Cat Behavior With a Urinary Tract Infection

Observing your cat's behavior may be the only way to identify a urinary tract infection.

Although less prone to urinary tract infections than dogs, cats can still experience this type of infection from time to time. The most common reason for a feline urinary tract infection is from urolithiasis, a disorder in which stones build up in the cat's urinary tract.

Pain

Pain in cats is often hard to notice, because they will continue to show affection and beg for attention even when they are in pain. However, you may notice them expressing pain, while urinating or cleaning their genital areas, by meowing or whining.

Litter Box Problems

You may notice that your cat has stopped using its litter box or urinates outside the litter box. This often happens with cats that have urinary tract infections, because they associate the pain of urinating with the litter box.

Excessive Grooming

Cats that have a urinary tract infection tend to groom themselves more often than they normally would. When grooming, they will focus especially on the genital area. Cats are very clean animals; when a cat feels that it is dirty or experiences pain somewhere on its body, such as the site of an infection, the cat will continually lick the spot in order to get it clean.

References

• Pet Alive: Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infection in Cats