Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC) | International Cat Care (icatcare.org)

Feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) is a term describing conditions that can affect the urinary bladder and/or urethra (the lower urinary tract) of cats.

Although many different diseases can affect the lower urinary tract, frustratingly, a number of cats develop a disease without any obvious underlying cause – so-called ‘feline idiopathic cystitis‘ or FIC. This form of disease appears to bear many similarities to a disease in humans called ‘interstitial cystitis’, but in both cats and humans, it can be difficult to manage.

FIC is thought to account for around ⅔ of all cases of FLUTD. As these cats exhibit signs of cystitis but have no obvious underlying cause, it is possible that there is more than one (as yet unidentified) underlying condition that causes FIC. However, detailed studies of a number of cats with FIC have shown that they have many similarities to a condition in humans called ‘interstitial cystitis’.