How often should a cat urinate in 24 hours? Your cat’s urine is an essential part of their body’s natural function. It can help eliminate toxins and waste, and it can also help maintain a healthy electrolyte balance. Having extra fluid in their bodies can affect their health.
Having a good look at a cat’s urine can tell us a lot about its health. Aside from the color of its urine, it also gives us hints about what’s happening inside its body. One of the most standard questions owners ask is how often a cat should urinate in 24 hours.
The short answer is that twice a day is an average for most cats. However, different factors can affect the production of urine. A sudden change in the frequency of urination can be a sign of an underlying medical condition.
How Often Should Cats Urinate per Day?
According to veterinarians, most healthy adult cats will urinate around twice daily. They have developed to live in dry conditions and do not require as much water as we do.
Although it’s common for cats to urinate twice a day, this is not ideal. All cats have different bodies, and their urine processes differ. Various external factors can affect the frequency of urination.
Aside from these, other factors can affect the frequency of urination. For instance, if your cat regularly urinates four times a day, this doesn’t mean that it’s abnormal.
Although it’s paramount to keep an eye on your cat’s urination frequency, it’s also not always a good idea to worry about how often your pet should urinate. Instead, it’s essential to monitor its health conditions.
Is It Normal for a Cat to Pee Only Once a Day?
No, it’s not normal for a cat to pee only once a day. Cats are known to urinate between 2 and 4 times a day.
Their behavior originates from various factors such as their diet, humidity, and water intake. It’s also important to keep an eye on their habits to ensure they’re doing it right. If their urine output suddenly increases, this could be a symptom of kidney disease or hyperthyroidism.
If your cat is having a hard time urinating, it could be because of crystals in his urethra. This condition usually occurs due to a diet too dry for cats.
To prevent your cat from developing crystals, add high-quality wet food to their diet. It will help decrease the formation of these crystals and keep them from growing. However, it’s essential to consult a veterinarian if your cat is experiencing any issues.
What Factors Can Impact the Frequency of a Cat’s Urination?
If your cat is constantly urinating more than the average, you should not be alarmed. Various factors affect the way your cat urinates.
Water Intake
Your cat’s fluid intake is the most critical factor that affects their urination patterns. You must keep them hydrated throughout the day to prevent them from getting sick.
Cats rely on food for their nourishment. They do not have a thirst drive, and they usually eat wet or canned food instead of dry. It will help keep their moisture levels high.
Age
As your cat gets older, its urination patterns will change. Felines have a faster metabolism and can digest more calories. Also, they urinate more when they are hungry.
Adult cats tend to have a slower metabolism, making them urinate less. It is normal and should not cause you to worry.
Medical Conditions
If your feline has diabetes or a kidney infection, it is customary to urinate more frequently. However, it is also essential to monitor your cat’s behavior and urine to see if it has a medical condition.
When your cat is on medication for a health condition, its urine pattern might change. It could be because the medicine has a side effect involving more urinating. You can also ask your veterinarian about this.
Stress and Anxiety
Stress can also affect your cat’s behavior when it comes to urinating. It can cause it to either urinate more or not at all. A sudden change in the environment can also cause it.
Other factors affecting a cat’s litter business include its behavior and general health. It is not always a given that a cat will constantly urinate more than the average.
What Should I Do if My Cat Is Peeing More Than Usual?
If your cat is urinating more frequently, it might be due to a change in their environment. Cats might start drinking more water if you have recently replaced your feline’s bowls with water fountains.
It is essential to confer with a veterinarian if your cat has any medical conditions affecting its normal urination.
Stress
Cats are compassionate creatures and can get stressed quickly. Although stress does not pass as a medical condition, chronic stress can negatively affect a cat’s health. Aside from being unhappy, stressed cats also need to be looked after.
Cats can exhibit various signs of stress, such as decreased appetite and hiding behaviors. However, many owners don’t realize that stress can affect the frequency of urination. It can cause muscle tension to build up, making it feel like a cat needs to urinate more.
If you have a constantly stressed cat, you’re probably a master at how to get them to pee out of the couch. It is because they tend to do it wherever they want to.
It can also come from the stress levels in your cat’s litter box. To keep the box clean and spacious, make sure it’s the right size and location. Also, if your cat urinates outside the box, use a litter made from wood pulp.
Read also some of picks for litter box: Best Self-Cleaning Litter Box for Large Cats – Top 3 Picks!
Diabetes
Heightened blood sugar levels are understood to cause cats to urinate more frequently. Kidneys try to lower glucose levels in the urine, driving this condition.
Aside from the frequency of urination, your cat’s urine may also change color. It may also smell sweeter due to the high sugar content. Also, diabetic cats lose too much liquid through their urine, leading to dehydration.
High blood sugar levels are also affecting your cat’s appetite. Although it is eating its dinner, the sugars are still sitting in the bloodstream, which means the animal is starving. This condition can lead to weight loss as the cat can’t remove the sugar from its diet.
Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease is a type that gradually loses its function. It affects the kidneys’ ability to remove toxins and concentrate urine. Since the kidneys are not working correctly, your cat will urinate more often than usual.
Cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are often thirsty to compensate for the large amount of urine that they have passed. This condition can also make them passive and cause them to lose appetite. In addition, the lack of nutrients can lead to an unkempt appearance.
Although it’s not a cure, early detection is critical to prevent this condition from spreading. After a diagnosis, your veterinarian can prescribe various treatments that help decrease the number of toxins in your pet’s body.
Should I Worry if My Cat Is Peeing Lesser Than Usual?
If your cat is peeing lesser than usual, do not worry. Cats prone to frequent urination may have other problems that their veterinarian can treat.
There are diverse reasons why your cat is less likely to urinate than it used to be. It could be that you have changed the type of food your cat uses or that you repositioned to a new country with a hotter climate. But these are all factors that change how often your cat urinates.
How Long Can a Cat Safely Go Without Peeing?
A cat can safely go without peeing for 24 hours. Since cats are not allowed to tell their owners when they’re feeling poorly, it’s essential to comprehend when your pet is feeling under the weather.
If your cat doesn’t seem to be as friendly as usual, or he’s sleeping more, it might be time to take him to the veterinarian. He might also be experiencing a severe illness, and if he doesn’t urinate regularly, it could lead to toxic accumulation.
A condition known as cystitis is a disease that affects the bladder and can cause it to become inflamed. It usually ensues due to a bacterial infection or an abnormal urinary pH level.
It’s very unpleasant for a cat to have a condition called cystitis. However, it can also lead to FLUTD, a type of kidney disease that affects felines. If you don’t treat it immediately, it can cause more issues.
If your cat has a suspected case of cystitis, it’s crucial that you immediately go to the veterinarian. If it’s a male cat, he might have a total obstruction, so you need to directly bring him to the vet.
What Should I Do if My Cat Is Not Peeing?
Less than most cats, cats urinate. Not urinating is abnormal and could signify that something is not right with your pet. There are several possible grounds why your cat is having difficulty urinating. One of these could be a blockage in the urinary tract.
Although your cat can’t communicate directly with you, it’s essential to seek immediate veterinary assistance if they are not urinating correctly. This condition could cause a bladder to burst. If left untreated, this issue could lead to serious health problems.
Read also: How Long Can Cats Go Without Litter Box?
Conclusion
How often should a cat urinate in 24 hours? A cat should urinate within 24 hours. However, other cats may fall below that standard. One thing to keep in mind is a cat’s consistency in its urination pattern.
If it has been consistent throughout its life, that is normal, but if it suddenly changes, that is abnormal. A check-up is also essential to ensure that your cat is healthy.
