Some advice please Ria or anyone

[miasmum]

Mia went for the three monthly bloods and urine check a fortnight ago. All was well, but Simon said her urine was a bit cloudy, with traces of blood in it. He sent it for culture but there was no infection. He said he would like to check a repeat sample just in case there is infection. So having taken a urine sample before I did what I did before and shredded carrier bags and put them in her litter tray. That was at 10am in the morning and by 6pm she still hadn't been. I rang the vets and they said to use some special litter they have to put in her tray. But its nearly £8 per bag, plus the money to have it checked. That doesn't sound much but at this time of the year it is. But surely a cat that can hold off weeing for 8 hours does not have a urine infection?

Its been a week now and she is fine, no symptoms of anything.

If I am going to get it, I need to get it today, but personally I don't think I need to. What do you think?

[Diflower]

I'd say if she seems fine, then she is fine.
They sent the sample and there was no infection, you'd hope they were confident in the testing.
You could always have another go with your method if you wanted, whether now or after Christmas - their special litter isn't going to make her wee any faster is it

[Kaz]

Not a cat expert as you know, but if she seems fine I would leave it, I think xxxx

[JoM]

I agree with Kaz and Di, she's sounds absolutely fine if she went 8 hours without weeing so I think I'd leave it xx

[Paddypix]

A Google informed me that most cats wee once or twice in a 24 hour period so I shouldn't worry too much. My own two cats wee a lot, but then they drink a lot of water too.

[meriad]

Shell, sorry - I didn't see this until now.

I know of a lot of people who have bought that special litter and their cat just wouldn't use it. Apparently, whilst it works really well, you have to get a really thick layer of it which means two, if not three, bags so it does work out absolutely ridiculously and stupidly expensive. Your shredded plastic bags will have worked as well; so personally I'd have done what you did.

As for the infection - I thankfully don't have that much experience of it. In all the years I had her Molly had an infection about three times, but everytime you could tell by her behaviour that she was uncomfortable; in fact very uncomfortable. She'd pace up and down and literally squat and try and pee every 10 minutes regardless of where she was; and she was in very obvious pain. So if Mia isn't showing any of those symptoms then I doubt she's got a UTI. But saying that - cloudy urine with a trace of blood in it isn't normal and it's definitely something to monitor and once finances allow I'd be tempted to get her in for a blood test as that will pick up infections as well. I forget, how old is Mia now?

And in the meantime, try avoid feeding too much dry food and add a tablespoon of water to her wet food to get her to absorb as much fluids as she can.

Fusses to your girl x

[miasmum]

She had bloods done at the same time Ria. She has kidney disease so she has bloods and urine every 3 months. Her bloods were find for infection.

Thanks Ria xx

[meriad]

In that case you're doing all you can really. Just keep an eye on her and if she starts the squatting and pacing then you know it's time to help. As a matter of interest, how well do you get on with your vet? If well enough then ask him for a bottle of metacam if you don't have one in the house. Molly always timed her episodes that resulted in me having to take her to the emergency vet which cost an arm and a leg. My regular vet then once told me if it happened again to just give her a dose of metacam and she'd be fine until the next morning when I could take her to my usual vet (because Metacam is all they usually give at the emergency vet anyway)...

Yes, metacam is really not the ideal thing to use if you're cat has kidney issues but the occasional one off use won't do any harm. x

[miasmum]

I have Metacam but I know she can't use it. She is fine, snuggled up in her bed. She's not as visible as usual as Luke is home

[Workingman]

I like cats.