Cats can contract a urinary infection much more frequently than their owners would like to imagine.
Most often, vets will conclude that the condition is idiopathic in nature, which is simply another way of saying they have no idea what might have caused it.
As a result, a common symptom of feline urinary tract infection such as urinating outside the litter box are generally (and erroneously) assigned to behavioral causes, like stress.
The reality is that urinary tract infections in cats are more likely to be physiological rather than behavioral.
The condition is one of a number of urinary problems, which can include obstruction in the urinary passage as well as bladder inflammation, more commonly knows as FLUTD (Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease).
This is a very unpleasant and painful situation for the cat, as it will strain to urinate but cannot do so.
If you've ever suffered from a UTI of your own, you'll have some idea of what your poor kitty is going through.
You can best help if you become familiar with the reasons behind the condition, and learn and follow some basic rules of care for your afflicted feline.
As a cat owner, you've probably noticed that your kitty usually does not spend a lot of time at the water bowl.
This infrequent consumption of water is natural behavior for cats.
They originated in arid, desert areas, and over time and through evolutionary changes learned to derive the necessary liquids to sustaining life from their food.
The animals they preyed upon provided most of the fluids cats needed to maintain good health.
There was little need to drink water from a separate source, and that instinct is still in operation today.
Unfortunately, this reluctance to take in water is a major factor in the increased prevalence of feline urinary tract infection.
Your vet, of course, can determine a specific treatment based upon a review of the results of a urinalysis, among other avenues of investigation, but you can help keep your cat's urinary tract in tip-top health, as well as cut down on vet bills, by putting into practice some proven methods of prevention.
1.
Water is of primary importance.

• Wash water bowls daily with clean, hot water.
  If you are using soap to clean them, make sure to rinse the bowl thoroughly as the chemicals in detergent can be harmful.
  
• Make finding water easy for your cat.
  Put a number of water bowls around the house, and make them big enough that your cat can drink from them without their whiskers touching the sides.
  
• If you are providing your cat with dry cat food, mix in a little water to moisten it.
  To make it even more attractive, try adding something tasty, such as chicken broth.
  
• If you can afford it, invest in a free flowing water drinking fountain.
  Cats love moving water and their curiosity may encourage them to imbibe.
  

2.
Steer clear of feeding your cat foods with a high magnesium content, like beef, pork, heart and oily fish.
3.
Choose natural foods over prescription diets, buying organic whenever you can.
Check with your vet to be sure that the food you provide will produce urine with the correct pH level.
4.
Adding a tablespoon of vinegar to the water once a day will keep the urine pH a little acidic, and helps prevent the formation of bladder stones.
Bladder stones can often lead to urinary tract infections.
As always, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Follow these basic rules of health and maintenance, and your cat will live a happier, healthier life free of feline urinary tract infections.