Sign of Illness #1: Inappropriate Urination

Today we begin our series on the Top 10 Signs of Illness in Cats. Our first sign to discuss? Inappropriate urination.

Regardless of how “deliberate” it may seem, when a cat is avoiding or not using the litter box, he or she is trying to tell you something. Cats are very intelligent creatures.  They will often urinate in places like the bathtub or sink or on their human’s belongings to try to communicate with us.

Unfortunately, we humans often miss the point of the message. This message may be one of physical discomfort or psychological stress.

• Physical causes include inflammation of the bladder or bowel, infection, bladder stones, urine crystals, constipation, arthritis, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, neurologic pain, cancer or cognitive dysfunction (similar to dementia in humans). Your veterinarian can run diagnostic tests like bloodwork, urinalysis and X-rays to rule out the physical causes.
• Psychological causes may be from boredom, anxiety due to other animals, anxiety from children, lack of opportunity to act on normal cat behaviors, fear, or aversion to the box or type of litter in the box. There are medications to help with the psychological causes, and websites like http://indoorpet.osu.edu/cats/ can be great resources for cat owners. For example, see this article on Litter Boxes for tips on what to consider when setting up a litter box.

Next week, we will address another sign of illness in cats: changes in interaction. I’m hoping you and your kitties have a purrfect week!!