Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a common and painful condition in domestic cats, encompassing cystitis, bladder stones, urethral obstruction, and idiopathic inflammation that significantly impacts welfare.
FLUTD causes significant acute and chronic pain in affected cats. Pain assessment is complicated by cats' tendency to hide discomfort, meaning many cases are not recognised until severe. Idiopathic cystitis episodes may be self-limiting in uncomplicated cases but cause days of pain and distress. Urethral obstruction is acutely life-threatening and extremely painful, with bladder distension causing severe discomfort within hours. Recurrent FLUTD profoundly affects quality of life, and the stress-pain cycle can become self-perpetuating. Management must address both physical treatment and environmental modification to reduce psychological stressors, with multimodal analgesia provided for acute episodes.