My cats pee is pink, any ideas if this is serious?

Question

I have two brothers 18 months from rescue home. When I got them they had just been neutered. One of them had a problem peeing after and was going every 10 mins & it was a bit pink. he stayed at the vet for the night & the vet said he was fine. Now, 6 months on, I see his brothers pee in the litter tray is sometimes a bit pink. Otherwise fit & healthy & happy. What could be wrong?

Answer 1

Hi there...hematuria (blood in urine) will be either light pink to dark red depending on the severity of the lower urinary tract disorder. This truly merits a visit to the veterinary hospital to be evaluated as urinary disorders can become life-threatening if not treated quickly.

More in feline lower urinary tract disorders: http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_feline_lower_urinary_tract_dis.html

A little background about causes of feline lower urinary tract disorders (FLUTD). It is caused by several factors, and combinations of these factors, which include obesity, stress, urinary pH, water and fibre intake in the animal's diet. Recurrence is common with FLUTD cats so preventive measures such a canned food diet to keep hydration levels high plus any other ways to encourage more water consumption is a must, easy access to multiple litter boxes in addition to regular check ups as well as supplementation with prescriptions depending on the severity of the condition.

Cats who eat dry cat foods tend to suffer from recurring episodes and this seems to be a common denominator with cats diagnosed with various types of FLUTD. The idea is to acidify the urine (like cranberry juice does for humans) because cats with FLUTD have urine pH that is more alkaline so your goal is to reverse this and canned foods have been known to achieve the results.

Additionally, it's important to schedule feed a cat so you can monitor servings taken in during the day http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/news/feed.htm . This helps keep the urine pH more acidified rather than alkaline which causes recurring urinary tract disorders as well.

Furthermore, for cats who suffer from FLUTD the hydration in the canned products helps metabolize food better and are also completely devoid of carbohydrates, which is more optimal for the feline's body and while at the same acidifies the urine pH which is perfect for cats who have FLUTD . When cats eat raw meat in the wild they get hydration from the fresh meat juices as well as some roughage from the animals who are natural herbivores. A mixture of canned and dry are always best for cats in the long-term, which many people are unaware of. We are have been exposed to so many commercial ads regarding dry food for cats, but in reality it's the manufacturer's who benefit rather than the cats. Cats are not naturally designed to eat dry--the products were designed for convenience for the owner.

Here's an article about commercial cat food; dry vs. canned, proper nutritional needs, etc: http://www.consumersearch.com/www/family/cat-food/review.html

Answer 2

Are you sure the vet gave him a clean bill of health and that this was not a urinary infection? Blood tests would tell about kidney function, not about infection in the bladder. A test of the urine determines this. If he's clear on both counts, get a second box and fill it with sandbox sand. NO cat bypasses peeing in sand. If you switched litters or the litter has a strong perfume smell as odor control--that puts a lot of cats off of using the box. If the box is covered a lot of cats refuse to use it, feeling trapped inside. And check with the other people in the house, did anyone think it was 'funny' to scare the cat out of his box when he was trying to use it? The cat would not consider the box safe anymore. More than one cat has switched pee/poop preferences because some idiot thought it was funny to scare the cat. Were the throw carpets new? The plastic rug backing on most small carpets has a chemical smell t it that an awful lot of dogs and cats interpret as 'urine'.

Answer 3

I agree, your cat might have a Urinary Tract Infection, which is causing blood in his urine. Without treatment it will most likely get worse and cause pain. I would def. suggest taking him to the vet, you never know what could be wrong. Just an FYI, usually a treatment for this is kind of pricey at a Vet.

Answer 4

It sounds like he may have a slight infection. If he is well in himself and still eating it's probably not that serious but it would be sensible to take him to the vet as these things tend to get worse if not treated quickly. It's likely he will only need a short course of antibiotics.
Good luck - I hope he is OK.

Answer 5

It sounds like cystitis, an infection of the lower urinary tract. It's not very serious, but can cause some discomfort. If I were you I'd take him back to the vet for antibiotics and to rule out anything more serious, like a kidney infection or tumour.

Answer 6

he's peeing blood. get him checked by a vet. probably a urine/kidney/bladder infection, in which case, a course of anti-biotis will fix him, though it could be more serious. best of luck & i hope the wee man's ok.