Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) encompasses several conditions causing pain, straining to urinate, and blood in urine in cats. Stress is a major trigger in many cases.
FLUTD causes significant pain — urinary straining and bladder inflammation are acutely uncomfortable, and urethral obstruction is a medical emergency causing rapidly escalating distress. FIC in particular demonstrates the intimate link between psychological stress and physical illness in cats: environmental stressors trigger a cascade that causes genuine bladder pain. Welfare-centred management addresses both the acute episode and its precipitating causes: stress reduction, environmental enrichment, and modification of social dynamics in multi-cat households are as therapeutically important as veterinary medication.