Male cat

by Lisa Anderson
(San Clemente, Ca. USA)

My 5 year male cat has been licking himself where he goes to the bathroom a lot, and sometimes he gets in moods where he growls or hisses when you want to pet him, during this time. This mood only lasts for a short period of time. We can't figure if it is when he goes to the bathroom before or after. I have made sure his cat box is always clean. Does it sound like he might have a urinary tract infection?

Answer from Kate
Hi
It does sound like he may be in some discomfort but this could be caused by several things, from constipation
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-constipation.html

Fleas which gather around the rear end or cat worms even
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-worms.html

Or as you say a urinary infection although there are other obvious signs when this is a the case. See this page for more on this

https://www.our-happy-cat.com/cat-urinary-problems.html

My advice would be to have your cat check out by your vet. the growling is a sign of a unhappy cat who is in some distress, so the sooner you can have the problem properly diagnosed the better.

hope he is better soon

best wishes Kate

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