How do you get a urine sample for the vet from your cat? And what if you can't?

Question

What's the easiest way to get a urine sample from your cat to give to the vet? And if you can't do it, does the vet have any method of quickly getting some from the cat, or getting the info he/she needs in some other way?

Answer 1

Try putting your cat in a small room(bathroom) with an EMPTY litterbox,food,water. When your cat goes in the box put the urine in a container and take it to your vet. If you are unable to get a sample your vet can definitely get a sample.

Answer 2

I try several different things.

With Hudson once he's in position he just wizzes and I can stick a small teacup under him to catch it all, as he has his butt hiked up so high that there's clearance to do that with.

For Dax I had to wait, let her get started for two seconds then put a long handled soup ladle under the butt end, otherwise she'd spook and jump out.

Don't make a big deal out of it for the cat, they just want to go to the bathroom without their owner getting all freaky. What the vet recommends is to use a clean litter box, put down a layer of saran wrap on one half, with the ends going up the sides somewhat, then add only 2 cups of litter in the middle. Prop the one end of the box (the side without the saran wrap) up on a book so it's about an inch off the floor at that end and doesn't wobble. When the cat does their business, the fluid will run down to the other end, hopefully OVER the saran wrap, and you can then lift it CAREFULLY!!!! and pour it into a glass container (bowl, bottle, cup, coffee mug).

I use a teacup I got at a rummage sale, and the soup ladle was from the Dollar Store, both are washed so they're clean for the sample. You could also try slipping a saucer under the cat once he's started peeing and hope he doesn't use enough force to have it sploosh out the other end.

Be creative, they prefer a sample you bring in. If they have to try getting one at the vets office, usually cats have very little in their bladder at that point and even a needle injected in for it won't be much help (they go in via the side, it's not the best way to get a sample but it does work.)

I don't prefer the needle injection because one of ours developed an abscess inside from when it was withdrawn, he was in agony for 4 days, as we tried to get it to raise to the surface to burst, but it wouldn't and the vet had to do surgery to clean it out. We did not appreciate the vet bills on that one.

Answer 3

I never did it with my cat but I did with my dog, I just followed him around until he went and I put a small container under the stream, then transferred into an empty pill bottle that the vet gave me, they should be able to get one if you can't but you will probably have to leave him or her at the vets so they can watch to know when to get it. It depends on what they are checking for if there is another way of getting the test done or not.

Answer 4

Personally, that's difficult. Unless you confine the cat in a closed basket with any container that would occupy the whole basket and where the cat has no choice but to pee inside the basket.

But usually the cat would not like this.

Why don't you ask the vet for an advice?

Whenever I consult a vet regarding my dogs, he would just ask me about the behavior of my dogs, or whether they have the appetite to eat. It is important to describe their "waste".

A veteran vet would know what to do.

Answer 5

Well, the idea is to use a clean box, put a little gravel in it, and when the cat pees you're all set.

The problem is, it never works.

Also, the urine really should be sterile.

The vet can feel the cat's bladder to find out when it's full, and then they draw urine out manually- that way it stays sterile.

Answer 6

Hi there :)

When I had to do this with one of my cats I got a medicine syringe from the local chemist the kind you use for children, I was fortunate or not in the fact that that because of the infection he would urinate on a plastic bag or worse my leather sofa so I used the syringe to collect the urine & then deposited it into a sample bottle also provided by my local chemist Mazzy :)

Answer 7

when i did work experience at a veterinarian, and they put the cats to sleep for an operation, they had to empty their bladder by squeezing their stomach, so it would be forced to come out.
I dont think any cat would let you do this when its wide awake tho, and probably not recommended either.
You should ring your vet and ask what is the easiest way, or they probably have a method of doing it.

Answer 8

You could try and not put any liter in the liter box. Or your vet can do it. They will just keep the cat at their office until the cat goes to the bathroom and then they have it.

Answer 9

you can empty the pan and get special beads called no absorb that should do the trick if not vet clnics have may ways to get a sample manual expression directly from the bladder via a needle or a urinary catheter so if your unsuccessful dont worry they have many ways of getting one

Answer 10

i can't even get a poop sample that's good enough for my vet, i'm hopeless with getting a urine sample...good luck...can't they do a blood test? if it's in the urine it's in the blood better, i'd think.