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Objectives The aim of the study was to compare a group of cats with feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) with a group of control cats without present or previous signs of lower urinary tract disease in order to identify factors in characteristics, personality, behaviour, environment and daily life that would make them more susceptible to the disease. Methods The study was a matched case-control study comparing results from telephone interviews based on a standardised questionnaire. The questions were organised into six subject groups: the characteristics of the cat; the cat’s environment; the presence of other pets in the household; the cat’s feeding and drinking regime; management of the cat’s litter box; and the cat’s opportunity to perform natural behaviour. Results The results from the present study showed that a cat diagnosed with FIC was more likely to be overweight and to be of a nervous disposition than the control cats. In addition, several differences between cases and controls were detected at a univariable level of analysis, related to outdoor access and the cats’ perceived safety and comfort in their home environments. While not significant after multivariable analysis, these variables may still be of importance owing to potential interrelations. Conclusions and relevance Several significant differences between cats with FIC and control cats were revealed, and the results support the hypothesis of environmental stress as being a potential factor in the development of FIC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives The aims of the study were to estimate Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in pet cats in Norway and to evaluate risk factors for seropositivity. Additionally, serum biochemistry and haematological variables for T gondii seropositive and seronegative cats were compared. Methods A convenience sample of surplus sera submitted to the Central Laboratory, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, was collected. The samples were from healthy cats and cats with a variety of diseases. Analyses for IgG antibodies to T gondii were performed with a commercial direct agglutination test, with 1:40 as the threshold value. For risk factor analysis a logistic regression model of the relationship between predictors and the outcome was applied. Results One hundred and ninety-six of 478 cats were seropositive for T gondii, and the estimated seroprevalence in the study sample was 41.0% (95% confidence interval 36.6–45.4). Compared with domestic cats, pedigree cats had reduced risk for Toxoplasma seropositivity (odds ratio [OR] 0.42). Males had increased risk (OR 1.63) compared with females. The effect of age was highly significant, and an increase in the cats’ age across the interquartile range (IQR; 52–160 months/4–13 years of age) doubled the risk of Toxoplasma seropositivity (OR 2.11). The risk for Toxoplasma seropositivity among cats living in Oslo was significantly reduced (OR 0.51) when compared with the rest of Norway. Conclusions and relevance Pet cats in Norway appear to be commonly exposed to T gondii. Signalment and geographical region influenced the odds of Toxoplasma seropositivity, whereas health status did not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of the occurrence of bacteriuria in adult, healthy cats is scarce in the scientific literature. A study was designed to investigate the occurrence of bacteriuria in healthy cats without current or previous signs of lower urinary tract disease. The study included 108 cats, 53 males (49.5%) and 55 females (50.5%). The cats ranged in age between 7months and 18years, with a mean age of 4.4years and a median age of 4.0years. Urine was obtained by cystocentesis from all the cats, and was submitted for bacteriological analyses. Urine and urine sediment was cultured on separate blood agar plates for quantification and species identification by standard procedures. Detection of ≥103 colony forming units (cfu) per ml urine was defined as significant bacteriuria. Significant bacteriuria exceeding 105 cfu/ml was detected in one sample with a combination of Enterococcus species and Staphylococcus species. There was no bacterial growth in the urine samples from 107 cats (99.1%). Results from our study indicate that the prevalence of bacteriuria in clinically healthy, adult cats is low. Also, that contamination of samples is rare when urine is collected by cystocentesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was made on causes of lower urinary tract disease in cats, and to investigate whether demographic data and factors related to husbandry might influence the occurrence of a particular diagnosis. The study was a prospective, descriptive, and analytical study of primary cases of feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) in Norway. Only cats sampled by cystocentesis were included in the present study. Of the 119 cats included, 28.6% were diagnosed with obstructive FLUTD. The majority of cats were diagnosed with feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) (55.5%). Urethral plugs were the second most common diagnosis (21.0%), whereas bacterial cystitis and urolithiasis each were diagnosed in 11.8%. Nearly one-third (28.6%) of the cats diagnosed with urolithiasis had significant bacteriuria. Thus, significant bacteriuria was diagnosed in a total of 15.1% of the cats. There were no significant differences in the urine specific gravity, pH and amount of epithelial cells in the urine sediment in the different aetiological categories of FLUTD. There was a higher amount of red blood cells in the urine sediment in cats diagnosed with urethral plugs and urolithiasis, whereas cats with bacterial cystitis and urolithiasis had a higher amount of white blood cells in their sediment. Regarding demographic data and factors related to husbandry, cats diagnosed with FLUTD were more often males and kept strictly indoors, when compared with a ‘reference population’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]