How will I know if my cat can’t pee?

[Ihopeyourehappy]

No signs whatsoever, my cat was just chilling in bed beside me and I got up and shouted him down as he sleeps downstairs. I was talking to my partner in the dining room and cat went into the litter tray in the cupboard, got into what I thought was position to toilet but he just got back out again after like 3 seconds. I’m worrying now that he isn’t able to pee?? Would he have tried for longer than that? Strained? DP says he probably just sat down and got back up again but I don’t see why he would do that? He got out and went straight into the kitchen to eat some food. I stayed downstairs for a bit to see if he got back in but he hasn’t been back to the tray and is sat at the window in his favourite spot looking outside. Do I need to worry or am I looking too much into it?

You’re overthinking. If he couldn’t pee he would be in pain, meowing a lot or obviously out of sorts.

My boy couldn’t wee last year and he made it very clear that he wasn’t having a good time. He sat in the tray about six times in 20 minutes without success and was yowling, hissing and trying to hide behind a cupboard, uncontrollably dribbling wee. He bit and scratched me when I picked him up, which isn’t like him. Emergency vet trip at 1am for a catheter and strong painkillers and (touch wood) he’s been fine ever since.

It is usually quite obvious that there is a problem when it happens, thankfully!

Multiple miserable trips to the litter tray with a very miserable stressed cat. Possibly preceded by multiple trips to pass the world's smallest wee, or weeing very small, sometimes blood stained, wees in inappropriate places.

That ^^

i am currently in the middle of cat cystitis hell and it is very obvious. They will be in and out the tray or sitting/lying in it
mine can go up to 100 times a day or so when he flares up

Thanks so much everyone! I am a panicker when it comes to my cats lol

Much better that way than the other!