Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) causes significant pain and distress, with idiopathic cystitis being the most common cause and stress management a key treatment approach.
FLUTD causes significant suffering through bladder pain, straining, and frequent urination. FIC in particular causes extreme discomfort - the inflamed bladder is exquisitely sensitive, and cats may visit the litter box repeatedly, straining painfully and sometimes crying out. The stress-mediated nature of FIC means that stressful home environments create a cycle of anxiety, cystitis, more anxiety, and more cystitis. Urethral obstruction in male cats is a genuine welfare emergency - the blocked cat experiences increasing pain and, without treatment, complete kidney failure. Appropriate pain management for FIC is now recognized as essential but remains underutilized.