One of the more important aspects of cat care happens to involve your pet’s urine. That’s right—cat urine can be a determinant of just how healthy your cat is at a particular point in time. The most common reasons for veterinarian visits—if not the most common reason—are related to problems in the cat’s urinary tract. That’s why you need to take note of your cat’s urine, especially its urine pH.

Urinary tract health is reflected in the pH level of a cat’s urine. The ideal level is in the acidic range, with a general consensus from experts pegging the figure at 6.0 to 6.5 (lower is more acidic), although the latter number might be different for particular situations.

When the urine pH of a cat is lower or higher than the recommended range, crystals might form in the urine. Magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals might form in those with pH higher than the recommended level, while calcium oxalate crystals might form in those with pH lower than the recommended level. This information is important if your cat to steer clear of Feline Urinary Syndrome or FUS. In addition, if the crystals do form in the bladder or the urethra of your cat, it might experience some irritation, infection, bleeding, and even blockage of urine. This can mean your cat has Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease, or FLUTD for short.

The cat’s diet can also affect its urine pH level. For this reason, pet food producers include target urinary pH levels in the labels of their formulas. This disclosure plays an important part in the decision-making of many cat owners. If urine pH information is not in the packaging of a particular cat food product, you might want to contact the manufacturer directly to ask.

In addition, having an ample supply of clean water to drink is also an important factor that helps determine urine pH levels. The fluid intake will help eliminate minerals from the body by flushing, and the frequent intake of water will allow for more frequent urination—and this means the urine won’t be too concentrated and that crystals will be less likely to form.

So, the next time you take your cat for a visit to your vet, you might want to have its urine pH checked out. If you can get your vet to give some tips about your pet’s urinary tract health, then that would be very beneficial for you and your cat.

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About the author

Paul

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