Prevention of Feline Urinary Tract Infection

Most cats will develop a urinary tract infection at least once in their lives. The good news is that a urinary tract infection is not a serious risk to the cat's health in most instances, as long as the condition is treated soon after it starts. However, prevention is always better than a cure, and there are several steps cat guardians can take to prevent UTIs in felines.

  1. Water

    • The most important measure in preventing urinary tract infections in cats is to ensure the cat drinks lots of water. Water is important because the more the cat drinks, the more the cat will urinate. The more the cat urinates, the faster any infection-causing bacteria will be flushed from urethra--the tube that carries urine from the body. The best method to encourage your cat to drink more is to offer water in several different ways. Many cats prefer to drink running water, and setting up a small electric water fountain will often encourage cats to drink more. Offer water in a long, shallow bowl as well as a deep bowl. You'll soon be able to determine which watering system you cat most prefers.

    Litter Box

    • Keeping litter boxes accessible and clean is important in preventing UTIs in cats. Again, this is because a cat is likely to urinate more often if the litter box is an attractive place to visit. Many cats will hold their bladders if the litter box is dirty or if they have to pass by children, dogs or other cats to access it. Scoop the box at least a couple of times each day, and ensure your litter box is set up in a private, quiet location. However, the litter box needs to be in an area the cat can get to quickly and easily. If you have multiple cats, ensure you have enough litter boxes. The general rule is that you should have as many litter boxes as you do cats, plus one. This means, for example, that if you have three cats, you should have four litter boxes.

    Food

    • Because dry kibble has a low moisture content, feeding dry kibble alone may lead to urinary tract infections in cats. You might consider offering your cat moist, canned or homemade meals with higher moisture content--at least once per day. Another option is to serve dry kibble, but moisten it with water or chicken broth. It's also a good idea to feed cats a few small meals throughout the day, rather than one large meal once a day. Free-feeding, having food available at all times, is generally discouraged because many cats become obese with this feeding method. An obese cat is more likely to develop a urinary tract infection, along with other health issues.