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What can I do to prevent my cat from getting urinary problems?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

What are the best ways to reduce the risk of urinary issues in cats?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Christie Long, DVM

Answered By Christie Long, DVM

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on March 9th, 2018

Urinary issues are quite common in cats. Different issues can include urinary tract infections, crystals in the urine, bladder stones, feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) that is often related to stress, among many other conditions. As with most health-related issues, prevention is the name of the game. Offer your cat ample quantities of water to assure that they are drinking appropriate volumes. Some cats prefer running water sources, so a water fountain designed for cats may be helpful. Water can also be mixed in with canned foods or added to dry food. Monitoring your cat at home for changes is another critical step. Always be sure that your cat is using the litter box appropriately by urinating normal volumes several times per day and is not straining excessively in the box. Too much or too little urine volume can indicate changes that warrant veterinary attention, as can straining to urinate, vocalizing while urinating, or blood in the urine.

If a cat has been previously diagnosed with bladder stones or crystals, your veterinarian may recommend a prescription diet to regulate the pH of the urine and mineral content of the diet to prevent the recurrence of these issues. Cats with previously diagnosed FLUTD may also benefit from calming pheromone collars or diffusers to keep their stress levels at bay.
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Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Britni Miller, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 13th, 2017

    Good question and thank you for considering adopting this kitty. I'm guessing what they mean he has is feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD). This is a condition that seems to be brought on by stress and is typically characterized by frequent blood in the urine, straining to urinate, producing small amounts of urine, and urinating outside the litter box.

    Treatment is usually prescription food (especially canned to dilute their urine) and certain medications (anti-anxiety meds, pain meds, anti-spasmodics). Some cats can be managed well with diet and only need medications when they are stressed or having a flare up, while others need medication all the time. It all depends on the cat.

    I would find out more about his history and what treatment they are using and call your veterinarian to discuss, or post further questions on the forum, or you can request a consultation.

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    2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Debi Matlack

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on November 8th, 2020

    Some cats are very sensitive to change and stress and can develop urinary issues because of it. There are also calming food and treats that you may consider trying, Hills and Royal Canin both offer excellent diets for this. He may need time to settle in, he may need further medications to ensure his UTI is cleared, it may have recurred because of the stress of travel, he may have a condition called Feline idiopathic cystitis. This is cystitis or an inflamed bladder which has an unexplained medical cause. It is a common condition and is not normally a serious health concern, but can be very uncomfortable for your cat. FIC is more common in younger felines and episodes tend to resolve as they get older. FIC is different from a bladder infection, bladder stones or more serious urinary tract conditions, but can often present the same symptoms. I recommend getting him back in to see your vet and discuss these possibilities with them.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Food & Nutrition
My cat had a UTI. What diet and care prevent future infections?
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.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Training & Behavior
My cat has urine crystals and stress. How to treat his urinary issues?
Poor Dylan! I would recommend you keep him on a canned prescription diet for urinary crystals. Your veterinarian can recommend one that should work. I usually recommend rechecking the urine after at least 2 weeks of this diet to make sure the crystals are no longer present and the diet is working. You also can try environmental enrichment to see if that helps with his stress level. For example, you can use shelves to make space so he can perch up high away from the other cats and have his space. I would also make sure you have multiple litter boxes and they are cleaned regularly. We want to encourage him to use the litter box often and not hold his urine. Feliway is a product you can purchase either through your vet or at a pet store that sometimes helps with stress. It is a synthetic cat pheromone that is sometimes effective to help with stress and urinary issues with cats. It will not impact the crystals, but hopefully help calm him and make him more relaxed and use the litter box more readily. Some vets also will add in glucosamine to the cats diet. It won't hurt and could possibly help with his cystitis. Some cats needs other medications, like anti-depressants, if they are still having problems. Hopefully a few changes will improve Dylan's overall situation. Good luck!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
What else can I do for my cat's bladder crystals and urinary issues?
Sounds like you all are doing quite a bit already. If you feel that pain is not well controlled the addition of something like buprenorphine may be beneficial. Also, there is a surgical procedure that is commonly performed on cats that get urinary blockages. Essentially the urinary tract is changed from a male to a female shape, thereby widening the urethra and making it much less likely to allow for obstruction in the future. Whether or not your vet is comfortable performing this procedure is another thing altogether. I know many vets that can perform it perfectly well while I know others that have never had to perform it a single time. It is a delicate procedure because the urethra of the cat is so small so finding a doctor that is comfortable with it is of utmost importance. If your cat is not a repeat offender or has not yet blocked completely, surgical change may not be the best option at this time. Continue following the directions of the doctor and be patient with waiting for dissolution. You can also consider lithotripsy to break apart stones if there are any instead of bladder surgery. Hope this helps.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Is cranberry juice safe for cats with a history of urine crystals?
Cranberry juice doesn't work very well for cats with urinary issues. Depending on the type of crystals present, it could actually make it worse. The best thing you can do for them is increase their water consumption. This can be done by adding water to their food, feeding canned cat food, and adding a pet fountain (cats usually prefer to drink from a running water source). This article talks about a similar problem in cats, but has great advice on how to improve bladder health (like decreasing stress): http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=612
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My male cat had a urinary blockage. How can I prevent it again?
The two main things to prevent the formation of a blockage in a male cat are prescription urinary diet, a supplement called Cystophan and generally reduce any stress factors that might affect your cat.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Health & Wellness
My cat had a UTI. What's the best food to prevent future issues?
Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Taffy is predisposed to urinary problems / crystals, I would recommend considering a prescription diet such as Hills C/D or Royal Canin Urinary SO. I would also consider a cranberry supplement such as Paxon, which can be found online quite easily. Increasing water intake is also key. A recirculating water fountain and feeding a canned diet can help with this. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be happy to help you further!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
How to help a cat with recurring urine crystals and painful urination?
I'm sorry to hear that Sammy is having this problem! Recurrent urinary crystals (along with urethral blockages, causing difficulty urinating) can be very frustrating to deal with in many cats. There are some things that can be done to help manage this problem medically, such as putting Sammy on a prescription urinary diet and feeding a canned food only diet to help increase his water intake. If he has had a urinary obstruction more than once before in the past, you could also consider a surgical procedure called a perineal urethrostomy - essentially, this opens up the narrow urethra at the tip of the penis and gives him a larger opening to urinate through, which should prevent future blockages from occurring. I would recommend discussing these options with your veterinarian to see what would be the best course of action for Sammy at this time.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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