This is Beans he is 5 and has had similar issues to these for years but finally got a diagnosis. I took him to his vet for a checkup after an ER visit, they did blood and urinalysis and xrays. Everything was completely normal sans a few small crystals in the urine which she said was normal in very concentrated pee which she said his was.

They said it is Idiopathic Cystitis and said to bring him back in a few weeks to retest to be safe (which I will).

I am just concerned because tonight, again he is having the same symptoms I took him in for. Straining to pee and trying to pee outside of the litter box. I gave him gabapentin and I am waiting for it to kick in.

He was also literally fine not even 10 minutes before this started. We were having normal before bed playtime, he was running and jumping like nothing was wrong. Then he used the litter box and started licking and then all of this started.

I am wondering if maybe he could be irritating his penis by licking so much? Causing him to lick more which makes is worse these causes the feeling of needing to urinate? When he gets like this I put a cone on him to prevent further irritation but idek if that is the issue.

Thanks in advance any advice is welcome!