Cat Losing Bladder or Bowel Control: Causes and Urgency

By Dr. Zubair Khalid, DVM, MS, PhD · 2026-10-03

Cat losing bladder control means urine or stool leaks out without your cat's awareness or intent. It is different from a cat who deliberately urinates outside the litter box, and it is different from straining to pee. Some causes are simple and treatable, such as a urinary tract infection or severe constipation, while others point to nerve or spinal damage that needs urgent care. This article is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary diagnosis or treatment.

Quick Answer

• True incontinence (leaking without control) is a medical sign, not a behavior problem, and it always deserves a veterinary visit.
• A urinary tract infection, bladder inflammation, or severe constipation can cause leaking and is often treatable.
• Nerve or spinal problems can cause a cat losing control of bowels and bladder at the same time, and these need same-day care.
• If your cat cannot pass urine at all, or cries and strains with nothing coming out, treat it as an emergency right now.
• Do not give human medications, and do not wait to see if it resolves on its own.

What Incontinence Looks Like and What Is Normal

Normal litter box behavior means your cat chooses a spot, postures, and passes urine or stool with control. A cat with incontinence leaks urine or stool while resting, walking, or sleeping. You may find wet patches on bedding, urine scalding on the back legs, or stool stuck to the fur. Some cats dribble small amounts constantly, while others empty part of the bladder and leak the rest.

The urinary system includes the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder, and the urethra, and it manages waste removal, water and electrolyte balance, blood pressure, red blood cell production, and vitamin D processing [1]. When any part of that chain or the nerves controlling it goes wrong, control can be lost.

Two patterns matter. First, a cat who leaks but still passes normal urine in the box. Second, a cat who strains, produces little or no urine, and becomes distressed. The second pattern can mean a urethral obstruction, which is an absolute emergency requiring immediate veterinary treatment [2].

Main Causes of a Cat Losing Bladder Control

Feline lower urinary tract disease (often called LUTD or LUTS) includes abnormalities in the structure and function of the bladder and urethra, and surveys suggest it is the number one reason cats visit veterinary practices [2]. In cats, these problems often have more than one cause and may be brought on by infections, inflammation, diet, and behavioral issues [2].

Urinary Tract Infections and Bladder Inflammation

These are among the most treatable causes. A cat with a bladder infection may urinate often, in small amounts, and may leak between trips to the box. Bladder inflammation (cystitis) is painful and can cause the same signs. Because feline lower urinary tract signs can have many causes, the origin can be difficult to diagnose, and your veterinarian will likely start with a physical examination and a urinalysis [2]. If the cause is not found on urinalysis, your vet may recommend blood work, x-rays, abdominal ultrasound, or a urine culture [2]. If your cat is straining and you are not sure whether urine is passing, see Cat Straining to Urinate: Emergency or Wait and See?.

Constipation and Bowel Control

A cat losing bowel control often has a backup of hard stool. When the colon is packed, liquid stool can seep around the blockage and leak out without control. This looks like diarrhea but is really overflow. Straining to poop with no result, or producing small hard pellets, points to constipation. For a closer look at that pattern, read Cat Straining to Poop: Constipation or Something Worse?.

Nerve and Spinal Problems

When the nerves that carry signals between the bladder, bowel, and brain are damaged, a cat can lose control of both urine and stool. A published case described a young cat with chronic progressive weakness in the back legs and urinary incontinence, characterized by leaking small amounts of urine and incomplete bladder emptying, caused by a spinal defect confirmed on imaging [3]. Signs like wobbling, dragging the back feet, or a floppy tail alongside leaking point to a neurologic cause. Your veterinarian may want to perform a neurologic examination when a cat has trouble urinating [4].

Structural and Congenital Causes

Some cats are born with urinary tract abnormalities that cause lifelong leaking. One report described a cat with a duplicated right kidney and an ectopic ureter (a tube that bypassed the bladder and joined the urethra), and the incontinence resolved after surgery [5]. Another described a 5-month-old cat with continuous urinary incontinence and intermittent blood in the urine caused by an abnormal urogenital structure, and continence was maintained for 741 days after a surgical repair [6]. A third report described a 10-month-old cat with incontinence and recurrent bacterial cystitis since 2 months of age, diagnosed with genitourinary dysplasia, whose continence improved markedly after surgery [7].

Postsurgical and Post-Trauma Causes

Cats who have had urethral surgery or trauma can leak urine afterward. One case described an 8-year-old cat with a 7-year history of urinary incontinence and severe urine scalding after a prepubic urethrostomy performed for urinary trauma, and an implanted occluder device improved and controlled the incontinence, significantly enhancing quality of life [8]. If your cat had urinary surgery and is leaking, that is a reason to call your veterinarian promptly.

Red Flags That Make It an Emergency

Go to a veterinarian immediately if you see any of these:

• Your cat is straining to urinate with little or no urine coming out, or is crying and restless. A urethral obstruction is an absolute emergency requiring immediate veterinary treatment [2].
• Your cat has not urinated in many hours, or the bladder feels large and firm.
• Your cat is vomiting, drooling, collapsing, or breathing fast alongside urinary signs.
• Your cat suddenly cannot use the back legs, drags them, or has lost tail control with leaking.
• There is heavy bleeding, a swollen painful belly, or a suspected trauma such as a fall or being hit by a car.
• Your cat is leaking urine and the skin on the legs or belly looks red, raw, or burned from urine scalding.

If your cat is straining but you are unsure how serious it is, Cat Straining to Pee: Emergency or Urgent? walks through the decision. For a cat who is straining in the box without passing urine, Cat Straining To Pee covers the behavior and medical overlap.

Safe Things You Can Do at Home While Waiting

You cannot fix incontinence at home, but you can keep your cat comfortable and protect their skin until the appointment.

• Confine your cat to an easy-to-clean area with soft, absorbent bedding you can change often.
• Check the skin on the belly, inner thighs, and back legs for redness or odor. Gently rinse with warm water and pat dry.
• Keep fresh water available at all times unless your veterinarian has told you otherwise.
• Do not give human pain relievers, antibiotics, or any medication without veterinary direction. Many common human drugs are toxic to cats.
• Do not withhold food unless your veterinarian instructs you to.
• Note the times your cat urinates and defecates, how much, and what it looks like. Bring these notes to the visit.
• If your cat is straining with no urine produced, skip the home care and go to the veterinarian now.

What Your Veterinarian Will Check and Test

Your veterinarian will start with a full history. Expect questions about how much your cat drinks, how often they urinate, how much urine they produce, how the urine looks, and how your cat behaves [4]. They will also ask about medications, appetite and diet, weight changes, and previous illnesses or injuries [4].

During the physical examination, your veterinarian will feel your cat's kidneys and bladder, examine the genitalia, and sometimes the rectum [4]. If your cat has trouble urinating, your veterinarian may also perform a neurologic examination [4].

Testing may include blood tests, blood pressure measurement, urinalysis, other urine tests, x-rays, contrast x-rays that use a special dye to outline the urinary tract, ultrasonography, biopsies, and cystoscopy, which uses a tube with a small camera to see inside the urethra and urinary tract [4]. A urine culture helps identify infection. Imaging helps find stones, blockages, and structural problems.

Treatment depends on the cause. Infections are treated with antibiotics chosen by your veterinarian. Constipation is managed with diet, fluids, and medications your veterinarian selects. Nerve and spinal problems may need imaging and referral. Some structural causes can be corrected surgically, as in the cases of ectopic ureter, genitourinary dysplasia, and abnormal urogenital structure described above [5][7][6]. For cats who leak after urethral surgery, an implanted occluder device has been used successfully to control incontinence and improve quality of life [8].

Prevention and Monitoring

You cannot prevent every cause, but you can lower risk and catch problems early.

• Keep your cat at a healthy weight and encourage water intake with wet food or a water fountain.
• Keep the litter box clean and in a quiet, easy-to-reach spot. Cats with painful urinary conditions may avoid a dirty or hard-to-reach box.
• Watch for early signs such as more trips to the box, smaller urine clumps, licking the genital area, or straining.
• Schedule routine veterinary visits so urine and blood tests can catch problems before they become severe.
• If your cat has a known spinal or neurologic condition, ask your veterinarian how often to recheck bladder function.
• Track bowel habits. A cat who has not passed stool in more than a day or two, or who strains without result, needs a call to your veterinarian.

Limitations and When to Contact a Veterinarian

This article cannot tell you what is causing your cat's incontinence. Only a veterinarian who examines your cat can do that. Individual cases need a veterinarian, and the timing matters.

Contact your veterinarian the same day if your cat is leaking urine or stool but still passes some urine, has a history of urinary problems, is licking the genital area, has blood in the urine, or has not passed stool in a day or two.

Go to an emergency clinic now if your cat is straining with little or no urine, crying in the box, vomiting, collapsing, dragging the back legs, or has lost control of bladder and bowels suddenly after a fall or injury.

Call for a routine visit if the leaking has been mild and gradual, your cat is eating and drinking normally, and there are no signs of pain or distress. Even then, do not delay for weeks. Early diagnosis makes many of these conditions easier to manage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is my cat losing bladder control a behavior problem?

No, true incontinence is a medical sign, not a behavior problem. A cat who leaks without awareness is not being spiteful or lazy. Causes range from infection and constipation to nerve and spinal disease, so a veterinary exam is the right first step.

Can constipation cause a cat to lose bowel control?

Yes, severe constipation can cause stool to leak without control. When hard stool packs the colon, liquid stool seeps around it and leaks out. This looks like diarrhea but is actually overflow, and it needs veterinary treatment.

Will incontinence in my cat go away on its own?

Some causes, such as a mild infection or constipation, improve with treatment, but they rarely resolve without it. Nerve, spinal, and structural causes generally do not go away on their own. Waiting risks worsening pain, skin damage, and a blocked bladder.

Should I wait to see if my cat's leaking stops?

No, do not wait if your cat is straining, crying, or producing little urine. Those signs can mean a urethral obstruction, which is an absolute emergency requiring immediate veterinary treatment [2]. Even mild leaking deserves a call to your veterinarian.

Can a cat live comfortably with incontinence?

Yes, many cats live comfortably with the right management. Treatment may include medication, diet changes, surgery, or assistive devices. One report described a cat whose incontinence was controlled with an implanted occluder device, significantly enhancing quality of life [8]. Your veterinarian can help you build a plan that protects your cat's skin and comfort.

Related Articles

• Cat Straining to Urinate: Emergency or Wait and See?
• Cat Straining To Pee
• Cat Straining to Pee: Emergency or Urgent?
• Cat Straining to Poop: Constipation or Something Worse?
• Cat Coughing and Gagging: Causes and Urgency
• Cat Straining to Pee: Is It an Emergency?
• Incontinence in Cats: Causes and When to See a Vet
• Cat Pooping Uncontrollably: Causes and What to Do
• Cat Not Peeing or Pooping: When It's an Emergency

References

1. The Urinary System of Cats - Cat Owners. Merck Veterinary Manual.
2. Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
3. Case Report: Surgical management of a meningomyelocele in a cat. Frontiers in veterinary science, 2026.
4. Detecting Disorders of the Kidneys and Urinary Tract of Cats - Cat Owners. Merck Veterinary Manual.
5. Right duplex kidney associated with ectopic ureter in an incontinent cat. The Journal of small animal practice, 2025.
6. A feline case of suspected partial persistent urogenital sinus successfully managed by urethral plication alone. JFMS open reports, 2026.
7. Combined cystourethroplasty and urethral sphincter occluder placement for treatment of urinary incontinence in a cat with genitourinary dysplasia. The Journal of small animal practice, 2024.
8. Use of a hydraulic occluder to control urinary incontinence in a cat after prepubic urethrostomy for post-trauma urethral injury. JFMS open reports, 2025.

Further Reading

• Merck Veterinary Manual: Cat Owners
• Cornell Feline Health Center: Health Information
• American Veterinary Medical Association: Pet Care