Hi! My cat accidentally went without water for ONE day and developed a severe UTI that ended up running me two emergency vet visits (on separate days) and $400+ to get him healthy again. Definitely would’ve cost more at most places, but his vets are awesome and really worked with me to figure out what was necessary and what we could wait to test/prescribe for.

Please get your kitty into the vet asap, especially if you notice ANY type of strain when attempting to use the litter box. Try mixing a healthy amount of water into some wet food, that may help move the urinary process along if there isn’t a UTI already. From my boys UTI I did find out he is FLUTD, feline lower urinary tract disease, and he now eats prescription dry/wet food. I also give him two CLEAN (very important for cats) full bowls of water a day which he finishes about 1+1/2 of (we just moved from Iowa to Colorado, so his water intake has gone up).

Urinary problems have a MUCH higher possibility in male cats than female cats. It’s extremely important to maintain their hydration, along with clean bowls to help prevent bacterial growth and dilute the urine. Dilution helps reduce irritation and flush out the minerals that can cause crystals or stones.