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• Method 1 of 2: Prevent urinary tract infections in cats
• Method 2 of 2: Observing and treating urinary tract infections in cats
• Warnings

Have you noticed that your cat has pain or discomfort when urinating? Your cat can suffer from one of many urinary tract problems, including urinary tract infections, bladder infections, cystitis, bladder stones, bladder stones and bladder cancer. From the outside, these problems are similar, but they have different causes and treatments. Fortunately, there are simple things you can do to reduce the chances of your cat developing any of these problems.

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Method 1 of 2: Prevent urinary tract infections in cats

1. Keep your cat at a healthy weight. Overweight cats often have more problems than normal weight cats. Use the Body Condition Scoring system to determine if your cat is at a healthy weight. These schedules indicate on a scale of 1 to 9 whether your cat is overweight, underweight, or at the ideal weight. This scale considers the following:
   • How easily you can feel the ribs
   • How clear the waist and tummy fold are
   • How much excess fat is under the skin
   • How much muscle mass is present
2. Give your cat canned cat food. Canned food for cats most closely resembles the natural diet (rodents, birds) of cats and has more protein and moisture than dry kibble. If your cat is addicted to dry kibble, consider adding small amounts of canned food gradually and see if you can switch your cat to plain or almost canned food. If canned food just isn't going to work for your cat, try offering small amounts of cooked beef or chicken meat in the form of muscle meat or organ meat to tempt them.
   • Do not supplement a commercial diet with drugs that promote urinary acidity. Too much of something good can cause an imbalance, leading to new problems. Talk to your vet before giving your cat urine medication.
3. Make sure your cat always has fresh, clean water. Water is crucial for a happy urinary tract. Keeping the urine at the correct pH will help prevent crystals and stones from forming in the urine. The crystals are flushed out of the bladder through a balanced diet with plenty of water. This prevents urinary problems.
   • Some cats will drink more water when it is flowing, so offering a cat water fountain can help them drink more water than if it were just in a bowl. If your cat uses a bowl, make sure you clean it regularly.
   • Provide several places where your cat can drink. If you have more than one cat, dominance over bowls and water bowls is sometimes a problem.
4. Provide enough litter boxes for your cat or cats. The rule is to have 1 more litter box than the number of cats in your house, if that is practicable. So if you have two cats, you must have three litter boxes. If your cat eats canned food, she will likely drink more water and urinate more often. You will then need larger litter boxes and you may need to clean more often.
   • Check litter boxes regularly and get rid of debris as soon as you see it. Wash out the litter boxes with soap and water every time you replace the filling.
5. Minimize stress for your cat. Some cats are just more nervous and agitated than other, calmer cats. Anxiety seems to play a role in urinary tract problems in cats, so try to keep changes in your cat's routine to a minimum. Try to feed her at the same time every day. Be aware that a change in the weather or a move to a new home can create a problem with a cat's urinary tract.

Method 2 of 2: Observing and treating urinary tract infections in cats

1. Watch for symptoms of urinary tract infections in cats. Observe your cat and remember if you see any of the following symptoms:
   • Straining to urinate
   • Crying or making other noises while urinating
   • Only urinate small amounts of urine at a time, or not at all
   • Go to the litter box often
   • Blood in the urine
   • Urinating outside the litter box
   • Changes in the amount of water consumed, often an increase
   • Licking the genitals
2. Know when to take your cat to the vet. Take your cat to the vet immediately if you see blood in the cat's urine, or if the cat is unable to urinate at all.
   • Male cats are more likely to be blocked by grit from crystals or stones in their urethra, usually caused by inflammation. This will eventually result in painful kidney failure and possibly death. Take your cat to the vet as soon as you notice these urinary problems.
3. Understand the tests your vet can perform. When you take your cat to the vet to diagnose the urinary tract problem, she will run tests to determine the exact problem and how to treat it. These tests can include:
   • A urinalysis to determine the pH concentration and the presence of bacteria or crystals
   • A urine culture to determine if there is an infection, what bacteria are present, and which antibiotics will kill those bacteria
   • Blood tests to assess kidney health
   • X-ray to see if there are stones in the bladder and the size and shape of the bladder and kidneys
   • An ultrasound to check for tumors in the bladder and assess the bladder wall (lining the kidneys and ureters)
4. Realize that your cat may need to be hospitalized. Admission can help ensure that your cat gets the care and treatment she needs. This may include an intravenous catheter to give fluids to the cat, placing a bladder catheter in the urethra to help clear a blockage, or antibiotics to treat a urinary tract infection. Most likely, your cat will need to stay in the veterinary clinic for a few days.
   • Male cats that have had complete or partial urinary blockage are likely to develop problems again. If so, then you really need to follow your vet's advice and stick to a good diet, housekeeping regimen and regular medical care.

Warnings

• If you expect the urinary tract to be completely blocked, see the vet immediately. Without a bladder catheter to relieve the blockage, or other treatment such as surgery, death can occur within 24 to 48 hours. A cat's urethra can become blocked with mucus, crystals and / or stones.