Cats can develop all sorts of problems with their urinary tract, which can vary from minor to severe. While some conditions should prompt you to visit your local veterinarian in the coming days, others require an immediate visit to an emergency veterinary clinic. A urinary blockage is one condition that fits into the latter category, as it can be fatal if the cat doesn't receive medical care in a short amount of time. There are a number of signs that your cat may be dealing with a urinary blockage. If you notice these things, emergency vet care is necessary.

Frequent Litter Box Visits

Most cats will visit their litter box a few times throughout the day. You likely have a basic idea of how often your cat makes this visit. You might suspect that your cat could have a urinary blockage if they visit their litter box more frequently than usual and you don't see any signs of urine in the litter. A cat that has this condition will chronically feel the need to urinate but be unable to do so. It will often visit the litter box repeatedly with no success, which should alert you to something being wrong.

Unusual Vocal Behavior

Cats that have urinary blockages are experiencing considerable pain, and it's common for a cat with this condition to be vocal. While your cat might meow or make other similar sounds on occasion, the noises that it makes when it has a urinary blockage will have more of an upset and urgent sound. They can be difficult to ignore, and you should take them as a warning sign of something being wrong. For example, you might notice the cat meowing in an upset way when it's trying to urinate in its litter box.

Distressed Behavior

If your cat is suffering from a urinary blockage, you might also notice that it's behaving in a distressed way. For example, it might pace a lot instead of settling down. It might even act a little aggressively, as cats that are in pain can often behave this way. You might also see that your pet is not resting like it usually does throughout the day. Each of these changes in behavior can alert you to something not being right. If you suspect that the cat could have a urinary blockage, find the nearest emergency veterinary clinic and visit with your animal as promptly as possible.

For more information, reach out to a 24-hour emergency veterinarian clinic.