UTI in cats??

Question

My cat was recently fixed about a month or so ago.. He was fine for a couple of days, but now I catch him peeing in the most unusal places, and all he does is sleep now.. Im not sure if it's a UTI, or what the deal is.. I currently give him specail kitty dry food from walmart, and I know they had the big recall, but just on the pouch kind for that brand.. Any input would be helpful.. Thanks

Answer 1

He may have a UTI, you need to take him to the vet for a check-up, dry food has a tendency to cause problems because they don't drink enough water to compensate. Cats rarely drink in the wild, they get most of their fluid needs from the meat they eat. Having said that, there are prescription foods available from the vet for this kind of thing. There are different types doing different things so you will need to have him to the vet to check.

It does take time for the testosterone levels to balance out after neutering, however, it would be a bad habit for him to get into. It is spring over there now I believe? This is the season for love and even though he's had them removed, his hormones are still working. There could be other cats on the prowl bothering him. Perhaps you could try confining him to one room until the levels balance out. Cat pee is really hard to remove and even if we can't smell it, he can and will keep going back to the same spots. Don't use bleaches or ammonia based products to clean because both of these chemicals are excreted in urine and your cat will think it's another cat and promptly pee on top of it. Get an enzyme based laundry detergent and use that to clean, it will break down the proteins holding the smells. You can get some very effective enzyme pet urine removers too, but these can be pricey.

Answer 2

That cat food pouch ("Special KItty") from Walmart is on the recall list. Have you seen all the blogs from "Pet Connection" of people's cats developing kidney failure becuase they fed them "Special Kitty" bough from Walmart is the past couple of months? I hate to alarm you, but it is all over the news. And if your cat is peeing everywhere and is sleeping a lot now (lethargy), then I think he is showing some signs of kidney or renal failure. You had best take your cat to the vet and show him also the pouch of "Special Kitty" that you have been feeding your cat. If something does happen to your poor cat, there is a class action suit being put together against Menufoods.

I do hope that your cat will be OK.

Answer 3

I don't know a whole lot about UTI's in cats, but I have heard that males tend to be more prone to them (a nice change of pace from humans where it's we girls who suffer!)

Dry food (kibble) has been known to exacerbate the problem. This is because cats are designed to get water/moisture IN their food, so cats tend not to drink enough to keep them properly hydrated.

And dehydration can (I believe) lead to or worsen urinary issues. A properly hydrated cat's urine is much less concentrated and so they're less likely to develop issues.

I can attest to this personally - in October I switched my two girls to a high quality canned food. Within a week or so, I noticed that their urine had changed odor. It didn't smell like roses, but it wasn't nearly as strong as it had been. Turns out it was just another benefit of feeding canned food!

So my advice to you, whether or not your cat has a UTI, is to convert him to a good canned food. You can choose any or all from the list below - none of these were on the recall list.

As for his problem right now, I can only recommend taking him in for a checkup.

Answer 4

Just one pouch can poison your cat . It can cause kidney failure and death within a short period of time . I would get him to a vet tomorrow for a blood test . If hes been poisoned he needs immediate treatment . If it is a UTI he needs antibiotics right away .Lethergy is one of the major signs associated with the kidney failure .The recall is for the wet food , not the dry but I would not take any chances . Some thing is wrong .Good luck , I hope he recovers .

Answer 5

It sounds just like a UTI and please do not go to the vet yet. You can take care of this yourself by switching to a healthy soft food. To find a store that cares the correct food use www.natura.com and www.canidae.com thay can both lead you to a store near you that can help you with this problem. It is NOT more common in males it can happen to any cat on a poor dry food diet. These natural foods can be the exact price or less expensive than CRAP commercial food. The vet will put your little guy on antibiotics which can stir up different problems in the long run. After the UTI clears up you can give a healthy wet & dry diet very easy.

Answer 6

My cat got very sick about a year ago. He was exhibiting some of those same symptoms. I got to the vet just in time...his bladder had become partially blocked by crystals that form in the urine when the cat eats cheap dry cat food. Not all cats get this though, but it is common. If I hadn't gotten my cat there when I did, he would have likely become fully blocked and then died within 24 hours. Please take your kitty to the vet. The treatment for mine was just a prescription food that costs about $22 dollars for about a month's supply for 2 adult cats. They also gave him some herbal stuff called "Tinkle Tonic" to help with the pain. It was only a few dollars for a bottle.
A very small price to pay for a healthy kitty!

Answer 7

Do not feed your cat dry food! There are high quality and safe canned foods for cats (pouches have never been good).

Go to www.littlebigcat.com and read Dr. Jean Hovfe's articles titled: "Why Cats Need Canned Food", "Urinary Tract Disorders in Cats", "Selecting a Good Commercial Pet Food" and you will learn how to get your cat on the right track and avoid urinary problems.

That's AFTER you have taken him to a vet because right now he is not well and needs medical help.

Answer 8

If you think it is a UTI then you should take him to the vet. If I were you I would put him on a better food. Almost anything is better than Special Kitty. Have you changed litter or moved his box? Sometimes if you do something different like that a cat will start marking his territory.

Answer 9

My cat just got over a UTI. He went in weird places and hid for about 2 days and was licking himself down there a lot. Purina makes food for urinary tract health that he just loves and it's helped out quite a bit. My vet put him on antibiotics for 2 weeks and I HIGHLY suggest buying some Pill Pockets. They're treats that hide the pill in a hole so they won't know they're getting medicine. My cats LOVE them! They even tried chewing up the bag to get to them. It'll save you a lot of scratches and energy should you have to give your kitty some meds. The vet should be able to sell the Pill Pockets to you. Good Luck and I hope he's ok!

Answer 10

UTIs are very common in male cats especially, you would have to get that checked out by your vet though.