sudden frequency of urination in cats

Cats may experience sudden frequency of urination with little urine output due to insufficient water intake, urinary system diseases, estrus period, and weather or mood factors. Insufficient water intake leads to the inability of the cat's body to generate urine; urinary tract infections, cystitis, urethral calculi and other urinary system diseases damage the urinary system, resulting in abnormal urination such as frequent urination and little urine; during the estrus period, cats will suddenly urinate frequently to leave smells to attract the opposite sex; finally, cold weather or bad mood easily causes the formation of magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals in the cat's bladder, resulting in frequent urination and little urine.

1. Insufficient water intake

In daily life, many cats have the bad habit of not liking to drink water. If the food they eat is particularly dry, the cat's body can only generate a small amount of urine, resulting in frequent urination but only a little urine.

To solve this problem, owners need to put more effort into it. They can feed cats wet food, frozen food that has been soaked, and other high-water-content foods. They can also add a little probiotic or goat milk to the cat's water to attract them to drink more. In addition, there are some uniquely designed drinking devices on the market that owners can try out for their cats.

1. Urinary system diseases

Urinary system diseases are also an important cause of sudden frequency of urination but little urine output in cats, such as urethritis, urethral calculi, and idiopathic cystitis.

When a cat's urethra and bladder become infected, they will have an inflammatory response, resulting in symptoms such as frequent urination, purulent urine, and bacteriuria. Antibiotic treatment containing amoxicillin and clavulanate is required. Idiopathic cystitis usually occurs after severe stress in cats, so owners should try not to suddenly take their cats to unfamiliar places to avoid causing stress to the cat.

Additionally, if a cat has urethral calculi, it will cause urinary pain, hematuria, and other symptoms in the early stage. Severe cases may lead to urethral obstruction, also known as urinary retention, which results in frequent urination but little urine output. This situation is more common in male cats because their urethras are longer and narrower, making them more susceptible to calcification. Treatmentwise, if the calculi are few, diuretic drugs can be used to promote urination. However, if the calculi are numerous, surgery is required to remove them.

1. Estrus period

During the estrus period, male cats will also experience frequent urination, random urination, and having urination posture without urine output. This behavior is mainly to leave smells everywhere and attract female cats, which is a normal phenomenon, so owners don't need to worry too much.

1. Weather or mood factors

When the weather is cold, if the owner does not properly prepare for the cat's warmth, the cat's bladder is more prone to forming magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals, which can clog the cat's urethra. Some cats may also exhibit similar symptoms when they are in a bad mood. If these crystals form in the cat's bladder, it will also lead to frequent urination but little urine output.