Straining in the box, urinating frequently, crying while peeing – these are signs of urinary pain, NOT bladder infections. Nearly all such events in young cats are nutritional in origin. No gender incidence difference exists. Bladder infections in young cats are actually quite rare.

Most urinary tract disease in young cats results directly from what they are fed.

Dry cat foods lack much-needed moisture.  Cats will not drink enough to make up for that lack.  As a result, a dry-fed cat (without other disease) will have very concentrated urine.

Plant ingredients in cat food create an unnatural, alkaline urine.

Normal, healthy cat urine is both acidic and relatively dilute. Cats eating prey (or fed a meat-based, prey-mimicking diet) derive plenty of water from their food. Meat diets create an acidic urine. 

When dry, plant-based foods create concentrated, alkaline urine, irritating crystals may form in the bladder.  The alkalinity alone is irritating.  Crystal formation makes things even more uncomfortable.

Crystal formation commonly leads to urinary obstructions in male cats, simply because their long, narrow urethra can block up more easily than the female’s short, wide one.  This has led to the myth that male cats are more prone to bladder problems.  Male cats are more prone to obstructions, but NOT to infections.

Bladder infections in cats become more common with aging. As older cats develop diseases such as kidney failure or diabetes, their urine becomes abnormally dilute and can support bacterial growth better.  This occurs equally in both sexes.

Unless your cat is elderly and has other disease processes, signs of urinary tract pain are almost never due to bladder infections. Giving unnecessary antibiotics introduces risk with no benefit.

A skilled and experienced feline veterinarian is your best resource for effective and safe feline healthcare advice!