Healthy Cats

Urinary Tract Diseases in Cats

How to Collect and Test Urine continued...

If you have more than one cat, it will be necessary to isolate that cat with her own litter box.

You may be asked to test the urine pH with a laboratory strip provided by your veterinarian. Follow the instructions exactly.

There are also diagnostic litters that can be used to indicate various health conditions. Scientific Professional Cat Litter will change colors (becoming progressively pinker) with changes in urine pH. Purina Glucotest Feline Urinary Glucose Detection System uses a litter additive to indicate urinary glucose levels. Hemalert detects blood in the urine.

The samples you collect from your cat will not be sterile and are not ideal for culturing. A sterile urine sample can only be obtained by your veterinarian. The veterinarian will either pass a sterile catheter into the cat’s bladder to take a sample or draw a sample through the body wall with sterile equipment-this procedure is called cystocentesis.