FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease) is not a single illness but a group of problems affecting a cat’s bladder or urethra. The signs are difficulty or pain when urinating, blood in the urine, frequent urination or urinating outside the litter tray and — the most serious of all — straining without producing urine, which is an immediate veterinary emergency.
Key facts:
- What it is: a group of conditions affecting the cat’s bladder and urethra.
- Signs: dysuria, haematuria, frequent urination, urinating outside the tray, over-grooming, irritability.
- Emergency: if the cat strains and cannot pass urine, go to the vet immediately.
- Commonest cause: idiopathic cystitis (60–70% of cases, with no identifiable underlying disease).
- Risk factors: middle age, neutered males, excess weight, inactivity, stress, drinking too little.
FLUTD is one of the commonest problems in cats and one of the leading reasons cats are abandoned — because of inappropriate urination. But that is not a behavioural problem. It is a disease, and it can be treated.
What is FLUTD?
The initials stand for Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Rather than a specific illness, it describes a set of problems affecting the bladder and/or the urethra. The clinical signs rarely reveal which disease lies behind them: there are many possible causes, and in most cases no underlying origin is ever identified.
What are the symptoms of FLUTD?
A cat may show one or several of these:
- Dysuria: difficulty or pain when urinating.
- Pollakiuria: urinating far more often than usual.
- Haematuria: blood in the urine.
- Periuria: urinating outside the litter tray.
- Stranguria: straining repeatedly but producing nothing (urethral blockage).
- Over-grooming: from pain, licking the perineum excessively, causing hair loss there.
- Behavioural change: becoming more aggressive or irritable.
Any sign of FLUTD warrants a veterinary visit. If the cat is straining and producing no urine, it is an immediate emergency: a urethral blockage can be fatal within hours.
Which cats are affected?
Any cat, regardless of age, sex or breed. But some factors raise the risk: being middle-aged, being a neutered male, being overweight, lack of exercise, having other conditions (such as chronic kidney disease) or previous urinary tract surgery, stress, and drinking too little water.
What causes FLUTD?
By far the commonest is idiopathic cystitis: in around 60 to 70% of cats with FLUTD signs, no specific underlying disease can be found. Other causes include urolithiasis (bladder stones, most often struvite and oxalate), urethral plugs (an accumulation of protein, crystals and cells that blocks the flow of urine), anatomical defects, bacterial infections (uncommon in cats, and mostly in seniors) and, in older cats, neoplasia — the commonest bladder tumour being transitional cell carcinoma.
How is it treated?
Treatment depends on the underlying disease. The vet will consider the cat’s history, the physical examination, blood and urine tests and imaging (X-ray, ultrasound) before deciding. It is worth knowing that even with treatment, some cats have recurrent episodes, so the nutritional and environmental management needs to be maintained for the long term.
What can I do at home?
First and foremost, get the cat to drink more water: offer wet food and keep the bowl clean and freshly filled at all times. There are prescription diets for this condition — your vet will decide whether they are appropriate. Divide the daily food into two or three meals. And manage the stress: play with the cat daily and make its home as comfortable as possible, minimising the impact of any change (a house move, conflict with another cat).
How should I manage the litter trays?
This is one of the most important parts of the treatment. Trays should be cleaned frequently so that odours do not build up; placed in a quiet, low-traffic area, away from children and other pets; and follow the 1+1 rule: always one more tray than the number of cats in the house. You must also clean thoroughly anywhere the cat has urinated inappropriately, because the smell will draw it back to the same spot.
Frequently asked questions
What is FLUTD in cats?
A group of problems affecting the bladder and urethra: pain when urinating, blood in the urine, frequent urination or urinating outside the tray.
My cat is straining but not urinating — is that serious?
Yes. It is an immediate emergency: a urethral blockage can be fatal within hours.
Why is my cat urinating outside the litter tray?
It may be periuria caused by FLUTD, not misbehaviour. Have it checked before assuming it is behavioural.
How many litter trays should I have?
The 1+1 rule: one more than the number of cats, in quiet places, cleaned daily.
A urethral blockage means emergency care, catheterisation and sometimes hospitalisation. Petplan España (Petplan Ibérica, S.L.) reimburses 100% of the vet bill up to €3,100 a year, with a €45 excess, at any vet you choose. See the policy terms.
