Cat owner’s warning after spending $5K on an avoidable and shocking vet bill

If you own a cat, there is a two-in-five chance they will contract a potentially deadly infection throughout their lifetime. 

Two years ago, I became the owner of two adorable senior cats, Leo and Smudge. One of them recently contracted a urinary tract infection (UTI). 

While humans battle UTIs regularly without many complications, the same cannot be said for our four-legged friends.

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A cat UTI occurs when a bacterial infection forms in the bladder or urethra. If left untreated, a UTI can lead to a bladder blockage, kidney failure and even death.

Unfortunately, many cats don’t show signs of having this life-threatening issue, meaning the infection often goes undetected.

Please let my experience be a cautionary tale to all cat owners. Ensure your pets are insured, and keep an eye out for UTIs. 

It was a regular Friday evening when I went to feed my cats and noticed Leo wasn’t interested in his food or, more terrifyingly, being petted.  

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He’s usually overwhelmingly affectionate, so the short interaction raised alarm bells.

Still, as he is a long-haired cat, and it happened to be 38 degrees, I decided to see how he was in the morning after cooling down. 

Unfortunately, the little man did not improve. I woke on Saturday morning to find him hiding under a table, so lethargic his tongue was hanging from his mouth. 

Panic ensued, and I whisked him off to the vet. Within 15 minutes of finding him, we were sitting in the waiting room of an emergency veterinary office. 

It didn’t take long for Leo to receive a diagnosis – an acute bladder blockage as a result of a UTI. 

I was heartbroken; my poor cat would have endured days of being unable to relieve himself with no way of communicating with me, as cats are incredibly adept at hiding pain.

Reeling from the news, I was then hit with another blow. A $4,890 blow, to be specific.

Unsurprisingly, unblocking a cat’s bladder is no simple task, meaning Leo wasn’t leaving the vet anytime soon. 

After farewelling my beloved pet, who was miserably hooked up to IV fluid, I was told there was a chance he would not survive the surgery. 

As I silently cursed every fellow cat owner with a healthy pet at home, the vets also informed me that once a cat’s bladder blocks, there is a significantly high chance of reblocking. 

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Leo spent a total of three days at the vet, undergoing surgery and only being released once he was able to pass urine on his own. 

We weren’t out of the woods yet. Armed with 10, yes, 10 pages of information on how to care for him, we journeyed home. 

Together, we would endure a weeks-long course of medication, which was made near-impossible when, at first, Leo refused to eat his food with his pill in it. 

If you’ve ever attempted to wrangle a pill into the mouth of a disgruntled cat, I can only compare it to the unprecedented levels of chaos that would accompany a wrestling match with Edward Scissorhands. 

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Thankfully, Leo’s appetite soon returned to normal so he could take his pill and he made it through the hairy post-operative period where he was most at risk of reblocking. 

Here’s the snag; it will probably happen again.

While I dread the thought of Leo (and my bank account) enduring that pain once more, I now know the signs to look out for. 

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The first thing I did was stock up on Smart Box Litter, which uses colour-changing technology to help owners detect UTIs in their cats early.

After a quick scare and a second dash to the vet, I spent much of my time monitoring Leo’s urine output, a task I have affectionately named ‘piss patrol’. 

My cats, previously owned by my grandmother, now have a sparkling new insurance policy and both enjoy an expensive diet of urinary-friendly food. 

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If you own a cat and notice they are frequently urinating and only passing small amounts, showing signs of strain or discomfort while using a litter box or are in distress, do not take these signs lightly.

I now know that in the weeks leading up to Leo’s frantic vet trip, he showed clear signs of a UTI. 

I noticed on two occasions that he had used the bathroom outside of his litterbox, a discovery I’ll be the first to admit I brushed off as an inconvenience. 

Side note: If your cat’s toileting habits suddenly change, I recommend a visit to your vet to rule out medical conditions such as a UTI. 

Leo was also drinking more water, another symptom I put down to Sydney’s sweltering temperatures. 

Paying attention to these signs can save a cat’s life. And while I will always feel guilty for not realising the UTI sooner, had I left Leo for even a few more hours, chances are he wouldn’t have made it. 

If you’ve ever needed a sign to consider researching cat UTIs and taking out pet health insurance, consider this it.

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