Can I feed my cat sardines if she has a history of UTIs?

In cats with urinary irritation, wet food is preferable to help reduce urine concentration and flush out the bladder. I strongly recommend a urine exam in order to determine exactly what is going on and to guide the most appropriate treatment (infection/inflammation etc). A sample can be collected using special urine collection litter which does not absorb urine. Petco provide a home kit for detecting UTI which can help to monitor such conditions

If your cats have not had any issues with either product then they are probably ok for a treat occasionally for your kitties. The sardines if they contain bones may pose a slight risk as occasionally we can see obstruction or damage to the esophagus or stomach due to bones. If the sardines in tomato sauce have garlic or onion in them, they would not be recommended. Neither food would be recommended as a sole diet however as they wouldn't be a complete and balanced diet for your kitty.

Not necessarily. If Stewart has had a lot of UTIs in the past, I would consider putting him on cosequin for cats. This is a joint supplement but it also increases the mucous in the lining of the bladder acting as a natural anti-inflammatory. I would also consider talking to your vet about a prescription diet that is geared toward decreasing the frequency of UTIs. I really like science diet C/D Stress. I hope this helps!

Stress related (idiopathic type of inflammation) infection and presence of crystals are the most common causes of it. Struvite crystals are very common and usually comes from alkaline urine. Specific diets can be given to acidify urine like s/d by Hill's. I would recommend to have a look at this link to have more informations about FLUTD (feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease): https://www2.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

In mild cases, any wet food may be sufficient to keep the urine suitably dilute to prevent recurrence but i would recommend 6weeks of the specialist urinary wet food to stabilise and maximise recovery. If symptoms recur then i would recommend urinary food only thereafter

Cats normally don't have an infection associated with cystitis (bladder inflammation), so it's definitely possible that she would resolve the inflammation on her own. They actually tend to get cystitis that is related to stress, so it would be good to see if there is something new and potentially stressful in the environment. One big thing I worry about with cystitis is blockage of the urethra (the tube that takes urine from the bladder to the outside world). If you all-of-a-sudden notice that she's not urinating and she is acting abnormally sleepy, then I would definitely advise a visit to the vet to make sure she's not blocked. If she is still urinating, but not as frequent, then it is less of an emergency. However, it is still a good idea to have her evaluated by a veterinarian, because there could be something else going on that you are not aware of.

Regular food is much less effective in preventing recurrent urinary tract issues in cats which are very prone to repeat episodes - it is impossible to say how sensitive he is and without trying you will not know but there is a chance he could relapse on ordinary canned food. Urinary diets tend to be adjusted to maintain urine pH to prevent crystals and are restricted in minerals and use only high quality protein sources to minimise the risk of urinary tract issues as well as providing an important source of fluids compared to dry food. The very best option in affected cats is urinary canned food but in many cases a high quality, commercial canned food is sufficient - if he relapses on this you will have to source the urinary prescription food as a treatment and prevention