My cat won't eat, is lethargic and there was blood in her urine

Earlier this afternoon we found spots of blood all over the house and took my cat to the vet. The vet tested her urine and diagnosed her with idiopathic cystitis (no infection, no crystals etc.). He gave her some fluids subcutaneously so she would pee. When we took her to the vet, she was behaving normally.

After bringing her home in the early evening, she started behaving strangely. She has been lethargic and has only peed a little. She also refuses to eat. This is really abnormal for her because she LIVES to eat. We even tried giving her some tuna (her absolute favorite) and she turned it down. The vet said she would be fine, but she was not behaving this way when we took her to the vet earlier today.

I'm wondering if we should take her ASAP to the 24 hour pet hospital (which  generally does not provide the best care) or wait it out until morning. I'm worried she could take a turn for the worst overnight. Am I being overanxious?

Gosh, tough call. While it is more rare in females, a complete blockage is possible and can be fatal in less than 24 hours. The blood is usually a sign of bladder inflammation, and inflammation alone is enough to cause a blockage. Since she is peeing some, she's not blocked yet, but it does sound like she's in pain. I would take her in and see if they can give her something to make her more comfortable.

Thanks a lot for your advice, Vball. I think I will wait a few more hours to see if she pees. If she doesn't, then I will take her to the animal hospital.

Good luck, tepywepy. Hopefully she's well again soon. 

Did they send home any meds for your cat?  Cystitis is EXTREMELY painful.  http://catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth#Cystitis  talks about it.  Your kitty should be on pain meds and anti-inflammatories at the least.  I agree keep an eye on her if she doesn't pee more take her to the ER.  My cat DeeJay has idiopathic cystitis.  I have her on an all canned food diet as well as Cosequin.  Glucosamine helps with inflammation in the bladder. 

Thanks for the link!  The vet did not give her any pain or anti-inflammation meds. I'll know to ask for pain meds in the future if this ever happens again.

On the upside, we placed her in her litter box and she peed quite a bit. She initially did not want to be picked up or placed into the litter box but I think that voiding her bladder made her feel better. She's now sleeping in a much more normal position. We are quite relieved, to say the least.

Did your vet take the cat's temp? Sometimes a high temp can make cats lethargic. Mine had a temp of 104.5 when he had a UTI - one just like yours - no crystals or sign of infection. Hope your girl gets better soon.. Oh, and you can do your cat a big fav if she's on dry food and that's to give her wet food instead.  Much better to flush everything out.

 The vet did not comment on her body temperature. I definitely agree that wet food is much better, and we feed her a homemade diet. The vet mentioned that the only consistent treatment for cystitis was increased water consumption. I'm happy to say that she ate this morning, not with her usual gusto, but at least she finished her breakfast. She seems to be doing progressively better.

I am glad to hear that she is feeling better. Many vibes for her and hugs for you.

Thanks so much for you advice super helpful advice cats site folks! Her and I truly appreciate it.

Super news! Glad to hear it :-)

So glad she's getting better. Thank you for keeping us updated.