What this means
When a cat strains to urinate it often crouches in the box for a long time, strains, leaves and comes back again, and sometimes leaves only a drop or nothing at all. This is often mistaken for constipation, but it should not be: until a vet has checked, there is no way to know that the cat is not unable to pass urine.
The greatest danger is that the urinary tract can be completely blocked. This is especially serious in a male cat, whose urethra is narrow, but a female can be affected too. Urine that cannot leave builds up, the cat weakens fast, starts vomiting and hiding, and can be in danger of dying within hours. So any straining to urinate, a male cat's above all, is a reason to go to a vet straight away, even at night or at a weekend.
Watch whether the cat really passed urine after straining, and whether any clumps appeared in the litter. Cats hide pain, so quietness, hiding or going off food is just as important. Do not wait, and do not first try to sort the problem out at home.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your cat.
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A blocked urinary tract
Grit, a small stone or another plug can block the narrow urethra so that urine cannot leave. This is life-threatening, male cats above all.
About the condition: Urethral blockage -
Bladder stones
Stones in the bladder irritate its lining and make urinating painful. A stone can slip into the urethra and block it.
About the condition: Bladder stones -
Inflammation or irritation of the bladder
An inflamed bladder makes a cat go to the box often and strain even though little urine comes. A vet has to find the reason.
About the condition: Cystitis and FLUTD -
Narrowing or another obstruction of the urinary tract
Sometimes an obstruction or a change in the urinary tract disturbs the flow of urine, and only a vet can see it through tests.
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Pain from another cause
Pain in the belly or lower back can also make a cat crouch and strain. Only an examination can tell the difference.
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Constipation
A cat can strain over stools as well, but telling that from a urinary problem at home is hard. Until a vet has checked, it should not be assumed to be only that.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- Whether the cat passed urine after straining, and how many clumps appeared
- Whether it keeps going back to the box, and how many times an hour
- Whether it cries out, hides or does not want to be touched
- Whether it licks its genital area a lot
- Whether the urine is pink or bloody
- Whether it is eating and not vomiting
When to book a routine visit
Any straining to urinate needs a vet the same day, and if little or no urine comes, go straight away, at any hour of the day or night.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Bladder stones Kidneys and urinary tract Hard, stone-like lumps of minerals that form in the bladder. They rub against its lining and make passing urine painful, and a stone or grit that slips into the urethra can block it completely, which is an emergency.
- Cystitis and FLUTD Kidneys and urinary tract Inflammation of the bladder, which makes passing urine painful and sends the cat back to the litter box again and again. In cats it does not only come from stones or infection: sometimes no clear cause is found, and the signs flare up after stress.
- Urethral blockage Kidneys and urinary tract A condition in which the urethra, the narrow tube that carries urine out of the bladder, is blocked by a plug or a small stone, and the cat can no longer pass urine. It is an emergency that can threaten life within hours.
Body systems: Kidneys and urinary tract