Still straining after a urinary blockage? What to tell your vet

Your cat is home after a blockage, but every trip to the litter tray makes you wonder whether it is happening again. Repeated straining with little or no urine needs immediate veterinary assessment. Contact the treating clinic or an emergency vet now. If you cannot tell whether urine is coming out during the attempts, say so when you call. PDSA: blocked bladder in cats

Straining alone cannot tell you the cause. Some cats have ongoing discomfort after treatment; another blockage is also possible. Recovery is best judged against your cat’s findings and discharge plan, with a clear way to contact the clinic when the pattern changes.

Why might my cat still be straining?

Removing a catheter does not mean every urinary sign immediately disappears. Yet a familiar-looking symptom is not enough to identify what is happening. Failure to pass urine can reflect another obstruction or a bladder that is not contracting properly after being overstretched, among other causes. These need clinical assessment. 2025 iCatCare guideline

An online statement that straining is “normal for a few days” cannot establish that your cat is safe. Nor can a few drops prove normal urine flow. Tell the clinic how the pattern has changed since discharge and what you have actually seen.

What needs another call?

If attempts repeatedly produce little or no urine—or you cannot tell—make contact now. Do not wait for your cat to stop eating, vomit or become weak. If those changes are already present, report them immediately too. Obstruction can be present before a cat looks severely ill. MSPCA-Angell: urethral obstruction

Report renewed pain, blood or a worsening pattern to the treating clinic. Urine colour cannot tell you whether the urethra, the tube carrying urine out of the body, is open. An examination earlier in the day describes that assessment; a later change still matters.

Do not press the abdomen or try to squeeze urine out. Take the discharge sheet and medicine details if readily available, without delaying care to assemble them.

Make the call easier

Start with a short account:

“My cat came home after a urinary blockage on [date]. The catheter was removed [when/unknown]. Since [time], I have seen [attempts and output]. The last urine I am sure came from this cat was [when/unknown]. Today’s medicines were [names and times]. Where should I bring my cat?”

If several cats share trays, say that you cannot identify whose urine is present. “I have not seen urine” is different from “I watched an attempt and nothing came out.” The clinic needs that uncertainty explained; you do not need to settle it before calling.

For ongoing monitoring, use the free visit record or a few notes on your phone. Record observed attempts, output, appearance, appetite, activity, vomiting and medicine times. Write “unknown” rather than guessing. Agree with the clinic how to monitor a cat that shares trays or usually toilets outside.

Does “straining again” mean “blocked again”?

Not necessarily—but it needs assessment. A urinary sign is something you notice, such as straining or blood. Another confirmed obstruction is a clinical outcome. A study counting every return of signs answers a different question from one counting blockages.

Even studies of confirmed obstruction can start their follow-up clocks at different points:

The populations and treatment protocols also differed. These studies show why a single percentage cannot predict your cat’s course or tell you whether today’s signs are safe to watch. Keep the practical question in view: what has changed, and does the clinic need to reassess it?

Make the discharge plan workable

You should know what each part of the plan is trying to achieve. Pain relief, helping a cat pass urine and reducing future episodes are different goals. For each medicine, get the name, prescribed instructions and what to do if a dose is missed, refused or vomited. Explain any difficulty giving it; changing or stopping treatment needs a discussion with the prescriber.

Food deserves the same clarity: what condition is the diet intended to manage, and how will the response be checked? Contact the clinic promptly if your cat is eating poorly or refuses the recommended food. Describe what was actually eaten and any vomiting or discomfort. Food and extra water cannot relieve an existing obstruction.

For the return home, discuss an easy-to-use litter area, access to familiar resources and reintroduction to other pets. Include the practical obstacles—shared food bowls, a cat that hides for tablets, transport or the cost of another visit. A plan is more useful when the team knows what you can carry out.

Keep four answers with your discharge sheet

• What cause was found or remains suspected, and are any results pending?
• Which changes mean call now or return immediately?
• When is the next recheck, and what will it assess?
• Who can help overnight, and where should I go?

Record the answers in the clinic’s own words. If signs return, give the new observations even if the last episode was called FIC—feline idiopathic cystitis—or “crystals.” The next conversation should begin with what is happening now, alongside what was found before. The diagnosis and tests guide can help you make sense of those findings once urgent care is arranged.

Prepared by MSRA Research with AI assistance. Evidence checked 29 October 2026. Independent veterinary review has not been performed.