The best cat food for urinary health is a high moisture diet. Cats rely on food for moisture.
Proper hydration is essential for urinary health and can prevent urinary problems.
Dry cat food (including prescription foods) dehydrates your cat and will only cause urinary problems.
So holistic veterinarians say the best cat food for urinary health is a high moisture diet.
You should take this information to your cat’s doctor. And figure out a plan that works for your cat.
Every cat is an individual and should be treated as such.
Best cat food for urinary health:
- Viva Raw Complete – Best Frozen Raw Cat Food
- Medico Bladder Health Diet for Cats – Best Freeze-dried Raw Prescription Food
- Just Food for Cats – Best Custom Cat Food
- Raised Right – Best Whole Ingredient Wet Food
- Smalls – Best Subscription Wet Food
- Best Natural Remedies to Dissolve Crystals
- Best At Home Care for Urinary Health
- Vet Resources for Cat Urinary Health
Please note: This is not medical advice. Do not treat your cat at home by yourself!
I’m only writing this article because people ask me very frequently what are the best cat foods for urinary health.
Please transition cat food slowly. Switching food too quickly can make your cat sick.
Also, relying on supplements and remedies alone will not heal your cat. Diet should always be your first stop!
Disclaimer: You (and only you) are responsible for your cats. I earn a commission if you purchase through affiliate links below. No additional cost to you.
Also, nothing I say is medical advice!!!!
1. Viva Raw Complete – Best Frozen Raw Cat Food
Best raw cat food for urinary health: Viva Raw Complete.
Why?
The solution to this dilemma, holistic veterinarians consistently point out, is to feed a cat the natural food it evolved on: raw meat. Cats in the wild donβt develop this problem. They eat raw meat, which creates a naturally healthy level of acidic urine.
Zucker, Martin. The Veterinarians’ Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats (p. 254). Crown. Kindle Edition.
- Most natural diet for cats
- High in meat-based protein and moisture
- Made in USDA kitchens
- Human-grade quality
- Premade and sent to your door
- Complete for all life stages
Technically, the product is not sold as a urinary care food. However, as quoted above, a high-moisture balanced raw diet is the best diet for cats.
Viva Raw has two products for cats: complete and pure.
Complete is complete for all life stages and does not require supplements. Pure is not complete and requires supplements.
Use my code JESSCATICLES to save 20% on your first order.
Consider the natural remedies below (jump to natural remedies).
2. Medico Bladder Health Diet for Cats – Best Freeze-dried Raw Prescription Food
Best prescription cat food for urinary health: Medico Bladder Health Diet.
Why?
- Freeze-dried raw with minimal supplements
- Veterinarian-formulated and created
- Requires vet authorization (which may come in handy if your vet pushes script diets on you)
Medico bladder health diet is specifically formulated for urinary health. Rehydration is a must! One con is that it is quite higher in carbs than cats need.
But perhaps your vet is pushing you to feed a script diet. This is the best option you will find.
Consider the natural remedies below as well (jump to natural remedies).
3. Just Food for Cats – Best Custom Cat Food
Best custom cat food for urinary health: Just Food for Cats.
Why?
- Formulated for your cat’s specific needs
- Veterinarians and formulators on staff
- Premade and shipped to you or DIY option
Just Food for Cats will work with you and your cat’s doctor to develop a food that works for your cat’s needs.
A con here is that they do rely on a lot of synthetic supplements. However, this is still a much better option than most wet foods.
This option also comes in handy if you and/or your veterinarian do not want to feed raw.
Consider the natural remedies below as well (jump to natural remedies).
4. Raised Right – Best Whole Ingredient Wet Food
Best whole food ingredient cat food urinary health: Raised Right.
Why?
- Formulated by Dr. Karen Becker
- High moisture, low carb, minimal synthetic supplements
- Lightly cooked human-grade ingredients
Raised Right is the closest you will get to a home-cooked meal without cooking it yourself.
Buy Raised Right on their website (suitable for adults only). Use code PETS20 for 20% off your first box.
Consider the natural remedies below as well (jump to natural remedies).
5. Smalls – Best Subscription Wet Food
Best subscription wet food for urinary health: Smalls.
Why?
- Veterinarian formulated
- High moisture, low carb
- Lightly cooked human-grade ingredients
Smalls has many more options compared to Raised Right. Additionally, Smalls is suitable for all life stages.
Buy Smalls on their website. Use code CATICLES for $5 off your first box.
6. Best Natural Remedies to Dissolve Crystals
Herbal remedies for urinary care
Best herbal remedy: PetWellbeing Urinary Gold.
Why?
- Created by holistic veterinarians
- Herbal ingredients that support urinary health
- Promotes normal immunity against bacteria
Buy PetWellbeing Urinary Gold on their website.
Cranberry for urinary care
Cranberry is a traditional natural remedy. We donβt know exactly how it works, but it indeed helps. It probably acidifies the urine to counteract the alkaline buildup.
Dr. Jean Hofve
Zucker, Martin. The Veterinarians’ Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats (p. 259). Crown. Kindle Edition.
The cranberry product I used for Jericho: Austin and Kat CBD Feline Formula.
Why?
- Added cranberry supports a healthy urinary tract
- CBD and omega-3 fatty acids from sardine control inflammation
Buy Austin and Kat CBD Feline Formula on their website.
Proanthocyanidins [in cranberries] have been found to serve a function in terms of reducing the ability of pathogenic bacteria to attach to the lining of the bladder. In order for a pathogen to create disease, it has to first attach to the organ that it is going to infect. By stopping and preventing pathogens from adhering to the lining of the bladder, we can effectively prevent urinary tract infection from occurring.
Dr. Robert Silver.
You can buy Dr. Silver’s Cranberry Rx on Amazon and Chewy.
7. Best At Home Care for Urinary Health
Here’s my personal experience with at-home care for urinary health.
Note: Jericho’s doctor also comes to visit him once yearly. Please do the same in addition to the at-home care below.
Urinalysis labs for cats
I use urine test strips at home to monitor urinary health. These are not 100% accurate. But they come in handy for monitoring in between urinalysis exams.
Affordable Pet Labs sells at-home mail-in kits. Veterinarians created the company. And they use the same diagnostic labs that vets use.
I bought their kidney detection kit (including full urinalysis) and full fecal kit for Jericho.
Our experience with crystals
Jericho had struvite/triple phosphate crystals in 2021. His crystals are gone now in 2022.
Contributing problems:
- Not enough variety in the diet
- Stress from routine changes
- Feeding too much food
- Mealtimes too late in the day
Previously, Jericho ate 5.5 oz of ground mouse only and weighed 10.6 lbs. Meals were at 9 AM, 7:30 PM, and 10 PM. Jericho urinated around 8:45 AM and never wanted to urinate at night. I had to force him (also stressful).
My solutions:
- Slowly added more variety to his diet
- Fed meals at earlier times
- Gradually reduced total amount fed daily so that he would lose weight
Updated for 2023: Jericho eats between 3.7-4 ounces daily. Proteins include beef, chicken, turkey, and quail.
His diet consists of ground, chunked pieces of meat, raw meaty bones, and whole prey. He eats his main meals at 6:30 am and 6:30 pm. And he hunts for a small number of treats at 12. Notice the main meals are 12 hours apart.
I believe routine scheduled mealtimes, at earlier times, are necessary for regular litter box visits.
Additionally, he weighs about 10 pounds now which is closer to an ideal weight for him.
Test your cat’s water quality
Water is the most essential nutrient, and it’s essential for life.
Water quality (just like food quality) matters a lot. I tested my water quality with Tap Score (get $10 off $100+ purchase with that link).
My water quality was above the US average but still contains a bunch of chloroform and other chemicals that negatively affect kidney and immune function.
I found the best water treatment: AquaTru reversis osmosis. Read my AquaTru review here.
Buy the Glass carafe or Classic model and get a discount plus free filters with that link!
Litter box maintenance for urinary care
And of course, proper litter box care is a must! Your cat won’t use the box if it isn’t clean enough.
Cats refusing the box can cause serious health issues!
Check out how to keep litter box area clean for my routine.
Need a centralized place to keep track of everything related to your cat? Grab my Cat Care Binder Bundle!
8. Vet Resources for Cat Urinary Health
Find an integrative vet in your local area on AHVMA and CIVT.
Get labs done in your home with Affordable Pet Labs. Their urine and feces are mail-in kits that you collect and mail in. They will come to you to do bloodwork if you are in their service area. Get 10% off with code JESSCATICLES.
Please read the following veterinary resources on urinary health for cats:
There are numerous prescription canned foods that veterinarians use to try to control urinary crystals and stones, but often the same thing can be accomplished with balanced raw food or cooked diets, either homemade or commercially prepared.
Dr. Andrea Tasi, Feline Nutrition Foundation.
To be quite frank, if humans β including many of my veterinary colleagues β had a cork inserted into their urethra until they experienced the excruciating pain secondary to bladder distension and rupture, I have no doubt that they would start to take this issue much more seriously and STOP condoning the feeding of dry food to cats.
Dr. Lisa Pierson.
Another important goal is to switch cats eating dry food to canned food, and then preferably to a fresh, balanced, raw diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Feeding your cat only dry processed food can make her chronically dehydrated. Another step in managing this disease is to reduce inflammation in the body by eliminating pro-inflammatory (high-carbohydrate) foods, in particular corn, wheat, rice and millet.
Dr. Karen Becker.
An important component of the recommended treatment of FLUTD is the feeding of canned food or raw cat food exclusively, which are about 70% moisture. This increases the cat’s water intake, dilutes the urine and decreases the probability of crystals. Raw cat food, which contain adequate moisture as well as appropriate amounts of protein and fat, can also help cats get back to a more natural urinary balance of pH and urine concentration.
Dr. Eliza Katz, Feline Nutrition Foundation.
FAQ
What about dry cat food for urinary health?
There is no best dry cat food for urinary health.
Why?
Animals eating natural food diets, and more wet food, are less likely to develop this condition. Most commercial cat foods contain chemical acidifiers as a preventive. Some prescription diets recommended for cats with a history of FUS are so acidic that if an animal eats these types of foods long enough, they run the risk of developing calcium oxalate crystals that have to be removed surgically.
Dr. Jean Hofve
Zucker, Martin. The Veterinarians’ Guide to Natural Remedies for Cats (p. 259). Crown. Kindle Edition.
What about other prescription cat food for urinary health?
Focus on real food for health improvements. Don’t rely on supplements and additives.
If humans would just go back to feeding cats a species-appropriate diet β i.e. β one that has a water content that mimics a catβs normal prey and one that is based on meat, not grains β instead of trying to artificially manipulate a species-inappropriate diet of grains by adding acidifiers, the vast majority of urinary tract problems would be solved.
Dr. Lisa Pierson, catinfo.org.
What else can I look for in cat food for urinary health?
Taking it one step further, if the patient has a properly documented problem with bladder stones or a large amount of crystals, look for one that is low in phosphorus β either below ~1.0-1.2% dry matter (not βas fedβ), or below ~300 mg/100 kcal.
Dr. Lisa Pierson, catinfo.org.
Raised Right cat foods are below the phosphorus dry matter % range.
Smalls wet food recipes (except for fish) are below the mg/kcal range.
Final thoughts on cat food for urinary health
The best cat food for urinary health is high moisture, high meat, and low carb.
Natural remedies for urinary health include some herbs and cranberry.
I am not a medical doctor. I cannot tell you how much of what and what mixture to use for your cat.
However, these are general recommendations that holistic vets make for urinary health.
Again, you are taking these options and resources to your cat’s doctor to discuss what will work best for your cat.
Find a holistic vet on AHVMA and CIVT if your cat’s doctor is not open to these suggestions.
Please do not email me with questions about this.
I understand you need help. But I cannot advise any more than I have in this article.
Ready to ditch dry kibble and switch to healthy cat food? Get my proven plan that helps you switch to healthy wet or raw without the stress of dealing with a picky cat!
