Cat Owners: Here's Three Key Signs They Could Be In Trouble & How to Prevent Them

My mum’s always been a cat lover and she’s always had cats. And very recently her beloved cat Moushka had a bit of health scare that seemed to appear quite suddenly.

You see Moushka started showing unusual signs, nothing over the top at first, but one by one things started to piece together. At first mum wasn’t sure what the problem was. Moushka had become really fussy with her eating and had begun to refuse to use her litter tray.

Concerned, Mum took her to the vet where they discovered that Moushka had a urinary tract infection (UTI). Much like humans, urinary tract issues can cause immense pain in cats. Of course the problem with cats is that they can’t actually speak so you need to know what signs to look for.

That being said, early intervention and prevention is your cat’s best chance at long-term health. The key to prevention is not too dissimilar to common practice we use ourselves.

Ensure your cat is a healthy weight and lives in a stress-free environment
Make sure they are fed a premium diet, specifically designed for cats, with the appropriate levels of nutrients.
Always make sure your cat has ample access to fresh drinking water by having several water bowls within easy reach. A good, regular water intake helps to ‘flush’ their bladder.

Find out more about urinary health in cats here.

Some of the tell-tale signs that your cat is suffering from urinary health issues include:

Vocalising or pain when urinating
Blood in the urine
Urination outside of your cat’s litter tray
Straining to urinate (can sometimes appear as though your cat is trying to defecate)
Attempting to urinate and not producing any urine
More frequent use of the litter tray
Messy use of the litter tray (more than usual)
Excessive licking of the genital area

IMPORTANT: If you see any of these changes in behaviour, please see your veterinarian immediately.

Please take a moment to watch these three quick videos, each one showing you exactly what the early warning signs of urinary health issues look like, and how you can help to avoid them.

Symptom 1: Stage Fright

Symptom 2: Litter Mess

Symptom 3: The Awkward Stare

You can also find out more about the 9 common myths of urinary health in cats by checking out this simple and informative infographic.

How can I get started?

To help avoid urinary health issues in your cat, Royal Canin is offering 50% off their Urinary Care range to our readers. Just click here to download your 50% off voucher and keep your beautiful cat purring for years to come!