retreat home. However, we have another suggestion in mind. How about stopping to order CBD oil online for your cat?

Yes, you heard us right! CBD oils are an incredibly beneficial addition to your cat’s lifestyle as he or she begins to bounce back from the UTI they have been enduring. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a substance found in hemp and cannabis plants. Despite being extracted from cannabis on some occasions, CBD does not contain any psychoactive properties the way that weed does. This is due to the lack of THC in CBD oils. Instead, CBD contains hemp oil and CBD oil, making it the perfect addition to your cat’s healing process.

You might be thinking that it’s impossible for CBD extracted from cannabis to not contain any THC whatsoever. You’re not wrong. When CBD is derived from cannabis plants, it is very likely that a minimal amount of THC will exist within the oils labeled CBD. However, don’t let this scare you. If the CBD oil is from a trustworthy and reliable company, you don’t have to worry about buying something that will cause your cat to feel high.

CBD oils that come from cannabis plants contain trace amounts of THC. The level of THC in CBD oil of this nature is so minimal that there are virtually minimal side effects will be felt by your little feline. Cats cannot get high, neither in the mind nor the body, as a result of being given CBD oil for pain.

CBD oils for cats with UTIs are always…

• Made from 110% natural products
• Free of psychoactive properties
• Preservative-free
• Void of supplements
• Stripped of any and all toxins

The antibiotics your cat’s vet will prescribe are sure to relieve your cat from the woes of a UTI. But why not give your kitties a little more relief from the pain and misery by administering appropriate doses of CBD oil to them? Antibiotics will take care of the bacteria, but what about the physical discomfort that results from UTIs? Let CBD take care of that for your little feline.

The calming nature of CBD oil will allow your cat to loosen up a bit and feel relaxed as the antibiotics work their magic. Also, if you are still awaiting your cat’s vet appointment, CBD could seriously help your cat manage the symptoms of a UTI. Infections of the urinary tract can sometimes be entirely unbearable, so providing your kitty with an out and giving them some pain relief could work wonders.

You’ll notice a serious, positive change in your cat’s behavior and overall mannerisms when CBD is introduced into the equation. There’s no denying that! UTIs are the worst, but your cat doesn’t have to trudge through them miserably. Let CBD oil for cats help.