Confusingly, all but the last symptom can be also observed in cats who are suffering from “non-obstructive” feline cystitis where a urethral plug has not in fact yet developed and the cat can still urinate. These non-obstructive episodes usually resolve themselves in a week with good hydration, analgesia and appropriate anti-inflammatory medication. The key difference between the two will be that a blocked cat will not be able to pass urine at all whereas the unobstructed cat will still be able to void, albeit in small, frequent amounts (ie urination is still possible but it presents abnormally). A vet will be able to distinguish between the two by palpating the cat’s bladder to see if it can be emptied without obstruction. Most episodes remain non-obstructive and do not progress to the formation of urethral plugs.