Why is my cat shaking his tail and struggling to pee in the litter box?

Depending on how short his tail his, he may have some nerve damage to affects his bladder control. It may be something easy such as a bladder infection. Your vet can do a urine sample to see if there is an infection and exam his reflexes and tail to determine if that is the problem.

I would recommend having Paws examined by a vet. Sometimes cats will start to feel sluggish and uncomfortable in the litter box if they have a UTI, bladder stones, some inflammatory conditions, or constipation. Since you aren't seeing much in the box, it is hard to determine which is the case, but a vet should be able to figure it out on physical exam.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Penguin! His symptoms are strange and possibly indicate pain. My biggest concern would be if he is having trouble urinating. Check his litter box and see if there is urine present. If there is no urine (and that is unusual) or if there are small drips of urine then I would take him to the Vet. If he gets up follow him to see what he does. Check the house for vomit and be sure he is eating. Any excessive grooming of his penis may also indicate a urinary problem. I hope this helps and keep up posted!

From what I can see in the photo, it appears to be a scratch under the eye and by the mouth. If he was recently put outside, he may have injured himself. They appear to be only minor scratches, but you should make sure they don't appear to be getting worse or developing any swelling or drainage, as these are signs of infection. As for taking longer to urinate, this is more concerning to me. One potential cause is a condition called FLUTD (or feline lower urinary tract disease). For reasons that we do not fully understand, cats can get inflammation in the urinary tract that can lead to swelling and even complete blockage. This is an emergency, because the bladder can rupture. Often these cats are placed on special diets to help control the symptoms. I recommend having him checked by a veterinarian to see if a special diet may help Alex. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I would definitely recommend having Tamtam evaluated by a veterinarian. At his age there could be a congenital abnormality (abnormal anatomy that he was born with) that could be hindering him from being able to urinate/defecate normally. Intestinal parasites can also cause straining to defecate which could be presenting as straining to urinate as well, so it would also be beneficial to perform a fecal float on a sample to look for common parasites. I hope Tamtam feels better soon.

Poor guy. He likely has a urinary tract infection or cystitis (inflamed bladder usually due to stress). I would recommend taking him to your vet for a urine test to determine which is present so that he is treated appropriately. As long as he is otherwise acting normal and able to urinate at will, then it isn't considered an emergency at this point. Getting him seen on Monday or the day after should be ok. It is likely he will be prescribed antibiotics and/or a prescription diet to treat this successfully. I hope that Milo gets better soon. Best wishes and take care.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Is vito producing urine when he gets in the litter box, or is he straining and very little urine comes out? Male cats can develop a urinary obstruction, which is an emergency condition that needs to be evaluated right away, as it can be fatal. Otherwise, cats can develop bladder crystals, a urinary tract infection, or cystitis (an inflammation of the bladder). If there is a chance Vito has a urinary obstruction, I would have him seen immediately. Good luck!