From my understanding, cats are obligate carnivores. I think their diets should consist of less than 5 grams of carbohydrates and maybe 20 percent fat and 75 percent protein. It is very difficult to find a canned cat food to meet those numbers. I've been making cat food by using a product called UStew. They have a raw formula, but I'm not at all convinced it makes any difference at all to the cat's health. And quite frankly, raw meat is a potential hazard. My cats are extremely healthy on this diet and the litter box is relatively clean, though the urine clumps are quite large.

We had a male cat many years ago that had a UTI infection. Especially male cats are prone to UTIs. We spent a fortune on vets for his UTI. Even daily injections of antibiotics. Ended up having to put him to sleep. Since then we only feed our cats Purina urinary tract formula. We have not had one cat with a UTI since.

I fed raw for quite a while for my crew of four. All but one loved it. I used ground turkey (cheapest kind with some fat in it) and Feline Instinct powder to make sure they get the right mix of nutrients. When they went to the vet for check ups he always commented on their good health and sleek, shiny fur.

The only reason I switched to a good quality canned food is my convenience. With 4 cats there was quite a bit of mixing batches, portioning, freezing and thawing. And my job got very busy.

Cost wise, I would say it is comparable to high quality canned food.

One of ours had a tendency to get UTIs when stressed and every time we were gone for a soccer tournament she was stressed. Antibiotics helped short term but what really helped Nature's Herbs for Pets Urinary Relief

I know that cats don’t drink a lot of water to begin with but...a few months ago we decided to get a fountain for our animals to help filter the water. Our Lab drinks a lot of water anyways but I was really surprised to see our cats start to drink more water too.

If you don’t have one, it may be something worth considering. This is the one we have, mainly because they are one of the easier ones to clean, but there are a ton to choose from.

She may have a UTI or she may have bladder stones/crystals. If it continues you'll need to scruff her and put her in the kennel for a trip to the vet. I have a cat very similar to your Little Bit......she came to us as a stray/barn cat and we could only pet her on her terms. After 1 1/2 yrs we can now pick her up for a quick transfer and she loves sitting in our lap and being brushed.

If you don't already use it, I highly recommend trying Ceva Feliway Diffusers since it sounds like Little Bit is not completely comfortable in her environment. I swear by the diffusers since I see such a difference in my 2 cats. When it runs out my female becomes more of a bully to my Maine Coon. Also, I've found the Ceva to work much better than the Comfort Zone brand.

Love that fountain lukkiirish! Think I'll order one tonight for the deck.

My boy cat jack has crystals and now of prescription food. Royal canine uinary SO...luckilybhe likes it but it is pricey.

can you trap her with a hav a heart trap?

Thank you all for your thoughtful suggestions. We used to have a fountain and when it stopped working, we didn't replace it. I had forgotten how much time they spent at it, even if just to play in it. I think that's definitely a good thing to replace. I've checked all your links, now I just need to give one of those products a try.

I can't fool her with a trap. I've tried. We also leave a couple of carriers out and open, hoping the cats will become accustomed to them. Two of them regularly sleep in them. Little Bit gives them a wide berth.

I collected bloody urine this morning and took it to the vet, which is how we got the diagnosis. We'll have to sedate her to get her to the vet unfortunately.

Glad the idea was helpful Donna, I wonder if one that makes a little trickle noise would deter or entice her to the bowl. I have one cat who is really attracted to the noise and another who can take or leave it.

The cool thing about this one is that it can go right into the diswasher. The bad thing is trying to line up the hole from the pump to the spout, which I think may be a common problem with several of them. I found the fix is to use a stick like a straw, or pen to line them up with. Recently, I bought a thin bottle brush that I use as well.

Lukkiirish, in my experience, kitties LOVE the sound of the trickling water.

Today was Little Bit's appointment, but she didn't cooperate. We kept her separate from the rest of the cats for a couple of mealtimes, so she would be hungry this morning. I put acepromazine in a small amount of food, but she wouldn't come near it. We waited for over an hour. Then DH put on some leather gloves and attempted to catch her by throwing a blanket over her. I would have laughed if I wasn't so frightened. I thought she'd shred him. We called the vet and they moved the appointment to tomorrow morning. I feel like a bad mama, but I'll have to withhold feeding her for another day and hope she is hungry enough to go for it tomorrow. I think I'll pick up some canned mackerel. Maybe that will entice her. Wish us luck.

Oh goodness. I would be scared too, I wish there was an easier way. I hope you’re able to get her contained in time for the next vet appt.

What was in the past assumed to be urinary tract INFECTION is more correctly called urinary tract INFLAMMATION, and yes would be caused by inadequate hydration and/or stress. (per my dear vet..... and Cornell University: https://www2.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease)

Did the urine analysis show the presence of infection causing organisms -if sterile urine no antibiotic should be necessary.

My vet advised getting my boy onto totally wet diet and to get his wet food as soupy as he will tolerate it - its taken a while but he likes his wet food now and has had no reoccurrence. He had a stress thing going on with my other cat thats been resolved (they are kept separate now). Also the water fountain did wonders - he just loves it. I think some cats have trouble with seeing exactly where the water level is and sticking their face in it. My boy used to stick his paw in his water dish and then lick the water off his paw - he couldnt possibly get enought water to drink that way.

Lisa Pierson DVMs take on cat diet & uti management reflects my vet's views FWIW http://catinfo.org/feline-urinary-tract-diseases/

Little Bit wouldn't take the bait yesterday either, even though it was mackerel, so had to cancel that appointment. DH called the vet and he said he would make time for her whenever we could get her in.

I tried again this morning, but it wasn't looking any different. But DH sent me a picture a bit ago of the tiny bit of food I spiked and she has actually taken some of it! I'm hopeful she'll let him get her in the carrier. If not, I'll have to feed her something. She hasn't eaten since Tuesday morning!

Current Resident, I'm not impressed that this vet even knows what he's doing. I know that doctors hate it when people diagnose themselves online and then look for confirmation from their doctor, but I'm proof that sometimes it works.

I looked online to see what crystals in cat urine looks like and they look just like, well, like CRYSTALS! Nothing in the photos I took look anything like crystals. Hope I don't gross everyone one out, but I'm posting two photos of what I wiped up with a paper towel after she urinated on a shower curtain that I've been covering our chairs with since this started.

There is obviously some kind of worm at top left. He said she didn't have worms, so I asked him what that was. I had to point it out to him. He said those other beige things were crystals. I don't think so.

And he has no idea what those two black seed-like things are in the second photo. I've googled extensively, but I can't find anything that looks like them either.

Any ideas?

Unfortunately, there are very few vets in my area who will even treat ferals.

You need to go ahead and feed her or I'm afraid her not eating is going to cause other problems. Acepromazine is bitter tasting and if she's tasted it she'll probably never touch it again....no matter how hungry she is.

Will she let you pet her while she eats? If so, start feeding her what she likes now and pet her as she eats. On the day you want to take her in, feed her, start calmly petting her then scruff her neck when she appears calm. Have the crate on its end with the door open and facing upward. Drop her hind legs first into the crate, then close the door. Don't wear any gloves since that will only freak her out.

If it helps, test the scruff move on one of your other cats so you can get the technique down before trying it on her. The point is to stay calm.

Ann, I thank you for the advice, but I am not even going to try the scruff move, and certainly not without gloves. When I was getting to know her while she was outside, I sat on a stool about 8 feet away and watched her eat. Every few days I moved the stool closer to her and finally right next to the bowl. I was able to pet her, but she was skittish, of course. At one point, I moved the petting to her side and she didn't react, so I quickly picked her up and brought her in the house. Of course, she went crazy for a few seconds, then hid under my husband's large printer. We didn't see her for about 4 days, but I know she came out at night to eat.

It has been 2 and a half years now, and still, I can only pet her before mealtimes.

When I've attempted to put flea medicine on her (Advantage), even that touch sent her into hissing and spitting fits. I know better than to get close to that.

Now, I can pet her BEFORE she eats, but not during. Also, I did a bit more research on options to sedate a cat and a medication that my husband takes, gabapentin, is also used in the veterinary world. I tried that today and that is what she got. However, she didn't ingest enough to really make a difference. I will feed her tonight and for the rest of the weekend, but we'll start fresh Monday morning. It may seem inhumane, but she is ill and must be treated.

donna,

It sounds like she's a little spitfire! ; )

FWIW, I've used gabapentin on my dog for some time and it doesn't have much of a sedation effect, at least not enough that would allow you to handle your cat.

If she's that wild, I would suggest feeding her in a smaller room, or somehow get her in a smaller room, then use a net to catch her. Here is a net that may be worth purchasing since she's so wild. And one never knows when you may need to catch her in an emergency and having such a net could save her life.

Here is a video that shows how to correctly use the net.

Aw poor little girl - and poor you! If you have any vet choices at all it might be worth shopping around - I know some do not like you to come in with any questions or things youve read on the internet, but others will appreciate your can-do spirit. In fact the ones that seem too set in their ways and not open to getting new information are ones to avoid IMHO.

I seem to remember a vet a while back who just had me collect urine samples at home - had to confine cat to a small room. Although of course a full exam would be better (if not imperative) at least that would give you some info to go on for now?

Best to you and kitty

Donna

This is just a real shot in the dark kind of suggestion but something I’ve done in the past with animals that were new to our home or just skittish is to make sure they have an enclosed safe spot to call their own. We have a large dog crate and all of the animals we’ve used it for have all been drawn to it. I usually put in a couple of soft towels along with a bowl of food to entice them. But I don’t use the wire crate, I use one of those plastic enclosures.

I’m wondering if you were to set up a space like that for her so she could go inside it to eat would help, maybe throw a little catnip on the towel too (if it’s something she likes). Then you could just close the door and take her in that crate to the vet.

Would you be able to give her pills? I have had good success with Nature's Herbs for Pets Urinary Relief

They saved us a few trips to the vet. I did keep the vet in the loop that I was giving those.

I have not used this product but their Kidney Gold and it helped our cat with elevated kidney values. It does have good reviews. I think it is bacon flavored.

We have kept two carriers open in the living room for months and several of the cats are comfortable enough with them that we often find them sleeping in them. The idea is that if they do need to make a trip to the vet, they won't be too upset about it. Little Bit is not one who likes being in a carrier, though. Of course, none of them like being in the car, but hopefully the familiar carrier helps.

After more than two years in our house, she still does not wish to be part of our family. She is usually under our bed or hiding behind the curtains in our bedroom. She does venture into the living room and kitchen daily. On nice days, I will open the front door and all the cats, including Little Bit, will gather in front of the screen door to watch the neighborhood's goings on. She doesn't play with the others, just sits and watches the others having fun.

The only way I can give her a pill is to crush it and put it in her food. If the pill is bitter, she just won't eat.

She's such a pretty little thing. I wish she could acclimate. She will gently take treats from my hand until one of the others shows up. Then she just backs away and watches everyone.

Do you see how the pupils of her eyes are so big and round? I never see them as slits like the others. Does this mean she's frightened? All the time?

It might mean that she has trouble seeing in bright light hence under the bed and behind curtains where is a bit darker and not interacting with the other cats cause she can't see them well enough to feel safe.

I looked up worms in cat urine and i found mention of Capillaria plica. But i don't think the eggs are visible with the naked eye. Those yellow things look to me kinda like tape worm segments and they come from a cats bum not cats bladder.

but i found this blog with a photo of cat bladder stones and if you inlarge it they look kinda like what you have including the black ones.

http://exclusivelycats.blogspot.com/2015/06/bladder-stones-and-stone-removal.html

Pea, thank you for that link. That was helpful. After looking at that page, I do think the black things could be crystals. I've seen tapeworm before and the ones I've seen are white. But it is some kind of worm. Unfortunately, she has more than one thing going on. I haven't seen her once today, not even to eat with the rest of the gang. And I had wondered if maybe her eyesight is bad. I've been trying to find something online to conform or dispel that. What I've found is that it can be a sign of anger.

donna: You may want to call some local throughbred cat breeders. These people are experts on felines.

Wow. I was mistaken. These pics of tapeworm segments look very much like my photo.

And the black things in my photo look a lot like another type of flat worm. Trematoda.

Good suggestion from mdln. I've used a cat-only clinic and it's amazing how they handled my semi-feral cat when I had to take her in. They keep Feliway thruout the clinic and calmly and quietly they were able to place a towel over her and do a thorough exam. By the time they finished and I was paying the bill, she was curled up asleep in the carrier.

Does Little Bit have access to a tall cat tower or cat shelves located high on the wall so that she can feel more secure?

But, until she's feeling better she's probably going to continue to hide.