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My senior cat strains to urinate and dribbles urine. What's next?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 11 years old | 17 lbs

My 11 year old neutered cat has been straining to urinate for the past few days. I rushed him to the vet when it began. A CBC came back normal and a urinalysis came back normal, we are waiting on the culture. He is not blocked. He is on metronidazole, prazosin, buprenorphine, and subcutaneous fluids. He is eating and drinking. He has passed urine but really struggles in the letterbox and also dribbles urine when laying down.

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 26th, 2017

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! It sounds like Jinx is on appropriate medications to help facilitate urination. I would add an anti-inflammatory to help reduce inflammation in the urinary tract. Also, if x-rays or an abdominal ultrasound have not been performed and he is still exhibiting these symptoms, I would have these additional diagnostics performed as he may have bladder stones or urethral stones. If at any time he is struggling to produce urine, you should have him rechecked sooner rather than later. I hope this helps and that he starts urinating normally soon! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
In cats this type of condition is usually caused by stress rather than by an infection, it causes bladder inflammation which is responsible for the symptoms. the treatment seems very good, you will need to give it a few more days, i would personally also recommend putting him on a prescription urinary food for at least a month.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jennifer Ladd, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on January 26th, 2017
Usually in cats, inappropriate urination has a medical cause, although not always. I would recommend having a urinalysis done. I would be suspicious of urinary crystals or kidney disease. If all of these factors are ruled out than there may be a behavioral component, but I would want to make sure first. Urinary crystals can lead to bladder stones, and require a dissolution diet. Kidney damage can be managed as well.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA
Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer
Published on February 1st, 2018
Poor Coco! I'm sorry to hear that she's having urinary problems. If she does have a UTI, she will need prescription antibiotics from your vet to treat it - so I would recommend taking her in for an exam as soon as you are able to. There are also other problems that can mimic the symptoms of a bladder infection in cats, such as bladder stones or FIC (feline idiopathic cystitis), so your veterinarian will probably need to do a urinalysis to diagnose the problem prior to starting meds.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH
Veterinarian
Published on September 12th, 2017
Hi and thanks for your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

If she hasn't used her litter box in a couple of days she may be urinating elsewhere in the house. Sometimes concurrent Urinary tract infections or bladder inflammation can cause cats to urinate outside of their litter box. It is also possible her kidney function has decreased further which may present with little to no urination.

Unfortunately there are no home remedies for either of these cases. She will need to be on antibiotics, IV fluids, and other medications in a hospital setting.

Make sure she has access to clean fresh running water (cats prefer running water from a faucet). You may add water to her food (if it is dry) to increase water intake to help her urinary tract function. Cat treats with cranberry extract in them may help with a urinary tract infection.

Best of luck to you and Wick!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My senior cat drinks a lot, pees often, and seems to be in pain. Why?

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. With your history and knowing he is drinking and urinating quite a bit, I would be concerned about kidney disease or diabetes. I would recommend having a comprehensive blood panel run on pepper to rule these conditions out. I would also have his urine tested as part of a full workup. Blood work is a good place to start as it will help rule out many possible causes of the symptoms you are seeing. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns. I am also available via consultation if needed.

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Why is my senior cat peeing dark, crystallized urine outside the box?

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach! With your description, I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian and having his urine tested. He may have crystals in his urine with a secondary urinary tract infection. If he does have crystals in his urine, there is a chance he already has stones in his bladder or will develop bladder stones down the road in the near future. With crystals and stones, male cats run the risk of getting a urinary obstruction, which can be life threatening if not treated as it will cause backup of the urine into the kidneys and lead to kidney failure and other systemic abnormalities secondary to the obstruction. I would have this checked sooner rather than later because if you wait until he is obstructed, it can easily cost up to $3000 for treatment. If you take him now, it is the exam fee, urine test and treatments, which come nowhere near $3000. I hope this helps guide you int he right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

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These signs may be compatible with either kidney failure or diabetes as you correctly suspected, but urinary inflammation/infection is possible as well. Urinary incontinence is possible but rarer in cats. A physical examination and urine analysis at least are necessary to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. 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.

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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/

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My cat has chronic constipation and UTIs. Why aren't antibiotics working?

This is very abnormal for a cat this young to have these chronic issues. If your family vet is stumped then it would be best for your kitty to see a specialist. I would recommend asking for a referral to a veterinary internist. Internists have advanced training beyond a family vet and can diagnose and manage more complex cases such as this one. Any blood work performed? This is a crucial first step. Xrays of the spine? Have these UTIs been diagnosed and treated by running urine cultures? With a chronic history this is very important. Has any endocrine testing been performed? There are some congenital/developmental disorders that should be ruled out as well given the history. An abdominal ultrasound is important as well to assess for structural changes to organs. Unfortunately in order to help your kitty she needs more tests. Not all pet illnesses are easy to diagnose and some cases can be complex. It sounds like you are worried about her so i would recommend reaching out to your family vet with your concerns and/or to ask for a referral. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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My cat on UTI meds still straining to pee. Should I go back to vet?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A recheck would be a good idea as cats can often have inflammation of their urinary bladders without an infection or after an infection clears. It would be worrisome if Lolo continues to have issues with urination which would mean she may need long term management with diet and supplements to help reduce the occurrence of such episodes. Hope this helps!

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Cat peeing painfully. Will he get better on his own after vet care?

Poor Kitty Kins. It sounds like he has either lower urinary tract disease, stones or has a partial urinary blockage. None of these conditions improve on their own, but instead require some level of treatment or management. So the treatment they gave him so far is basically they drained his bladder and treated him for an underlying urinary tract infection. However if he is developing a blockage he will need to be catheterized and treated with medications to help keep his urinary sphincter relaxed. You are doing the right thing by feeding him canned food, as this will increase his water intake and help promote a healthy bladder. However if he does become completely blocked (blocked Tom), he will need emergency procedures to free up the blockage and empty his bladder, as they mentioned already. I totally understand not being able to do the procedure the first time around due to cost. Unfortunately this cost is pretty standard for these types of things. Here is more information on urinary blockages in neutered male cats so that you can know what to look out for. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1111 And here are some financial resources that may be able to assist you in the near future: carecredit.com redrover.org If he stops peeing at any moment, then he needs to go back to the vet for emergency procedures to unblock him and provide him immediate relieve. Being blocked for a period of just 6-12 hrs can prove detrimental to your pet. I hope you get things sorted out soon. Take care.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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