What to do if your cat often walks in small circles: causes, diagnosis, treatment of frequent urination

Often the health of a pet depends on how attentive the owner is to changes in his behavior. Therefore, if a cat often visits the litter box but pees little, this should alert the owner.

Let's analyze the main causes of this condition, find out what pathologies are hidden behind this symptom, and what other signs of dangerous diseases of the genitourinary system are there.

Frequent urination in cats

The way a domestic cat visits the toilet is considered the main indicator of the functioning of its body. A disruption to the usual rhythm never occurs without reason. Sometimes this phenomenon may be normal, but most often urination disorders indicate pathologies.

An important sign of a pet's health is its urination pattern, namely how often and how intensely the cat urinates. According to statistics, genitourinary diseases occur in pets of any age.

The rate of metabolic processes, which changes with age, determines the characteristics of the urination regime for each specific animal.

Table 1. How many times do cats go to the toilet, normal indicators depending on age

If the animal is dry-fed, the volume of urine decreases.

Interesting! Sterilized cats sit on the tray more often, this is a need of their body.

How to punish a cat for an offense?

You can use a loud noise on your cat (such as clapping your hands or rattling) - this simple method works great. When you catch your cat doing something wrong, say her name loudly to get her attention and clap your hands (or make another loud sound, but not scream).

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Reasons of a physiological nature

If a cat often goes to the toilet a little at a time, you should not immediately consider him sick. It happens that such behavior is determined by reasons that are not related to the disease:

• external influences (most often temporary);
• physiological needs of the pet.

If your cat constantly sits down to pee, you should consider whether the animal is experiencing stress. This condition can be provoked by visits from strangers, the appearance of a new animal in the house, or rough treatment.

Another sign of stress is a change in your pet's appetite. At the same time, cats’ immunity drops sharply, which means the “doors open” for the development of various inflammatory processes that require mandatory treatment.

Important! If the cat pees often and little, or eats poorly, it is necessary to analyze the situation for the presence of stress and try to eliminate the cause. If blood discharge appears in the animal's urine, you should immediately show your pet to a doctor.

In hot weather, the cat often drinks water to protect itself from overheating. Therefore, if he begins to pee frequently (6-7 times a day), there is no need to worry. He does not require treatment. As soon as the heat-related need for liquid stops, the cat will gradually stop urinating frequently and will gradually return to its normal rhythm of life.

If an adult animal likes to lie down more than run around, or is overweight, the number of visits to the litter box can be reduced to 1-2 times a day. Physically active pets go to the toilet often and little by little, while cats urinate less often than cats.

Folk remedies for weaning cats from shitting anywhere

Why does a cat walk past the litter box: the main reasons and what to do

These products repel cats so that they don’t piss anywhere:

• Cats cannot tolerate citrus fruits. In the place where your pet wants to shit, you need to lay out the peel of an orange, lemon or grapefruit.
• Cats hate hot vegetables. If you rub a paste of onion or garlic onto your pet’s “favorite” surface, the cat will no longer appear there.
• Perfume products. Not a very effective method, because... Purely individual, but worth a try.
• Essential oils. Extracts of rosemary, lavender, mint are mixed with water, citrus peel is rubbed into the solution and dripped onto the place where the cat pees.
• Vinegar and alcohol. Cats do not tolerate the smell of alcohol and vinegar. One small glass of alcoholic beverages on the table will give an absolute guarantee that the pet will not climb on it and will not commit its dirty deeds.

The listed compositions have good and time-proven effectiveness. They will discourage any desire to write in the wrong place.

Pathological causes of frequent urination

Frequent urination is often not associated with various diseases of the genitourinary system. However, it is important for any owner to know how such pathologies manifest themselves in order to provide first aid to the animal and take it to the veterinarian in time.

Cystitis

This disease is one of the most common genitourinary diseases in domestic cats. The initial stage of the pathology has no external manifestations, but over time, inflammation of the bladder mucosa causes urination problems.

Any pet owner can recognize the signs of the disease:

• the cat often sits down to pee, but there is no urine, or it comes out in small portions;
• the animal begins to meow before urination begins, and continues to do so during the process;
• the pet often licks the perineum;
• the cat has a tense stomach and sometimes starts vomiting;
• the animal is thirsty all the time;
• urine has changed color to darker;
• the appearance of an ammonia odor from animal secretions.

Cystitis cannot be neglected, as it can become chronic. The most common causes of pathology are the animal’s lack of protein food, a small amount of fluid, infection, hypothermia, kidney inflammation, and helminthic infestation.

Expert opinion

Chepa Natalya Semenovna

Veterinarian

Ask a Question

Among cats, fold-eared breeds are most prone to otitis, because... they have a small closed ear and a narrow ear canal that is poorly ventilated. Hairless breeds produce a lot of sulfur, which can also be a predisposing factor for the development of otitis media. A common mistake owners make when caring for their ears is using a cotton swab. It will not be possible to clean the ear well with a cotton swab due to its structure, but leaving the cotton swab, “compacting” the wax inside the passage and causing irritation of the skin of the ear canal is quite likely. For home care, it is best to use special lotions no more than once a month. You should not use multi-component ear drops on your own. Medications should be prescribed by a doctor based on a cytological examination.

Urolithiasis disease

This disease most often develops in older or neutered animals. Rarely, the disease is diagnosed in young pets.

If your cat often runs to pee and his appetite has decreased, measure the animal's body temperature. Elevated levels combined with lethargy, vomiting and dark-colored urine almost certainly indicate the development of urolithiasis. Pathology is caused by:

• unhealthy diet with a predominance of foods that contain purines, calcium, phosphorus, potassium;
• flavored and canned additives from inexpensive industrial feeds;
• infectious lesions;
• excess weight;
• lack of water for drinking;
• predisposition to the disease at the genetic level.

Interesting! If your cat constantly drinks and often tries to pee but cannot, it is better to consult a medical specialist rather than determine the diagnosis yourself. The cause may be malignant neoplasms in the animal's gastrointestinal tract.

Diabetes

This disease is called "fat man's disease." Diabetes most often affects overweight pets. Their body does not cope well with the absorption of glucose, so animals instinctively try to lower its concentration with large quantities of water.

Table 2. Signs and causes of diabetes in cats

When diabetes develops, a cat's breath begins to smell like acetone. If such a symptom appears, it is necessary to urgently show the animal to a doctor.

Cushing's syndrome

This pathology is hormonal and is rarely diagnosed in domestic animals. To prevent possible illness, it is important to carry out preventive examinations on a regular basis.

The disease can be triggered by treating your pet with corticosteroids or a tumor in the adrenal gland or pituitary gland. Hormonal imbalances lead to impaired cortisol production, which gives rise to the development of Cushing's syndrome.

Signs of the disease:

• loss of appetite, rapid weight gain;
• thirst;
• frequent urination;
• development of apathy;
• the appearance of defects on the pet’s skin and fur.

Sometimes Cushing's syndrome develops as a result of diabetes. To establish a diagnosis, special tests are performed, urine and blood tests are performed, and the animal is given x-rays and ultrasounds.

What else can cause polyuria?

On average, an adult cat produces 100–200 ml of urine per day. An aging pet has a weaker sphincter, so it cannot tolerate it all the time. An older cat goes to the toilet more often, and this is normal. At the same time, the amount of urine excreted by animals per day does not change (pollakiuria). In case of rapid progression of urinary incontinence, the animal should be shown to a specialist and treatment should be started.

During puberty, cats mark their territory and leave small portions of urine in different places. The pungent odor of such secretions often causes the animal to be castrated.

Frequent urination in this case is a completely natural need, namely the desire to claim territory. This does not indicate that your pet is sick.

If the owner feeds the pet not with natural products, but with meat pads, he will need a triple volume of liquid. Accordingly, such a cat or kitten urinates often; the processes of removing toxins and waste from its body are much more intense than in animals that eat wet food.

Sometimes the cause of polyuria in a domestic cat is kidney failure. As a rule, this happens to animals older than 8 years.

Signs of the disease:

• paleness of the nasal triangle;
• temperature drop;
• the appearance of wounds in the oral cavity and on the surface of the tongue;
• increased secretion of saliva;
• unusual odor from your pet's mouth;
• tremor of the limbs and nausea may appear.

Important! Most experts consider polyuria not an independent disease, but a symptom that indicates functional malfunctions in the body.

Diagnostics

The development of genitourinary diseases is most typical for adult animals, but if your kitten often walks around in a small way, most likely he is sick. It is necessary to urgently consult a doctor about this.

A healthy animal walks quickly and does not experience discomfort. If your cat begins to visit the toilet frequently, you should watch him.

The following are considered warning signs:

• plaintive meowing during urination;
• lethargy of the pet or unusual restlessness;
• change in the color of urine, the appearance of a pungent odor;
• the cat began to go to the toilet often;
• urine comes out in droplets.

It is difficult for a person who is not familiar with veterinary medicine to determine why his cat cannot go to bed, which is why the pet has become restless and nervous. But only in the case of hot weather can this behavior of the animal be explained by natural causes.

Adult animal

Why does an adult pet defecate anywhere? The most common reasons are hormonal imbalances or poor health.

Retraining an adult cat to walk in the right place is much more difficult than training a kitten to use the litter box. You will have to put things aside for a while and start raising the animal:

• You will need to purchase a new tray for your animal. It should be large, preferably closed. Cats respect privacy and therefore always look for a closed place to go to the toilet. You can also buy a good spray that will repel pets, preventing them from defecating anywhere;
• If the cat begins to mark all the places, repellent type sprays will be a great help. The smells of eucalyptus, citrus, mint or tea help in this regard;
• Some owners believe that cats are scared by the smell of bleach. Chlorine-containing products smell unpleasant, but you can get used to it;
• If you don't have a spray on hand, you can use an air freshener. A warming ointment, “Star” balm, can also help. Use such products rarely, as they can harm the animal.

If you notice that your kind cat has started peeing everywhere, then most likely she is experiencing real stress. The animal may be worried about a lack of communication and love.

Treatment methods

As a rule, the doctor prescribes an ultrasound of the animal’s internal organs. If your cat often sits down to pee and is not thirsty, you will need to have his urine and blood tested. He may be referred for an X-ray examination.

Based on the results obtained, the doctor determines the diagnosis and prescribes individual therapy. Most often, domestic cats are treated with antibiotics, hormonal agents, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Sometimes antispasmodics and painkillers are necessary. Sometimes the only thing that can help your pet is surgery.

If tests show the formation of stones in the animal’s kidneys, the owner may be offered to operate on the cat. Later, the veterinarian prepares a special diet that excludes pathology-causing foods from the diet. During the treatment period, the cat is isolated from other pets.