If you notice your feline family member has bloody pee (also called "hematuria"), it's likely suffering from feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). According to the Michigan State University, FIC is the ... What is feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC)?

Understanding the Context

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is an older term that describes a set of clinical signs associated with abnormal urination in cats. Some causes of FLUTD are urinary tract infections (UTIs), bladder stones, or bladder crystals. Formerly known as FUS or FLUTD, feline idiopathic cystitis simply means bladder inflammation of unknown cause. It is a set of symptoms that cannot be classified as a disease.

Key Insights

Dr. Brittany Grenus discusses feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) in cats, including symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) is a common condition affecting cats that causes signs of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), such as blood-tinged urine, straining or painful urination, and urinating in abnormal places. Feline idiopathic cystitis is one of the most common urinary issues in cats. It causes bladder inflammation, which can lead to pain for your cat.

Final Thoughts

Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) is the most common diagnosis in cats with LUTS (idiopathic means “of unknown cause”). FIC is a catchall term used to describe cases of LUTS in which all diagnostics fail to confirm the cat has another disease. Feline Idiopathic Cystitis is the most common urinary tract disease in cats. Proper understanding of the condition, along with paying attention to minimising stress in your cat’s life, is the best way of preventing and managing this issue. Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) is a syndrome characterized by inflammation of the urinary bladder in the absence of a known underlying cause. It is the most common cause of lower urinary disease in household cats, and the most common precipitating cause of urethral obstruction in male cats.

This review aims to provide readers with a comprehensive understanding of feline idiopathic cystitis by summarizing and updating studies concerning the prevalence, risk factors, etiological hypotheses, diagnostic procedures, possible treatments, and prognosis of the disease.