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11.04.2022

Waterworks repaired with the best cat food for cats with UTI

Urinary tract infections are a common and painful problem for cats of all ages. Whether you have a kitten, adolescent, adult, or senior feline, there is a good chance you have witnessed your cat in distress while trying to pass urine.

The good news is that the diet can positively impact your cat’s urinary health. Untamed is here to help you understand what the best cat food for cats with UTI is and how your feline can benefit from adequate nutrition.

I’ve gotta go agaaaaaaaaaiiiin!

Source: Pixabay

What’s the best food for a cat with a UTI?

Cats’ urinary tracts are highly acidic, which normally prevents most UTIs from taking hold. An acidic environment in the bladder and urethra prevents crystals from forming and keeps the whole urinary tract healthy. Food plays a vital role in maintaining the correct acidity.

Cats are obligate carnivores, and a meat-based diet is what their body needs to function optimally. In the wild, cats have evolved to maintain their health by eating:

  1. Animal protein
  2. Animal fat

Animal protein

Protein is made up of combinations of various amino acids, which are essential for:

  • Muscles
  • Skin and coat
  • Organ repair and function

Cats need animal protein to get the amino acids. Although most amino acids are available in vegetable protein, animal protein is the only source that contains taurine, one of the few amino acids that cats cannot synthesise.

Not all meats are optimal, but even the worst meat protein has a higher biological value (the percentage of amino acids a cat can metabolise) than the best vegetable source:

Protein source

Biological value 

Chicken

98%

  • Salmon
  • Cooked fish
  • Sardines
  • Prawns
  • Tuna

94%

87%

Soya

68%

  • Meat derivatives
  • Wheatgerm
  • Corn
  • Sweetcorn
  • Other vegetable proteins

Below 65%

Choosing a diet with a high percentage of clearly-defined animal protein means that you are respecting your cat’s natural diet.

The issues like UTIs will be under control without resorting to medication. UTIs among wild cats are thought to be considerably less common than in domestic felines.

All the goodness your kitty could want for.

Image (c) Untamed

Animal fat

Cats get their energy mainly from animal protein, which is the healthiest way to take on high amounts of calories for felines, but animal fat is also a viable energy source. Animal fats deliver essential fatty acids for the:

  • Maintenance of cell membranes
  • Efficiency of the healing response

Felines also love the taste of animal fat—a valuable piece of info if your cat is fussy and refuses to eat.

Wet vs dry food—what type of food is better for felines with UTIs?

Adequate hydration is often the most important component in keeping UTIs at bay in cats.

Wet food contains considerably more moisture than cat kibbles and can keep your feline adequately supplied with water without the need for separate drinking. You may find that your feline fed on wet food goes through life without a single incident of FLUTD. This is considerably less likely in cats fed on an exclusively dry diet.

Many commercial cat foods consist of dry biscuits, often rich in grains, cereals, and carbohydrates to reduce production costs. Dry food, with its low moisture content (typically below 10%), can lead to cats inadvertently becoming slightly dehydrated. This has the double effect of:

  1. Reducing the water intake
  2. Changing the pH of the urinary tract

Reducing the water intake

Cats’ urinary systems are susceptible to dehydration, and dry cat food can cause the urine to become too concentrated.

The more dilute the urine, the more bladder stones will be washed away naturally, and the bladder wall won’t become inflamed.

Changing the pH of the urinary tract

Oxalate and struvite crystals form relatively quickly when the urine becomes either too acidic or too alkaline.

The optimal pH in your feline’s lower urinary tract should be between 6.2 and 6.6. Oxalate crystals can form if the pH strays below this because the urine is too acidic. Struvite crystals tend to appear when the pH is 6.8 or more.

Healthy feline nutrition, consisting of a high animal protein content, few carbs, and high moisture levels, can help maintain the cat’s urinary tract within the correct pH range.

Minerals and UTIs

Good feline diets also control the amount of minerals your kitty ingests.

Cats need trace amounts of zinc, magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus. If your cat’s food contains excessive amounts of minerals, you could be contributing to crystal formation, as follows:

  • High phosphorus and magnesium contents can lead to struvite formation
  • High calcium content may encourage oxalate crystals

What’s the bottom line on UTI cat food recommendations?

The best you can do to help your feline avoid UTIs is to choose a grain-free wet cat food that contains:

Nutrient type

Ideal percentage

Animal protein

50% or more

Fat

Less than 20%

Carbs/fibre

Maximum 3%

Got something to help me, mummy?

Image source: Pixabay

Does Untamed have wet cat food for UTIs?

Untamed is your best choice for preventing UTIs in your cat. Our cat food is rich in all the ingredients your cat needs to live a healthy life and is produced according to the following tenets:

  1. High protein content
  2. Human-grade ingredients
  3. Vet-formulated recipes
  4. Gentle steaming instead of heavy processing

High protein content

Untamed recipes contain twice as much animal protein as most commercial cat foods. Your kitty gets all the nutrients needed without having to eat huge amounts of grains, cereals, or carbs. The high protein content is also the optimal way to keep UTIs at bay by managing urinary tract pH.

Containing so much meat, Untamed is also really tasty—whether you choose recipes enriched with cat gravy or cat jelly, your feline is sure to go wild about the flavour.

If your kitty has a sensitive stomach or is prone to gastrointestinal disorders or food allergies, our hypoallergenic meals can prevent adverse reactions.

Untamed’s high-quality products can also help your cat with:

Human-grade ingredients

We use human-grade ingredients for our dishes, including premium-quality chicken (breast and liver), duck, prawns, salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines. You should only give your feline the best of the best, so we don’t use:

  • Artificial colourants, preservatives, and flavourings
  • Unspecified meat derivatives
  • Ingredients that may be harmful to your cat

Vet-formulated recipes

All our recipes have been developed in collaboration with vets to design an optimal meal plan for your cat.

Whether you have a pregnant British Shorthair, an over-curious Bengal that constantly eats grass, a neutered male Maine Coon, or a simple indoor tabby kitten who’s switching to solid food, Untamed contains all the nutrients required for a healthy and happy life.

Gentle steaming instead of heavy processing

Aggressive cooking or boiling can destroy nutrients, so Untamed food is gently steamed to preserve the goodness.

We are also committed to producing ethically-sound food, so our tins are recyclable, and we keep our carbon footprint neutral at every step in the production process.

Untamed is the tastiest and most nutritious way to help your feline avoid UTIs.

Don’t take our word for it—give Untamed a try and see how your kitty reaps the benefits in no time at all!

The perfect month of eating all mapped out!

Image (c) Untamed

How can you get the best cat food for FLUTD from Untamed?

If your feline is prone to UTIs, bladder stones, or cystitis, now is the best time to switch to Untamed!

Once you have made the change, you should start noticing the difference almost immediately:

Timeline

The Untamed effect

Week one

  • Your feline should be more energetic, and you should see less mess in the litter tray
  • Any signs of UTIs should gradually start to clear up

Month two

  • Your kitty will develop a more muscular physique
  • UTIs should be rare if present at all

Month four

  • Your feline’s coat will start to gleam
  • Hairballs and shedding should gradually reduce

For life

  • Your cat won’t struggle with weight management
  • Urinary tract and overall health will be in top condition

Every Untamed meal plan is tailored to your kitty’s needs regardless of their:

  • Life stage
  • Lifestyle
  • Breed
  • Health condition

To start on your Untamed journey, all you need to do is:

  1. Fill out our online questionnaire
  2. Pick a meal plan
  3. Order a trial pack

Once your cat food trial pack arrives, you can test which recipes your kitty loves the most.

We can help you customise your monthly cat food subscription according to your feline’s wishes, and we will make sure you have an uninterrupted supply of Untamed goodness delivered to your door every month.

What else can you do to help with UTIs?

If your cat frequently suffers from UTI, there are several things you can do on top of serving the best quality food from Untamed.

The most common UTI triggers are:

  1. Stress
  2. Not enough water
  3. Underlying health issues

Stress

The number one UTI trigger is stress caused by:

  • Changes in the daily routine
  • A new pet being introduced into the household
  • Emotional disturbances, such as children or too many visitors

Cats are creatures of habit and feel threatened if anything changes in their routine or environment.

These changes can be something as simple as:

  • A change in feeding times
  • The food or water bowl being moved
  • A new brand of litter in the tray
  • A new gadget in the house that makes sudden noises

Cats are not keen on showing their emotions. The only sign that your kitty is stressed might be that they withdraw and seek solitude. You may also notice over-zealous grooming, mood swings and hissy fits, or an unusual reluctance to play. If any of these signs are apparent, a UTI could be on the cards.

Too little water

Cats are secret drinkers.

Unlike other pets who have no qualms about slurping themselves silly in front of you, cats prefer to drink in a quiet, secluded spot.

If their water station doesn’t feel like a safe haven, your cat may drink too little, causing the urine in the bladder to become more concentrated and possibly triggering a UTI.

You should experiment with several water bowls around the house, and you have to make sure the water is kept fresh and clean. A single hair in a water bowl can render it undrinkable in your cat’s eyes.

Cats also have a low thirst drive, meaning that they are at risk of not recognising when they are becoming dehydrated.

Wet food alleviates this issue, providing them with much of the moisture they need while eating.

Underlying health issues

The feline urinary tract is highly sensitive and may easily suffer collateral damage if your cat has an underlying health problem.

The most frequently diagnosed co-morbidities that can trigger a UTI are:

UTI triggers

Explanation

Diabetes

Diabetic cats can often suffer from UTIs, as the bladder has to excrete large amounts of urine with a high sugar content

Hyperthyroidism

Cats with an overactive thyroid gland may experience weight fluctuation, hyperactivity, diarrhoea, or IBS. FLUTD can often occur as a side-effect of the condition

Less common triggers for UTIs can also include:

  • Urinary tract tumours or cancer
  • Congenital disabilities in the urinary tract
  • Spinal injuries

If you suspect any of these conditions are the cause of your cat’s UTI, you should get your kitty to a vet as soon as possible.

UTIs are common, and you will probably not get away scot-free during your kitty’s lifespan.

Your best course of action is to reduce the likelihood of a UTI by feeding your cat the best possible food.

Help banish UTIs for life with Untamed.

Image (c) Untamed

What exactly are UTIs and FLUTD?

Urinary tract infections (UTIs)—also known as Feline Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD)—are inflammations of the bladder and urethra in cats.

There are many variations of urinary tract infections, but the most common are:

  1. Cystitis
  2. Bladder stones
  3. Blockages in the urethra

Cystitis in cats

Cystitis is the generic term for an inflammation of the bladder walls caused by:

  • Parasites
  • Bacterial infections
  • Fungal growth
  • Viruses
  • Kidney problems
  • Unknown triggers (feline idiopathic cystitis or FID)

While a vet can diagnose and prescribe medication for parasites, bacterial infestations, fungus, or viruses, cystitis is often a symptom of an underlying issue, such as bladder stones.

In such cases, your vet may need to address several issues at once to restore your kitty’s health.

Bladder stones

Cats are prone to tiny crystals forming in their bladders, causing them pain and difficulty urinating.

The most common crystal types are struvite and oxalate, and their formation is linked to a feline excreting too much:

  • Ammonium
  • Phosphate
  • Magnesium
  • Calcium oxalate

These are all present in your cat’s body, but they begin to crystallise if your feline’s urinary tract becomes too alkaline. Any cat can suffer from bladder stones, but the following breeds are particularly prone:

Seniors, neutered males, and overweight cats are also more likely to develop oxalate crystals.

Blockages in the urethra

If your feline’s urethra is blocked, they may need an operation as soon as possible. Such cases are not common but can be dangerous if not diagnosed and treated quickly. If your cat is having difficulty or experiencing pain while urinating, you may be dealing with a case of FLUTD.

You can reduce the chances of your feline going through these ailments by choosing the highest-quality diet possible.

What happens if you don’t treat your UTI patient?

UTIs are painful and distressing for your cat. While most UTIs will gradually get better without interference, there are risks in not treating your feline on time.

The most common long-term effects of UTIs are:

  1. Bladder atony
  2. Kidney damage

Bladder atony

If you do not treat a UTI, the constant straining to pass urine can damage the muscles in your cat’s bladder.

The result is that your feline will be unable to contract the muscles to press urine out, which can be painful and long-lasting.

If your cat is hospitalised and appropriately treated, the muscles will usually regenerate, but you may be facing a week or more in the vet clinic for the bladder to recover sufficiently.

Kidney damage

If your cat cannot pass urine due to bladder stones or an obstruction, urine may begin to back up and reach the kidneys.

Kidney damage is serious in cats, as it is not usually noticeable until around 75 per cent of kidney function has been lost.

The damage is often irreparable, which could mean your cat must be on chronic medication and dietary supplements to maintain adequate renal function.

If you notice your cat straining to pass urine, experiencing pain while using the litter tray, or urinating frequently, you should consult your vet as a matter of urgency to avoid long-term complications.