What is FLUTD (feline lower urinary tract disease)?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
FLUTD, feline lower urinary tract disease, is a group of problems of a cat's bladder and urethra. Signs are straining, frequent small wees, crying while urinating, blood in the urine and peeing outside the tray. The most common cause is idiopathic cystitis, often linked to stress. A male cat that cannot pass urine is an emergency.
Also called FLUTD, feline lower urinary tract disease, feline idiopathic cystitis, FIC, blocked cat, urethral obstruction in cats.
Key facts
- Feline idiopathic cystitis is the most common diagnosis in cats with lower urinary tract signs, and stress appears to be a major factor. Cornell Feline Health Center
- Signs are most often seen in middle-aged, overweight cats that get little exercise. Cornell Feline Health Center
- Indoor litter box use, little outdoor access, low water intake and multi-cat homes also raise the risk. Cornell Feline Health Center
- A urethral obstruction is an absolute emergency; male cats are at greater risk than females. Cornell Feline Health Center
- A completely blocked cat can die in less than 24 to 48 hours. Cornell Feline Health Center
When is FLUTD an emergency?
A blocked bladder kills quickly. Watch male cats in particular.
If A cat, especially a male, straining in the tray and passing little or no urine
Go to a 24-hour vet now. Do not wait until morning. Cornell Feline Health Center
If Repeated trips to the tray, crying out, or growing distress
Treat as a possible blockage and get to a vet immediately. Cornell Feline Health Center
If Blood in the urine, or wees in the sink, bath or on the bed
Book a vet visit soon. These are common signs of cystitis. Cornell Feline Health Center
If Licking the genital area much more than usual
Mention it to the vet: it is one of the listed signs. Cornell Feline Health Center
What causes FLUTD?
Signs often have more than one cause, and a vet's urine tests and sometimes X-rays or ultrasound are needed to tell them apart.
- Idiopathic cystitis (FIC)
- Bladder inflammation with no other cause found after testing. The most common diagnosis, and stress appears to be a major trigger. Cornell Feline Health Center
- Bladder stones (uroliths)
- Rock-hard collections of minerals, most often struvite or calcium oxalate, that irritate or block the bladder or urethra. Cornell Feline Health Center
- Urethral plugs
- Soft material made of minerals, cells and mucus-like protein that can block the narrow urethra of a male cat. Cornell Feline Health Center
- Infection
- A bacterial bladder infection; a urine culture tells the vet whether one is present. Cornell Feline Health Center
How can you lower the risk of FLUTD?
Water and calm are the two levers. Cornell's Feline Health Center advises clean, fresh water at all times, small and frequent meals, a consistent diet and feeding routine, and a healthy weight. Wet food, extra water bowls and a fountain are ways to raise a cat's water intake; ask your vet which suit your cat.
Keep litter trays in quiet, safe spots, provide one more tray than the number of cats, and keep them clean. Avoid big changes to routine where you can, and give an indoor cat climbing posts and toys to chase. Never add urinary acidifiers or change to a special diet without your vet's advice.
Why do stress and travel trigger it?
Cornell lists moving house and other major changes of routine among the risk factors, and a change of food can set off a repeat bout of idiopathic cystitis. An owner going away, a new person in the home, a cattery stay, festival noise at Diwali or builders next door can all be enough for a sensitive cat. Keeping the cat in its own home, with its usual food, tray and routine, avoids several of these at once.
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Questions owners ask
How do I know if my cat is blocked?
- A blocked cat strains in the litter tray, goes back again and again, and passes little or no urine. It may cry, lick its genital area and become more and more distressed. Male cats are at greater risk. This is an emergency: a completely blocked cat can die within a day or two, so go to a vet at once.
Why is my cat peeing outside the litter box?
- Urinating outside the tray is one of the listed signs of FLUTD, especially idiopathic cystitis. It can also follow stress, a dirty tray or too few trays for the number of cats. See your vet first to rule out a bladder problem, then look at trays, stress and routine.
Is FLUTD caused by dry food?
- Cornell links low water intake with a higher risk, and dry food adds less water than wet food, but no single food causes FLUTD. Overweight, inactive, indoor cats and stressed cats are most at risk. Ask your vet whether more water, wet food or a special diet suits your cat.
Can FLUTD come back?
- Yes, idiopathic cystitis often recurs, and Cornell notes that changes in food and stress can trigger a repeat bout. Keeping water intake up, routines steady and trays clean lowers the chance. Any return of straining in a male cat should be treated as a possible blockage.
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