by Nomi Berger
 
Problems affecting a cat’s lower urinary tract may prevent the bladder from emptying correctly or may even cause a fatal blockage of the urethra, the tube that connects the bladder to the outside of the cat’s body.
 
All too often, the cause is Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD). Symptoms include frequent or painful urination, bloody urine and frequent licking of the urinary opening. Essential in treating FLUTD is first determining the cause of it, which may include such endocrine diseases as hyperthyroidism and diabetes mellitus as well as bladder stones, urinary tract blockages, infection or cancer. If the cause can’t be determined, the cat is considered to have cystitis (inflammation of the bladder).
 
The causes of FLUTD include: stones, crystals or accumulated debris in the bladder or urethra; a urethral plug (accumulated debris from urine); bladder inflammation or infection; incontinence from excessive water drinking or weak bladder; injury to, or tumor in the urinary tract; stress; spinal cord problems and a congenital abnormality. Rarely seen in cats younger than a year, the average age is typically four years, with males being more prone to urethral blockages due to their narrower urethras.
 
Signs your cat is having problems with his/her urinary tract include: the inability to urinate or passing only a small amount of urine; bloody or cloudy urine; loss of bladder control and/or dribbling urine; increased frequency of urination or visits to the litter box; straining and/or crying out in pain when attempting to pass urine; prolonged squatting in the litter box; fear/avoidance of the litter box and soiling in inappropriate places; constant licking of the urinary opening; a strong odor of ammonia in the urine; lethargy; vomiting; increased water consumption, and a hard, distended abdomen.
 
If your kitty is either straining to urinate or crying out in pain, see your veterinarian immediately. This could be a medical emergency!
 
To diagnose a lower urinary tract problem, your vet should perform a complete physical examination that includes a urinalysis, urine culture and blood work, and if necessary, x-rays and/or an ultrasound.
 
Depending on the ultimate diagnosis, your vet may recommend one or more of the following courses of action: antibiotics or other medications, dietary changes, increase in water intake and urinary acidifiers; aids in expelling any small stones through the urethra; surgery to remove bladder stones or a tumor or to correct a congenital abnormality; a urinary catheter or surgery to remove a urethral blockage in male cats, and fluid therapy.
 
If left untreated, urinary problems can cause a partial or complete obstruction of the urethra. This, in turn, can quickly lead to kidney failure and/or rupture of the bladder, which can prove fatal.
 
 

by Nomi Berger
 
The obvious answer to every cat owner’s question is simple: It’s fun.
 
Not only that, but the higher the places are the better. And yet, as amusing as it may seem – at first – this behavior can be both annoying and dangerous.
 
Extremely adept at using their paws when they play, cats will bat at and paw at some objects and by twisting their paws slightly, hook others and toss them into the air. Exceedingly curious and endlessly attracted to rapid movement, they are expert “fly catchers” and acrobats, even turning somersaults in the air as they try to catch the feather at the end of a fishing-pole toy.
 
From tables and desks to bookshelves and mantles, a cat’s joy at knocking things over may, according to some animal behaviorists, be attributed to several factors, including play-related and exploratory behaviors. Consider this: A cat paws at an object to see if it moves or how it moves and inadvertently knocks it off a desk. Once she sees the object fall, she may be attracted to its speed, the sound it makes hitting the floor or even the attention she receives from her owner.
 
Why the latter? Because whatever hits the floor elicits an immediate response as the owner seeks out the source of the sound. Some clever cats have learned to capture their owner’s attention in precisely this way: the louder the noise, the faster their owner’s response time. For others, simply watching the object fall and chasing after it on the floor is reward enough. But if that object is glass, she can injure her paws when she jumps to the floor and either lands on or walks through the glass shards.
 
To stop this behavior from disrupting your household while keeping your kitty safe, don’t leave any objects light enough to be batted around and knocked over on any surfaces accessible to her. This is especially true of fragile or irreplaceable items. If the problem is limited to a single room, try closing the door and keeping kitty out. If that’s not feasible, one option is to apply double-sided sticky tape to the surface(s) in question. When your cat jumps onto a table, e.g., her paws will stick slightly to the tape and the unpleasant sensation should deter her from jumping onto it again. But the most successful solution lies in your preventing her from jumping onto the table in the first place.
 
What does this entail? If you find your cat on the table, instead of shouting at her or chasing her away, make a noise to get her attention and redirect her to a more appropriate behavior such as chasing after a toy or a laser dot. You can also use clicker training to teach her tricks, thereby keeping her mentally engaged and out of trouble. Another way to redirect your cat’s attention is to give her a “job.” Use multiple puzzle toys and have her “work” for some of her food, while remembering that cats in the wild may spend between 40 and 60 percent of their time actually hunting for food.  
 
If, however, none of these techniques work, speak to your veterinarian who may refer you to an animal behavior specialist.