my cat keeps getting cystitis?

Question

shes 5 years old and has had it twice in the last month .the vet says its due to stress,she lost her doggy pal of 5 years 6 months ago and she has also put on weight which the vet says only adds to the problem so she is on a diet.got her another doggy pal but she is still no better .any ideas how i can help her so that she doesnt keep getting it.

thanks mr big for your ---- advice.serious answers only please.

Answer 1

It's been quite a few years since I've seen this, so I hope the answer is not terribly outdated.

One vet suggested giving our cat liver in addition to his food to help prevent recurrance.

It's hard for me to believe that cystitis is stress related. I'd get a second opinion!!! Also, it could be that the antibiotic prescribed has not quite eliminated the original infection (I had this happen with a dog). A different antibiotic might fill the bill.

Another thing that we use that was developed by vets and is *supposed* to help prevent urinary tract problems is the Drinkwell water fountain. Theoretically it encourages more water consumption, which helps prevent cystitis. A dripping faucet will also encourage water consumption.

They also have cat foods containing cranberries/juice which again is a preventive measure.

Answer 2

Aah poor little thing. Your vet is probably right, it's usually due to stress. Make sure she has a clean litter tray and plenty of water to drink and hopefully it should just go in it's own time. Just love and pet her and try not to let her get in any stressful situations, like territory issues with other cats. My cat hates the fireworks at this time of year and she tends to get cystitis too but it does go after a while.

Answer 3

Stressand obesity are major factors. Try a feliway diffusser for the stress side, put down extra litter trays and lots of water- think about getting a cat waterfountin thingy- Also Cystaid (non presc med can get online from pharmacies) helps the bladder lining, switch to wet food if feeding dry. Speak to your vet/vetnurse for more advice. Some cats are more prone than others. Is she weeing in strange places?

Answer 4

Make sure she has plenty of water available - some cats are very funny about where they drink from. Change to a wet food or add water to dry food if she doesn't drink very much. If she'll only drink from running water you can get drinking fountains for cats. Have there been any changes in the position of her litter tray, or the litter used? Changes in toilet arrangements can increase stress levels. The introduction of a new dog may have temporarily increased her stress levels, until they get used to each other make sure she has plenty of space to get away from the new dog if she wants to and do introductions gradually. You could also try a pheromone diffuser or spray - ask your vet for details but they can be very useful for decreasing stress levels.

Answer 5

well, I'm no expert but my cat is now 17 (bless her) & cats don't like change of anysort, as I'm sure you are aware so I would advise not to change her routine too much cos that will only stress her out more & personally I don't think its a good idea to put cats on a "diet" unless ofcouse your cat is serioulsy overweight which may impede her in later life. I was advised by my vet to change my cats food completly from wet to dry food, try telling that to a cat?? Take her back to the vet or get a second opinion. Sorry not much help but best of luck.

Answer 6

My little ***** cat George got cystitis. The vet said one of the main causes of it is the cat not getting enough fluid intake. If your cat eats dried food then try adding a little warm water to it. If she has canned food then it might be a good idea to encourage her to drink more by providing a pet fountain for her to drink from. You can get them from all good pet stores(!) and they're not too expensive compared to extensive vet bills. They basically keep the water moving so it is fresh and more appealing to your little furry friend than a dish of stagnant water.

PS I wasn't being rude at the start of this answer - I just refererred to George as a p u s s y cat!

Answer 7

My cat has the same problem and is given cystease from the vet it cost £10-£12 or a month of 1 per day then you can go down to 1 every 2 days, its a capsule but its a synthetic bladder lining apparently. Dry food is deffo a huge problem, at least with my cat. He gets dry food VERY rarely. A way to trick your cat into drinking lots of water without them knowing is to heat water in your kettle not to boiling point but warm enough and mix maybe 4 tablespoons into the wet food and mix it well...they think its a lovely warm aromatic gravy...little do they know they are drinking as we need them to do. I would deffo stay away from the dry food for a bit as squishthefishie's answer said...wet food is usually upwards of 70% water and with the added "gravy" its sure to give your cat a good flush through. Be very careful wit continuing with dry food...I nearly lost my boy because his cystitis caused bladder stones to form and his bladder got blocked...the cystease and the water in te food keep him good...TOUCH WOOD! Good luck...

Answer 8

Hi there,
a friend of mines cat has also got cystitis and she is currently only feeding it wet food and making sure the cat drinks lots of water, to encourage it to drink a water fountain may be use full as a lot of cats prefer running water. Good luck and hope it clears up.

Answer 9

Try changing the cat food from dry (if that's what you're feeding your car) to a canned health food brand that has cranberries in it. There are very good canned foods that are made specifically for cats to encourage urinary tract health. I'm sure your vet can also recommend a good cat food. There is a very good holistic book "The New Natural Cat" by Anitra Frazier that has excellent all-purpose cat info. She has a specific diet included for urinary tract health.

Answer 10

Feed kitty premium food from pet store. There are special urinary tract formulas you can buy, but if you are feeding a high-quality diet, those special diets shouldn't be necessary.

Mix a teaspoon of canned food with water, heat in microwave, this will give kitty extra water she needs. (My cat won't eat the meat, just drinks the juice, and drinks regular water, so we give her dry food too.)

There are prescription vet diets, but those probably aren't as good as high-quality diets.