Want to learn which food is the best cat food for urinary tract health so your cat can live a longer life? You’re on the right page. Adult cats often suffer from dehydration, which causes many felines to develop urinary tract problems in life.
Learn how to better take care of your cat’s urinary tract health by providing a suitable, nutritious diet.
Article last updated: [last-modified]
How to Tell Your Cat Has Urinary Tract Problems
Cats are one of the most discreet pets with a mature grooming aptitude. They quickly learn how to use the litter box at a young age. As long as you keep the litter box clean, they’ll maintain this behavior whenever they want to answer the call of nature.
Common Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infections in Cats
- Frequent trips to the litter box without any success
- Urinating outside of the litter box in uncommon places
- Blood in the urine (discolored or drops)
- Pain during urination, oftentimes coupled with howling, meowling, or crying out
- Strong/abnormal urine smell
- Only drops of urine come out when attempting to pee
- Showing physical signs of discomfort (grimacing or wincing when urinating)
- No large pee clumps in the litter
- Vomiting, lethargy
So, when you see your adult cat change and urinate outside the litterfor example, there may likely be an underlying urinary tract problem.
Try not to worry too much at first, because in most cases, you can correct that with a simple change of diet and a visit to the vet.
Always consult a vet if you identify your cat is having trouble urinating, is peeing outside the litter box, has blood in the urine, or has trouble passing urine at all.
Why Choose the Right Cat Food for Urinary Tract Health
Urinary tract issues are actually some of the most common problems in cats.
Fortunately, you can identify the causes and symptoms so you can tackle them before they turn into a deadly disease.
One of the ways to optimize a healthy urinary tract is by feeding your cat the food designed for cats with urinary tract problems. Most of the time, this is done with a specially-formulated diet (see cat foods below), coupled with a high-moisture intake strategy.
Avoiding a dry-only diet is one way you can help minimize the chances your cat develops UTI-related crystals.
How do you choose the right food for your cat’s urinary health?
Choosing the right cat food should be something you pay more attention to so that your feline can maintain a healthy urinary tract and experience less illness as they age.
See our selection below for the best cat food for urinary tract healthwhy these foods work and which one may be suitable for your cat.
The Best Cat Foods to Support UTI Health in Cats
1. Hill’s Science Diet Urinary & Hairball Control Cat Food
Check Prices Meow
This food contains an optimal amount of magnesium – not too much or too little. This makes it easy to control the magnesium content in your cat’s which benefits the whole urinary system. Also, the food helps in eliminating hairballs – which are a result of your cat’s grooming process.
Your cat needs enough fiber in her diet to shed hairballs properly. Fortunately, Hill’s Science Diet Cat Food comes with natural blends of fibers. This makes it easy for your feline friend to get rid of messy hairballs.
If your cat is picky, you may sometimes have to decide between dry or wet cat foods. This cat food is available both as canned cat food and dry cat food, providing great taste and nutrition in various formats.
It is suitable for adult cats and those cats from ages 1 to 6 years.
It has real chicken and natural ingredients and is specifically for cats with urinary tract problems. By preventing urinary tract infections – which is common among adult cats – it helps your feline maintain fine health.
Pros
- Easy to digest formula provides for adequate absorption of nutrients
- High-quality, natural ingredients
- Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and amino acids to support a healthy immune system
Cons
- Owners report a pungent smell
2. Wellness Complete Health Natural Wet Cat Food
Check Prices Meow
This wet cat food is what you need to provide an excellent source of protein and essential fatty acid for your cat. Each meal of the Wellness Wet Cat Food will help your cat derive the balanced nutrition that’s needed to fuel growth.
The key ingredients in this food are all-natural.
No artificial flavors, colors or preservatives are added and supporting ingredients include essential vitamins and minerals, carrots and potatoes with cranberries and blueberries for a boost in your cat’s urinary tract health.
This grain-free cat food is better for your cat’s overall health!
Because hydration is an important factor in how much your cat responds to food in terms of growth, feeding your cat a canned cat food like this increases your cat’s moisture intake.
Not only will you not worry about dehydration in your cat, but you’ll also be providing her with a well-balanced food that supports her throughout her life.
Pros
- No meat by-products, artificial flavors, colors or preservatives
- Grain-free!
- Packed with minerals, vitamins, blueberries, and cranberries to support healthy urinary tract
- Keeps your feline hydrated with every can
Cons
3. Royal Canin Feline Urinary SO 33 Dry Cat Food
See Product Details
The Royal Canin Urinary Cat Food is specifically for cats with urethral issues and urinary issues like urine crystals. It helps in dissolving the crystals and takes them out of your cat’s urine by making the urine slightly acidic.
There is a high percentage of water content (about 64%), which helps to reduce the concentration of minerals in the urine as well as combat cystitis and prevent crystalluria.
Because of its low-calorie content, the Royal Canin Feline Food offers a good diet for healthy weight gain. It also helps increase the urine volume so that your cat’s urinary system is free from calcium oxalate.
By promoting an atmosphere that’s unbearable to crystals to develop, your cat’s kidney and bladder are healthy all day long.
Pros
- The food is enhanced with antioxidants to help your cat maintain a healthy immune system
- It comes with additives to dissolve struvite crystals
- It is suitable for cats suffering from bladder problems
Cons
- Overpriced on Amazon (Better to buy directly from the vet)
4. Purina Pro Plan FOCUS Urinary Tract Health Formula Adult Wet Cat Food
Check the Reviews
According to PurinaOne, the Purina Pro Plan Cat Food can help reduce the urinary pH of your cat and provide low dietary magnesium so your feline can maintain good urinary health.
Offers your kitty a savory gravy dish that’s tasty and nutritious. It also contains prebiotic fiber, which promotes digestive health for your cat’s overall well-being.
The Purina Pro Plan Wet Food is specialized nutrition to meet cats of different ages, lifestyles, and unique needs. With the balanced nutrition offered by this cat food, your cat’s immune system will be strong and the urinary pH levels low.
Like most wet cat foods, this food comes with high water content. This means increased moisture intake for your cat, optimizing his or her urinary tract health.
Pros
- Offers a balanced diet with essential minerals and vitamins
- It comes with quality protein for lean muscles, strength, and energy
- It makes it easy to control magnesium and helps reduce urinary pH for a healthier feline
Cons
- Contains meat by-products (12% crude min protein), gluten and artificial flavors
5. Purina ONE Urinary Tract Health Formula Dry Cat Food
Check Prices
This is an adult blend of cat food with real chicken that’s easily digestible. It comes with lots of Omega-6 fatty acids that help promote healthy skin and coat.
Purina One Formula Dry Cat Food helps lower the risk of blockages by lowering the ordinary pH of urinand provides low dietary magnesium to improve your cat’s urinary tract health. With the combination of this, your cat has a chance to live longer.
Unlike others of its kind, it’s designed to help cats with sensitive systems and urinary tract problems enjoy a great taste and proper nutrition.
Pros
- An affordable recommendation to maintain urinary tract health in adult cats
- Offers balanced nutrition enhanced with vitamins, Taurine, and minerals
Cons
- Corn gluten meal and ground yellow corn are the first two ingredients
FAQ to Cat’s Urinary Tract Health
Here are some frequently asked questions about treating a cat’s urinary tract problems.
Final Thoughts: 5 Best Cat Foods for Urinary Tract Health
The best food for your cat’s urinary health is one that’s grain-free, low in magnesium but high in moisture.
The reason is that dry cat food can lead to FLUTD, so it’s better to choose something that’ll keep your cat in good health and be at a low risk of more diseases.
Your cat needs some sort of hydration because of their urinary tract and only a high quality canned food or a balanced raw diet can provide adequate health for your cat. Also, adding a small amount of water to your cat’s favorite food can improve digestion too.
Extra-Tips
When transitioning to a new food for your cat, do so gradually. The best way of phasing out the old food is to do it over a week or two, adding the new food and gauging your cat’s response.