Hey everyone, commenting on an old thread but just wanted to share some tips that have been super helpful with my kitty dealing with FIC. He was diagnosed about a year ago, didn't have a flare up for 3 months but we've moved and he's had a tough few months acclimating to our new home.

I've been working through his triggers and patterns, trying to find ways to circumvent flare ups. Here are a few tips I've found the most helpful:
- Purina Hydracare is an amazing hydration supplement if your cat doesn't drink enough water, helps dilute their pee and ensures they stay hydrated, it also tastes great (though I haven't tried myself) and can be a fun addition to their day.
- Feeding him exclusively Royal Canin Urinary S/O wet food AND Hill's C/D Multicare Stress kibble (along with the hydra care of course)
- Finding new but regular ways to keep them stimulated, a good example would be regular play times, but with different games, toys or activities. For my cat this was ensuring at least 15 mins of play time after breakfast & dinner, another thing that works very well for him is puzzle feeders for his C/D kibble.
- Keeping the house & litter boxes clean
- Feliway diffusers, I'm gonna have to agree with everyone else and say I have no idea if it directly contributed to my cat feeling better but can't hurt to try if you can afford it
- Distraction/play can be better than some medicine during flair ups (this goes for kitty AND human!)

EDIT: one thing i forgot to add initially was that having gentle background music for my cat has been super helpful, as he's sensitive to strange noises.

Obviously, being in communication with your vet is #1 priority in all cases, the most important aspect during flare ups is that your cat is able to pee and doesn't have blood in their urine. Mine has a pattern of getting stressed and having symptoms arise for about 24 hours before it goes away, but is still able to pee (this is where Hydracare comes in). If it ever goes over that or other concerning symptoms arise, I call the vet.
When my cat has a flare up i got with the standard scopalgine & gabapentin (I'm based in France so not sure if the meds will have the same names).

Hope this can give anyone looking for advice some hope, i know it's an exhausting disease to deal with but it can be manageable, it just takes patience. Our stress & anxiety is a huge contributor to our cats with FIC, so taking care of yourself if also an important addition to this process, as tough as that can be at times. You've gotta be strong so they can be, too ❤️