ForestWind Siberian Cats

Cats are diagnosed with Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) when they have one or more of the typical symptoms of lower urinary tract disease:

• urinating outside of the litter box,
• straining to urinate,
• painful urination,
• producing only small amounts of sometimes discolored urine,
• and/or frequent attempts to urinate

and other potential causes have been ruled out. 55 - 60 % of cats with these symptoms are eventually diagnosed with FIC.

One of the biggest difficulties in treating FIC is that we don’t really know what causes it.  Risk factors are:

• stress and obesity
  
• viral infections,
• immune dysfunction,
• deficient glycosaminoglycan layer protecting the inside of the bladder,
  
• abnormally permeable bladder wall.

Treatment recommendations are all aimed at one or more of these potential causes.

I. Stress Relief and Environmental Enrichment

Research shows cats with FIC tend to have a neurohormone imbalance, making them especially sensitive to environmental stress. So while all cats benefit from environmental enrichment, it is an essential part of treating cats with FIC.

A. How to treat boredom in your cat?

• play with your cat a total of at least 20 minutes a day (can be broken into separate playtimes) ,
• regularly rotate the toys that are available (we suggest having a canister of catnip to bury toys in on rotation. keeping the catnip smell fresh entices kitty to play),
• routinely buy or make new toys,
• keep several different types of scratching posts available (we suggest at least the following: Sisal wrapped tall pole on your climber; a ultimate cat scratcher separate sturdy standing sisal scratcher; and a cardboard scratcher on the floor. Typically we've used the flat refills from the Alpine brand, lately we've added the wavy ones. More expensive but they like to lounge on them!).
  
• place a comfy perch near a window (even better if it is safely protected and you can safely open it).

B. Reduce stress between pets.

• Feed in several locations;
• Offer litter boxes in several locations;
• different climbers and resting spots through out the house,
• try feliway spray and feliway diffuser
• separate them at night so that they know they are "safe" from the other pets and won't be disturbed - this means a closed door.
  

II. Litter Boxes

A. Clean Litter Boxes

• Dirty litter boxes are another common source of stress, so keep them scrupulously clean.

B. Open Litter Boxes.

• Do not use closed boxes. Open litter boxes smell better to your cat and are less cramped than those that are covered.
  

C. Provide multiple litter boxes

• at least one more than the number of cats in the house
• in mutliple locations to spread the waste around and prevent conflicts around elimination sites.
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III. Dietary Changes and Water Consumption

A. Eating wet food helps cats with FIC.

• Increasing the fluid amount in you cats' foods is a simple and effective way to increase a cat’s water consumption.
• Raw feeding or adding chicken stock to food is an easy way to increase your cat's hydration.
  
• Cats that are well-hydrated produce dilute urine, which is less irritating and "washes away" inflammation from the bladder wall.
• Dilute urine is also beneficial if your cat has been diagnosed with urinary crystals or stones.
  

An ideal treatment protocol would completely eliminate a cat’s symptoms for the rest of her life — and this may occur in some cases — but if you and your veterinarian come up with a plan that is not too difficult to follow, and dramatically reduces the intensity and frequency of flare-ups, you’ve made major strides in improving your cat’s quality of life. Hopefully, future research will come up with both a cause and a cure for the frustrating condition that is FIC.