My cat is straining, leaking liquid, and seems to be in pain. What's wrong?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Mamacat most likely has cystitis. It is usually related to bacterial infection of the bladder but it may be due to bladder crystals or stress. Please, take her to your local vets for an appointment, as most likely she will need a course of antibiotics to get better.

We do not normally see bleeding when cats are in heat like we do in dogs. You can read more about the feline estrus cycle at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952101 . If you are seeing liquid from the anus, I would be concerned she could have diarrhea or her anal sacs could be full, in which case I would recommend a veterinary exam. Best of luck to you and Runiyah.

Hello, and thanks for your question. Poor Boo! It sounds like Boo probably has a urinary tract infection. She should be seen by your vet, where they will examine her and evaluate a sample of her urine to look for evidence of infection. They will set her up with antibiotics if indicated to treat the infection. I also see she is unspayed. Frequent attempts to urinate can also be a symptom of a life threatening uterine infection ("pyometra"), or very rarely a urethral obstruction (though this is much more common in male cats, and quite rare in females). If Boo gets sicker overnight she may need to be taken to the emergency vet. However, these possibilities would be much less likely than a urinary tract infection. I hope this helps and she feels better soon!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Cash'mir! Can you repost with specifics on what she is doing? I am thinking that she may be in heat? 6 months is about average for a cats first heat. The cat can cry and kind of army crawl around. They also stick their hind end in the air and when you tap their lower back they cry and stick up their hind end. If this isn't what she is doing please repost with specifics. I hope this helps!

If Callie is a young cat and isn't spayed, she may be in heat - if so, it's normal for her to be meowing constantly, rolling around, and posturing with her rear end in the air. If her behavior is caused by being in heat, spaying will resolve the problem. If she's an older kitty or if she is already spayed, then I would be concerned that she may have a urinary problem of some kind such as FIC (feline idiopathic cystitis), bladder stones, or a urinary tract infection. In that case, I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam and urinalysis. Your veterinarian can get her started on appropriate treatment for the problem depending on what is found.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The most common fluid leaked from the anus is anal gland fluid. It can leak out when the glands are full or if something scares the cat, they can express them. The anal glands normally are expressed during defecation. I would have the anal glands checked by your Vet. If he is starting to spray around the house I would have him neutered. I hope this helps and I wish you the best!

Unfortunately this could be related to her heat cycle (hormones), a bladder infection or a behavioral issue. Since she can’t talk and tell you what’s going on, I recommend to have her checked by the veterinarian for a bladder infection. You may also discuss having her spayed which will eliminate that factor as well. If the veterinarian suspect this is behavioral, there are many things you can do to help encourage her to use a litter box. Just post again. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.