Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

    rewards header
    Become a member today!
    Members-only pricing and offers, personalized care notifications, Vital Care points back on every purchase and more!
    Already a member? Sign in
    Petco Pay LogoBecome a credit card member today!

    Earn 2X Pals Rewards points at Petco
    when you use Petco Pay!

    APPLY NOW
    Learn More About Petco Pay Benefits

My cat has bloody urine, no UTI. Is it FLUTD, FIC, or idiopathic?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | 10 years and 9 months old | 18 lbs

11 y/o indoor female cat has blood in urine with ammonia smell. No visible pain. No crying. Does lick excessively. Treated for UTIs, no change. X-rayed for stones, negative. Now on canned diet with extra water. Doctor indicated that it may be ideopathic. Can this be FLUTD? What is the best course of treatment?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

Published on February 2nd, 2018

I'm so sorry that you are dealing with this with Fred. Since there is blood in her urine, I would first continue to look for medical causes of blood in the urine if she doesn't have a history of urinary tract problems. Here is more information on FLUTD.
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&C=&A=611&SourceID=
From that handout, in older cats (over 10 years old), here is the distribution of why they have FLUTD...
50% will have true urinary tract infections.
10% will have bladder stones.
17% will have a combination of infection and bladder stone.
7% will have urethral blockage.
3% will have urinary tract cancer.
5% will not have a cause that can be determined despite extensive testing.
66% will be in some stage of kidney failure.
5% will have urinary incontinence.
So, my first recommendation if there is still blood in Fred's urine is to have your vet run a urine culture. That requires the urine to be sent to the lab to see if they can grow any bacteria from the urine. This is sometimes needed if the bacteria does not respond as expected to antibiotics. If that is negative, then I would recommend an abdominal ultrasound to evaluate the kidneys and bladder for any abnormalities (including stones that don't show up on x-rays). I would not consider blood in the urine to be idiopathic until I have done all that testing. Then, I would consider treating Fred for Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC).
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&C=&A=612&SourceID=
Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Fred feels better soon. Thanks for using PetCoach.
Vote Icon1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on January 12th, 2017

    Poor Grace! Unfortunately, I'm afraid that there are really no home remedies that are likely to help with this problem - she really does need a vet visit as soon as you are able to take her. Common causes of bloody urine in cats include FIC (feline idiopathic cystitis), bladder stones, or occasionally bacterial UTIs. Your vet can do a urinalysis to help diagnose the problem and will prescribe appropriate medication to treat her depending on what is found.

    Vote Icon

    2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on April 15th, 2018

    Hi there! I'm sorry that Baby is having this problem. Unfortunately, I'm afraid this can't be treated at home - you will need to take Baby to the vet for an exam. Bloody urine and peeing in strange places can be caused by a number of different things in cats. The most common possibilities are FIC (feline idiopathic cystitis), bladder stones, or a bacterial UTI. All of these problems will require veterinary care to treat effectively, so I would recommend taking Baby in for an exam as soon as you are able to.

    Vote Icon

    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Food & Nutrition
My cat has FIC and pees blood outside the litter box. What helps?
This is a frustrating disease to deal with. You can try to add Feliway diffusers or plugs in to help with stress in her environment and add more litter boxes. Some times you have to change the type of litter or litter box because some have a preference. They always make fountains to recycle their water to encourage more water intake. There are several different types of urinary food to help with infections, sediment and crystals, and stress that may help. I would monitor her a urinalysis frequently to make sure there is no infection or sudden changes.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
Why is my cat still having bloody urine and litter box issues?
Poor Calliope! It sounds as though she has been through quite a bit recently. As a female cat, it would be highly unusual for her to develop a urinary tract obstruction, whereas it would be more expected in a male cat showing similar signs. As I'm sure you're aware, common causes of blood in the urine in female cats include urinary tract infection and bladder stones. In Calliope's case, a UTI has been ruled out and the chance of having bladder stones is quite low. However, there are a few types of bladder stones that are not visible on x-rays, but these are uncommon. At this point, it may be worth discussing an ultrasound of her bladder with your vet, as the types of bladder stones not typically visible on x-ray can often be seen on ultrasound. Since she is dragging her hind end, it also may be worth asking her vet to check her anal glands to see if these are causing additional irritation. A consultation with a specialist in veterinary internal medicine could also be considered. I hope this helps and that all goes well!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My senior cat has red mucus in litter box after UTI. What's wrong?
Thanks for visiting Petcoach. Poor kitty. I have to agree here, that if there is still gross blood in the urine, then additional testing is needed. I would highly recommend starting with a radiograph to check for urinary stones. However, a more inclusive test that is more cost effective, would be to do an ultrasound. Yes an ultrasound is more expensive than a radiograph, but if you still dont find an answer with the radiograph, an ultrasound would be needed. The ultrasound can not only tell us if there are urinary bladder stones, but it can look at the urinary bladder in 2D to determine if there are any structural abnormalities or growths inside the bladder. It is the best way to go here, especially after trying to treat this medically twice now. To help with finances though, I would suggest trying out for CareCredit. This is a line of credit for your pet that you can pay off slowly and oftentimes with no interest for up to 18 months. Best of luck with your pet Hobo moving forward. Take care Link to CareCredit--> https://www.carecredit.com/
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
Why is my cat peeing blood? What causes it? Is special food forever?
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Felix. Blood in the urine can be the result of bladder stones or crystals in the urine, an infection, bladder cancer, a bleeding disorder or a condition known as idiopathic cystitis. This last condition is an inflammation in the bladder with no known cause. It is thought that stress can make it worse. Typically bloodwork, a urinalysis and x-rays will be done to determine which of these conditions may be the cause. Depending on why he has the blood in his urine, he may need to eat the diet longterm. He should eat it exclusively for it to be effective. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My cat has recurring UTIs, blood in urine, but tests are normal.
Hi, and thanks for your question. These signs might be compatible with a urinary tract infection/inflammation. Stress related (idiopathic type of inflammation) infection and presence of crystals are the most common causes of it. I think an ultrasound is needed as more sensitive than the x rays to diagnose more sinister causes like tumors and certain type of urinary stones that may be not detectable with the x rays. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Cat peeing blood & accidents. Vet says stress, but is it FLUTD?
Your vet is right, this could very well be stress induced. It does seem that your vet has done the necessary screening tests to rule out some other common causes of symptoms like this. I don't know what your pets test results are specifically; however the only other test that could be ran be absolutely sure of the diagnosis, is an abdominal ultrasound. Salem may be suffering from a condition called Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), which causes blood in the stool and inappropriate urination in response to stress. This condition is typically managed with a diet change (Rx diet Urinary C/D multicare stress is my favorite to use in these cases) and sometimes anti-anxiety medication is needed. Here are some websites that also talk about environmental enrichment things you can implement in the home to de-stress your cat: indoorpet.osu.edu, jacksongalaxy.com Here is another website link that discusses FLUTD more in detail to inform you about this condition. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=611 And again, if you feel that your pet is not improving with the diet change and other recommendations OR you want to make absolutely sure this is the proper diagnosis, then I would recommend getting that second opinion or requesting an abdominal ultrasound be done on Salem in the near future.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My cat is peeing blood, straining, and scooting. Is it a UTI?
Blood in the urine can be due to a few different problems. If it is red-colored urine and Lily has been urinating more frequently lately, then it is most likely a bladder infection/inflammation, but could also be a kidney infection. If it appears like fresh blood at the end of the urine stream, then this could indicate a problem with the vagina, cervix, or could be coming from the rectum. Either way, it's best that you take Lily to a veterinarian for treatment soon. If she is going to the litter box and nothing is coming out within the last 24 hours, then this is an emergency and I recommend you take her to the vet immediately. They will be able to locate where the problem is and provide the most appropriate treatment. Either way, Lily will need a professional to diagnose this problem and to provide the most effective treatment. Without good treatment, she can have life-threatening complications. I hope that helps and Lily gets better soon.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Related Searches

Cat Urinary Tract & Kidney MedicationCat SuppliesUTI Cat FoodCat FoodCat Urinary CareDiuretics for CatsWet Cat FoodHeart & Blood Pressure Medicine for CatsPain Meds & Arthritis Relief for CatsCat Health & WellnessElectrolytes for CatsCat First AidCat MedicineCat Insulin & Diabetes MedicationCat AntibioticsVeterinary Diet Cat FoodUTI & Kidney Supplements for DogsCat Urine CleanersAntifungal Medication for CatsCat Vitamins & Supplements
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Share

Styled arrow button