• FLUTD can be very painful for the cats suffering from the conditionthe cat image by Milena Kowalska from Fotolia.com
  
  According to the Feline Advisory Bureau, a cat is diagnosed as having feline lower urinary tract disease, or FLUTD, when she has a number of problems with her urethra and bladder. A cat with FLUTD will find it painful to urinate, may pee a lot and pee in unusual places in and around the home other than the litter box and may present with blood in the urine. Often it is unknown why a cat has developed feline lower urinary tract disease, but there are a few conditions that seem to cause FLUTD.
  
  

Urinary Stones

• Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine sites urinary stones as one cause of FLUTD. Small, hard stones made of calcium oxalate or struvite form in the urinary tract and can be very painful. These types of urinary stones can sometimes be managed by a diet low in magnesium and medications that dissolve the stones, but may also require the cat to have surgery to get rid of the problem.
  
  

Blockage of the Urethra

• Urinary stones as well as urethral plugs formed from a mucous-like protein can create a blockage in the urethra that makes it difficult, if not impossible, for urine to pass through. Male cats tend to get urethral blockages more than females, and all cats with a blocked urethra tend to display the symptoms of feline lower urinary disease.
  
  

Bladder Infections

• While the Feline Advisory Bureau states it is rare for an infection to cause FLUTD, it is not impossible. Occasionally feline lower urinary tract disease can be caused by an infection in the bladder or the urinary tract. This is particularly true with bacterial infections.
  
  

Feline Ideopathic Cystitis

• In a cat in whom urethral blockage, infection, and urinary stones have all been ruled out as causes of FLUTD, the cause is then said to be feline ideopathic cystitis. This cause is used as a diagnosis when there appears to be no reason for FLUTD symptoms. The Feline Advisory Bureau states it is believed there is a connection between the nervous system and the bladder that leads to uncomfortable urinary symptoms. Stress may trigger a nerve response in the bladder that leads to a flooding of certain pain inducing neurotransmitters. This response leads to FLUTD symptoms.