Healthy adult cats typically defecate approximately 2 to 3 times conventional litter and once with the odd scoop between services. The amount of urine produced daily varies between 50 and 300 ml depending on the amount or more precisely the fluid intake of a particular animal.
The sex of the pet affects the amount of urination. Males appear to urinate more frequently than females, and randomized pets appear to urinate more frequently than spayed pets.
The frequency of urination, including frequent urination in cats, can vary with age and may require a veterinarian checkup to ensure your pet’s health.
Small kittens urinate less frequently, 1-2 times a day. Their mother’s milk, which is the basis of their nutrition, is absorbed almost completely, and fewer substances are produced that require excretion. After the kitten is transferred to food, the number of urination increases.
This is especially so when the cat is older than younger because the muscles that control the urethra may be weak causing the older cat to urinate more often in a day. Nonetheless, urine excretion of this kind is not usually uncomfortable for the cat; quite the contrary, it should not be painful at all.
The main reasons why a cat pees frequently
Physiological (not disease-related) causes of pollakiuria include :
- Physical activity: A playful and energetic pet can drink more water than a calm and sedentary one. Accordingly, along with the consumption of liquid, urine output also increases.
- Hot weather: During hot weather, the cat needs to drink plenty of water. Increased water consumption causes more frequent urination.
- Changing the type of feeding: Cats that are fed on a dry diet need more water than those fed on a wet diet. In that period the cat might drink more and also urinate more frequently if the kind of feeding has been changed during the adaptation to the new diet.
- Hypothermia: As one gets the feeling of cold, the kidneys start working vigorously to eliminate water from the pet’s body, and as it warms the water, it requires energy.
- It is understood that the use of certain drugs (anticonvulsants, cortisone, diuretics, etc.) causes diuresis.
The cat is marking
Sometimes owners mistake their pets’ urine markings for increased urination.
Marking territory with urine is an element of the normal sexual behavior of an adult cat. Unlike normal urination, marks are applied by the animal most often on vertical surfaces, from a standing position, with the tail raised. Marks may contain a small amount of urine and have a strong odor.
Usually, the problem is solved by sterilizing the animal, but some pets continue to leave urine marks even after that. In such cases, the owner has to make additional efforts to wean the cat from marking.
From all of the above, we can conclude that the number of urinations per day largely depends on the individual characteristics and conditions of keeping the pet. But the reason for increased urination is not always so harmless. Pollakiuria can be one of the symptoms of a serious disease.
Pathological (disease-related) causes include:
- Stress.
- Urinary tract infections.
- Urolithiasis.
- Metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, etc).
- Chronic renal failure.
- Some diseases of the genital organs in cats and dogs include; prostatitis, pyometra, vaginitis, and the like.
- Neoplasm tumors and benign tumors the growth of which threatens the expansion of the bladder or its reduction.
- Urinary incontinence, etc.
Stress
Cats are mostly quite boring, in a way that most people can relate to, heh Most of them are quite shy. In general, moving to a new house, changes in the diet, the mode of feeding, changes in food, and the appearance of new people and animals at home can lead to stress.
The cat feels nervous tension if it has frequent urination. In this case, urine is released frequently, in small portions, sometimes in places not intended for a cat toilet. In addition to frequent urination, a cat experiencing stress may have other problems with the toilet: a decrease in the number of urinations, and constipation. The following signs also indicate a state of nervous tension:
- Restless behavior.
- Unprovoked vocalizations.
- Decrease in sleep time.
- Avoidance of the owner.
- Unmotivated aggression.
- Loss or lack of appetite.
- Excessive grooming.
Cystitis
Cystitis in cats, or inflammation of the bladder, ranks high among the diseases with which cats are brought to the clinic
The most common causes of cystitis in cats that veterinarians encounter are:
- Feline lower urinary tract disease—ab UserId:7377 Idiopathic cystitis – a disease that some believe to be caused by stress and high urine concentration.
- Urolithiasis – a disease that appears due to stones or sand damaging the mucous membrane of the bladder.
- Urinary tract infection.
Signs that may indicate that your pet has cystitis:
- Frequent urination in small amounts.
- Pain when urinating (the cat is restless, and meows plaintively).
- The appearance of a sharp unpleasant odor in urine.
- Change in urine color, the appearance of impurities in it (mucus, Blood, pus.
- Lethargy, weakness.
- Loss of appetite.
- Abdominal pain.
- Increase in body temperature.
Cystitis requires mandatory treatment by a veterinary specialist. Lack of treatment and if it is performed not in time increases the risk of transition of this disease into chronic and development of complications, which means the life of the cat is in danger.
Urolithiasis
Feline urolithiasis is a disease that occurs as a complication of metabolic disturbances and is expressed in the formation of uroliths (sand and stones) in the urinary system.
Signs of urolithiasis in cats :
- Using the litter box more often than previously.
- Dysuria (The cat sits on the litter box for a long time in Usually a tense posture.
- Painful urination.
- Urine is excreted in small portions or not at all.
- Traces of blood in urine.
A cat with urolithiasis requires medication and therapy through the proper diet they must take. If intervention is not sought, the urinary tract may be occluded by urolith and this norm is fatal to the pet. If a cat has not urinated for more than 12 hours, then the cat requires urgent veterinarian attention.
Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus in cats is a chronic disease that results from a reduced ability of the body to produce insulin or the tissue’s ability to utilize the insulin being produced. The disease is known to affect cats that are usually older and more so male cats than female cats. However, this disease can develop in a pet of any age, gender, and breed.
Symptoms of diabetes in cats:
- Increased thirst.
- Increased urine output.
- Increased appetite.
- Fluctuations in weight.
- Acetone smell from the cat.
- In the most severe form of the disease – peripheral neuropathy – there is a plantigrade gait (when moving the cat steps not only on the fingers but on the entire sole starting from the carpal and tarsal joints.
The main reasons for the development of diabetes in cats:
- Excess weight.
- Pancreatitis.
- Use of glucocorticoids as drugs.
- Such illnesses affect the liver, the cardiovascular system, and the kidneys.
- Metabolic disorders (diabetes mellitus, hypercholesteremia, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, acromegaly (Chapter 2).
When diagnosing a disease, a veterinarian pays attention to:
- Hyperglycemia.
- Increased blood glucose levels.
- The appearance of glucose in the urine.
Management of the disease is lifelong and entails pharmacological intervention together with an appropriate diet.
Kidney problems
The diseases of kidneys in cats are infections, bacterial and viral, and endocrine diseases such as diabetes, toxicosis, trauma, tumors, autoimmune diseases, and developmental disorders.
Chronic diseases of the kidneys are especially perilous, the manifestations of which increase gradually and become apparent only when more than 70% of the tissue is compromised. Sometimes, this damage is also permanent.
Chronic renal failure is a devastating disease in cats that appears when kidney function in cats is compromised as a result of loss of nephrons and a low glomerular filtration rate. Since the reabsorption of water in the renal tubules is decreased more urine gets produced but the body gives indications of water deficiency.
Signs of kidney dysfunction in a pet that an owner may notice:
- Increased thirst.
- Loss of appetite.
- Pressure changes a feeling of increased urgency to pass water, frequent Prague, and a higher volume of urine passed.
- Deterioration of wool quality.
- Lethargy and weakness.
- Ammonia smells from the mouth.
Kidney disease is terminal but early treatment and veterinarian intervention will help extend the life of a sick cat and enhance its quality.
Urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence is defined as the uneasy control over the storage and emptying of the urinary bladder. This condition can give a false impression as if the cat is urinating more than it usually does.
Based on the cause, urinary incontinence is mainly observed in senior animals due to the decline in muscle tone of the urinary system, young animals can also be affected by injuries, disorders of the nervous system and hormonal balance, and stress.
Stress incontinence is especially common when a cat wakes up from a resting position or decides to leap around. Inappropriately located wet areas on beds, around the litter box, and in other areas are often confused by cat owners with a behavioral issue.
It must also be noted that while with severe cases, the leakage might be occurring almost constantly. Wet fur leads to the cat’s discomfort and skin irritation to the owner who feels inconvenienced due to the unpleasant smell. To increase the quality of both the cat’s existence and the owner’s presence, it is possible to use only diapers and nappies for animals.
Due to the fact that urinary incontinence could be a result of illnesses and injuries, the cat needs to be taken to a vet. Correct diagnosis and treatment will go a long way in eradicating the problem or at least fashioning it to nearly negligible proportions.
Which cats are at risk?
Pollakiuria can occur in pets of any breed, gender, and age. However, this disorder most often occurs in cats that:
- Are overweight.
- Are kept in poor sanitary conditions.
- Are in stressful conditions.
Also at risk due to their structural features are representatives of the Siamese, British, Scottish, and Persian breeds.
Diagnosis of diseases
In case the owner discovers that his cat has frequently visited the litter box more than the normal days in a week, then the pet owner should consider observing the pet. Signs that indicate the need to visit a veterinary clinic are:
- Aversion is not associated with heat or changes in diet when thirst has been photographed.
- Lethargy.
- Loss of appetite.
- Restlessness, meowing during urination.
- Prolonged stay in the litter box.
- Unusual urine color.
- Increased or decreased amount of urine.
- Accompanying features such as flooding including the appearance of a puddle at unfit locations.
Frequent changes in the frequency of their visits to the litter box even without other indicators should be seen by the vet.
To determine the causes of pollakiuria and prescribe the necessary treatment, the veterinarian will conduct:
- Pet examination.
- Owner survey.
- Blood and urine analysis.
- Ultrasound of the urinary system.
If necessary, the following may also be prescribed:
- Roentgen examination of the kidneys.
- Urinalysis – bacteriology.
- Quantitative determination of the level of antidiuretic hormone in blood plasma.
Treatment methods
Since pollakiuria can accompany many disorders in the urinary system, treatment of the problem is carried out individually, depending on the causes that caused it.
Meat-flavored medicines, operations, and changes in diet must be recommended by a veterinarian after consultation on an animal’s state. Feeding a cat with medications, not following the diet advised by a specialist, and substituting the treatment given by the said specialist with folk treatments can lead to severe consequences for the pet.
Prevention of urinary system problems in cats
Simple preventive measures can help reduce the likelihood of pollakiuria:
- The cat must be provided with constant free access to good quality drinking water.
- The diet should be complete and meet the body’s needs.
- The pet must be given a chance to allow the physical aspect of the animal to come into play. Obesity, a pathology of sedentary cats, complicates the course of many diseases, as it causes them.
- The pet should be protected from unnecessary stress. The cat has to live in the house, so one has to attempt to keep things as still as possible. From an early age, the pet should become used to being put in a carrier or a cage, get used to being handled to make the examinations, and become familiar with the presence of guests.
If there are no observable symptoms of sickness, the cat must be taken to the veterinary clinic as often as possible for check-ups. Early disease diagnosis enables easier treatment and prevents life-threatening complications.
