Treating Feline Idiopathic Interstitial Cystitis
Using Multimodal Environmental Modification to Treat FLUTD in Cats
Aug 23, 2009
Indoor housing and stress have been linked to many problems in cats, including behavioral problems, inappropriate urination and urine marking, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, dental disease, obesity, separation anxiety disorders and urolithiasis (crystal or stone formation within the urine). Feline idiopathic interstitial cystitis is a urinary tract disorder in cats which also has been linked to indoor housing and increased stress levels.
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis and Feline Interstitial Cystitis Defined
Feline idiopathic cystitis is defined by pathological inflammatory changes which occur within the bladder and urethra of affected cats for which the cause is unknown. A portion of cats suffering from idiopathic cystitis exhibit changes within the bladder known as interstitial cystitis and these cats have been found to be particularly susceptible to stressful situations. In these cats, physiological changes in adrenocortical function consistent with a stress response have been documented, along with changes in behavior attributable to stress, such as a decrease in the overall activity level and an increase in hiding activity. It is thought that increased sensitivity to stress may be genetic in origin, thereby causing some cats to be genetically predisposed to developing feline interstitial cystitis.
Types of Stress Which Contribute to Feline Interstitial Cystitis
Determining what type of environment might become stressful for any given cat can be difficult to predict and stressors can vary considerably from one cat to another. Some situations which may become stressful for cats include:
- being housed indoors, which may lead to monotony and predictability within the cat's environment, causing boredom
- multi-cat households, where inter-cat aggression can become stressful
- changes in household routines, such as new members in the family, loss of a family member, addition of new pets, loss of existing pets, changes in work or school schedules for family members, changes in environment such as redecorating or renovating a part of the home
- visualizing other pets or wildlife outdoors through windows or doors
Symptoms Associated with Feline Interstitial Cystitis
Symptoms associated with feline interstitial cystitis are those common to most cases of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). These symptoms include:
- pain while urinating
- bloody urine
- urinating in inappropriate locations (i.e. outside the litter box)
- frequent attempts to urinate, often producing only very small quantities of urine with each attempt
Multimodal Environmental Modification (MEMO) to Treat Feline Idiopathic Interstitial Cystitis
Multimodal environmental modification (MEMO) is accomplished by making changes within the cat's environment which are designed to decrease the likelihood of the cat experiencing stress. MEMO includes making changes in the cat's physical environment and diet as well as instituting changes in the way the cat interacts with family members and other pets within the household. The Indoor Cat Initiative is an online resource created to help provide information for cat owners about enriching the lives of indoor cats through the use of multimodal environmental modification.
Multimodal environmental modification has been demonstrated to be effective in treating cats with interstitial cystitis, leading to improvement or resolution of clinical symptoms in many cases. Multimodal environment modification can be used solely or in conjunction with pharmaceutical therapy for cats suffering from interstitial cystitis.
Feline interstitial cystitis is often idiopathic in nature, but has been linked to an increased stress response due to environmental conditions. Producing symptoms of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), interstitial cystitis in cats may respond favorably to multimodal environmental modification (MEMO) which is designed to lower the stress response levels of the affected cat.
Source:
Clinical evaluation of multimodal environmental modification (MEMO) in the management of cats with idiopathic cystitis, CA Tony Buffington et al, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, February, 2006, p. 261-268.
Stress May Cause Feline Interstitial Cystitis
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Treat Feline Interstitial Cystitis with MEMO
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MEMO Decreases Stress/Treats FLUTD
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Feline Interstitial Cystitis is a Form of FLUTD
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Feline Idiopathic Cystitis may be Interstitial
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