Urinary tract infections are painful for your cat, so you don’t want to mess around with food after food, trying to get it under control. That is why we created this comprehensive guide to help walk you through everything that you need to know to get the right food the first time.
Whether you’re looking for recommendations to take to your vet for a prescription or you need a more affordable, non-prescription option, we’ve got you covered. We tracked down the 10 best choices and came up with comprehensive reviews for each one.
It’s time to get your cat’s urinary health under control, and it all starts here.
Disclaimer: The foods reviewed here were chosen because they have certain characteristics that might help with some of the causes or consequences of this medical condition. However, they are not a medical treatment or a substitute for medical treatment. Keep in mind that each medical case is different and what works for some pets may not work for others. Your veterinarian is the right person to advise you on the best diet for your pet’s individual case.
A Quick Glance At Our Favorites in 2024
A Quick Glance At Our Favorites in 2024| Image | Product | Details | ||
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Best Overall
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Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription |
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Click to Save 40% Use code: PetKeen2023 |
Budget Buy
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Purina Pro Plan Urinary Tract Health Cat Food |
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Check Price |
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Royal Canin Vet Diet Urinary Dry Cat Food |
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Check Price |
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Hill's Prescription c/d Urinary Care Cat Can Food |
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Check Price | |
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Blue Buffalo Vet Diet Cat Food |
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The 11 Best Cat Foods for Urinary Tract Health
1. Smalls Human-Grade Fresh Cat Food Subscription — Best Overall
| Food Type: | Fresh Wet Food |
| Primary Protein: | Chicken |
| Sizes: | Packs of 11.5 oz |
| Crude Protein Percent: | 15 |
One of the very best cat foods for urinary tract health is Smalls Human Grade Fresh recipes. The Fresh Bird recipe features chicken thigh, chicken breast, chicken liver, green beans, and peas as the first five ingredients. This food, along with the other recipes in the Human Grade Fresh line, is very rich in moisture and will give your cat the extra hydration they need for optimal kidney and urinary health.
Smalls ensures your cat gets a top-quality diet that is nutritionally balanced and closely mimics their wild diet. The company uses only USDA-certified ingredients fit for human consumption. Smalls follows AAFCO guidelines in their formulas to ensure standards are met for overall nutritional quality for all life stages.
In addition to being high in moisture, this recipe is also low in carbohydrates which is perfect for our carnivorous feline friends. This food does come at a higher price, as a lot goes into the production and standards needed to craft these high-quality fresh foods.
Smalls is a subscription service, which may not be suitable for everyone. Getting started with Smalls is a seamless process and if you are not fully satisfied, you can cancel at any time. Remember to set aside some space in the refrigerator or freezer, as fresh foods will need to be stored properly.
2. Purina Pro Plan Focus Urinary Tract Health — Budget Buy
| Food Type: | Dry |
| Primary Protein: | Chicken |
| Sizes: | 3.5, 7, 16, or 22 pounds |
| Crude Protein Percent: | 31 |
Not everyone has the money to go to the vet and get a prescription for cat food to help get their cat’s urinary tract problems under control. While prescribed foods certainly have their perks, not every cat with a sensitive urinary system needs them.
This is where an option like Purina Pro Plan Focus Adult Urinary Tract Health comes into play. It does not require a prescription and is extremely affordable, making it the best cat food for urinary tract health for the money.
Even without a prescription, it helps lower pH levels to help keep your cat’s urinary tract system under control, and linoleic acid helps your cat develop a healthy coat.
But for everything that this Purina does right with this cat food, it is a lower-priced option for a reason. For starters, chicken is not the first ingredient. The crude protein content of 31% is a direct result of this. That amount is enough, but it’s a far cry from the 40% that some other dry foods have.
This food also has lower fiber amounts. This means your cat will feel hungry again sooner than later, which can lead to overfeeding if you’re not careful.
3. Royal Canin Vet Diet Urinary SO Dry Cat Food
| Food Type: | Dry |
| Primary Protein: | Chicken |
| Sizes: | 7.7 and 17.6 pounds |
| Crude Protein Percent: | 32.5 |
If you’re not worried about the price and just want the best of the best, then Royal Canin’s Veterinary Diet Urinary SO Dry Cat Food is just what you’ve been looking for. There’s no doubt that it does a great job at preventing and controlling urinary tract problems, but it’s also extremely expensive.
Royal Canine’s key to success is its Relative Super Saturation methodology that helps lower the ion concentration in your cat’s urine. Ion is one of the primary components in struvite stones, so this food works wonders at keeping your cat healthy.
It also has tons of helpful nutrients like omega-3s and fiber to keep your cat healthy day after day. But this cat food is expensive, and you’ll also need a prescription to order it in the first place.
That said, if you go to the vet and your cat needs specialty food, they should have no problem putting in a prescription for the best of the best.
4. Hill’s Prescription c/d Urinary Care
| Food Type: | Wet |
| Primary Protein: | Pork liver and chicken |
| Sizes: | 2.9-ounce pack of 12 |
| Crude Protein Percent: | 6 |
Hill’s makes tons of prescription-quality pet foods for a wide array of ailments, so it’s no surprise that it has something for urinary problems. Its Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care food excels at helping cats.
The wet food design is easy for kittens to break down and eat, and Hill’s unique recipe can help tackle just about any urinary problem that your kitten is facing. It has everything that your kitten needs to grow and stay healthy, but we do wish the crude protein amount was a bit higher. It has enough for your kitten, but more would be better.
Just like all Hill’s Science Diet products, you need a prescription to order it, so you’ll have to visit your vet. But considering how well this product helps regulate your kitten’s pH levels, you should have no problem getting a prescription.
5. Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet W+U
| Food Type: | Wet |
| Primary Protein: | Chicken |
| Sizes: | 5.5-ounce pack of 24 |
| Crude Protein Percent: | 8.5 |
If you are looking for a great combination of price and performance to help you find a wet cat food that your cat will happily scarf down, but since it has weight control and urinary tract health benefits, you don’t need to worry about overfeeding!
Some of the best parts are what you can’t see just by looking at it. It’s a completely natural diet and contains tons of fiber to help your cat feel full longer.
It’s a great choice but that does not mean it is perfect. For starters, it’s a prescription diet. That means you will need to go to a vet who will prescribe it for your cat. This usually isn’t hard to do, but it does require an extra trip to the vet and a bit more money.
While it’s a more affordable prescription food option, it’s still more expensive than non-prescription options. That’s especially true when you consider how fast your cat will go through wet food. It’s a great product, but you have to be able to afford it.
6. Hill’s Prescription c/d Multicare Urinary Care Cat Food
| Food Type: | Dry |
| Primary Protein: | Chicken |
| Sizes: | 4, 8.5, and 17.6 pounds |
| Crude Protein Percent: | 30 |
Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care dry food has four different bag sizes to choose from, but none of them are cheap. While the price tag might be a bit high, the 17.6-pound option does last quite a while.
It’s also sure to get your cat’s urinary tract problems under control because it helps control their pH levels and actively helps dissolve any struvite stones ailing your cat. There are tons of helpful vitamins to promote a healthy immune system and a healthy coat.
But just like Hill’s wet food has a lower crude protein content, so does its dry food. Pair that with the fact that you need a prescription and that it’s extremely expensive.
It’s a good choice but you can also do better.
7. Iams ProActive Health Urinary Tract Health Cat Food
| Food Type: | Dry |
| Primary Protein: | Chicken |
| Sizes: | 3.5, 7, and 16 pounds |
| Crude Protein Percent: | 32 |
Iams ProActive Health Urinary Tract Health cat food is a product that can help get your cat’s urinary tract health under control, without a prescription. It’s an extremely affordable option, and it has plenty of ingredients that promote urinary health and a strong immune system.
Iams ProActive Health Urinary Tract Health cat food helps reduce pH levels and has real chicken as the first ingredient. The high vitamin E content helps support a strong immune system, and the 32% crude protein content gives cats more enough to stay happy and healthy.
While it’s not as effective as prescription foods, if your cat doesn’t have a severe condition, it might be all that they need to keep urinary tract infections at bay without you needing to spend a ton of money on prescription food.
8. Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care Cat Food
| Food Type: | Wet |
| Primary Protein: | Pork and Chicken |
| Sizes: | 5.5 ounces pack of 24 |
| Crude Protein Percent: | 8.5 |
Hill’s has a wet food option that can help get your cat’s urinary tract problems under control. There are tons of helpful nutrients in this food, and it helps your cat regulate their pH levels for a healthy urinary system. It also helps to actively dissolve struvite stones if your cat already has them.
While your cat will want to chow down on this cat food immediately, you’ll need a prescription to order it. Furthermore, even once you have the prescription, you’ll need to spend quite a bit of money every time you place an order. For most cats, that could be every week or two.
Also, if your cat has a sensitive stomach, this food uses multiple protein sources. If you transition your cat slowly, they might be able to make the change, but you might need to go to a single protein source option instead.
9. Diamond Care Urinary Support Formula Cat Food
| Food Type: | Dry |
| Primary Protein: | Chicken |
| Sizes: | 6 or 15 pounds |
| Crude Protein Percent: | 30 |
You may not have heard of Diamond Care Urinary Support Formula cat food, but it could be the combination that you need between a prescription level and a low-cost food. You don’t need a prescription for this food, which is another huge perk.
It has a decent fiber amount to help keep your cat feeling full, and Diamond Care packed it full of healthy vitamins to support a healthy immune system. Like all the best urinary tract foods out there, it helps your cat regulate their pH levels, but it can’t do it as well as a prescription product.
While this is undoubtedly a more affordable product for urinary health, it is still a bit more expensive than most non-prescription cat foods. The protein content is also on the lower side of things.
Still, if a regular non-prescription food isn’t cutting it but you can’t afford a prescription option, Diamond Care Urinary Support Formula is worth a shot.
10. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diet UR St/Ox Urinary Cat Food
| Food Type: | Dry |
| Primary Protein: | Chicken |
| Sizes: | 6 or 16 pounds |
| Crude Protein Percent: | 40 |
While you’re certainly getting a food that’s better for your cat’s urinary health than some other Purina food, you’re also spending more for its Pro Plan Veterinary Diets UR St/Ox Urinary Formula.
But it does do a great job of regulating pH levels. It also reduces the chances of calcium oxalate stones from coming back and helps dissolve struvite stones.
Furthermore, the 40% protein content is higher than any other prescription urinary health cat food. Even so, though, chicken isn’t the first ingredient, and this food is just too expensive. It’s not a bad choice, but you can do better if you’re getting prescription food.
11. Wysong Uretic Natural Dry Cat Food
| Food Type: | Dry |
| Primary Protein: | Chicken |
| Sizes: | 5 pounds |
| Crude Protein Percent: | 42 |
Wysong Uretic Dry Cat Food isn’t a huge brand name product, but that doesn’t mean it can’t help your cat tackle their urinary tract problems.
There are tons of vitamins that help regulate pH levels, tons of fiber, and tons of crude protein. To top it off, it’s available for a great price, even if only a five-pound bag option is available.
The best part is that you don’t need a prescription to order this product, which means you can give it a shot today, and you don’t need to spend much money do it.
While it’s better than a cat food that doesn’t specialize in getting urinary tract problems under control, it’s the least effective option on this list. Maintaining and regulating your cat’s urinary system is an afterthought with this food, not the primary purpose.
Buyer’s Guide: Selecting The Best Cat Food for Urinary Tract Health
If you’re still confused about what cat food you need or how to order it, you’re not alone. We created this comprehensive buyer’s guide to walk you through everything that you need to know.
Prescription vs. Nonprescription
When you’re shopping for cat foods to help get your cat’s urinary health under control, you can effectively break down all the foods into two different categories: prescription and non-prescription.
While prescription foods typically work better, they’re also more expensive, and of course, you’ll need to go to the vet and get a prescription.
But even if you’re fine with getting prescription cat food, it’s best to have an idea of what you want before you go. There’s a drastic difference in prescription food prices, and your vet may not always have your best interests at heart when they prescribe a food.
A vet can get kickbacks on prescription pet foods up to 40%! So, do your homework and try to find the best possible food for your cat, instead of solely relying on the vet.
How to Order a Prescription Cat Food Online
If you’re ordering prescription cat food, you don’t need to head to any specific store to get it. In fact, the most affordable way to order your prescription cat food is to do it online!
If you’re worried about how to order prescription cat food online, a site like Chewy makes it easy. You have two options. First, you can simply order the food and input your vet’s information. Chewy will reach out to your vet and get the prescription, and that’s all you need to do!
Second, you can simply upload a picture of the subscription and then order the food. Afterward, Chewy will verify the subscription and send the food! Ordering a prescription cat food online couldn’t be easier.
Protein and Fiber
While protein and fiber might not help out with your cat’s urinary health, they are still crucial ingredients in your cat’s food. Protein is what your cat needs to grow and maintain healthy bones, and it’s what your cat uses to get most of their energy.
Fiber, on the other hand, helps your cat feel full and promotes good digestive health. That’s why foods that support weight management are high in fiber. Fiber keeps your cat feeling full, which means they will bother you a bit less about filling up their food dish!
It’s All About the pH
When you’re trying to get your cat’s urinary health under control, you know that their body must maintain a healthy pH level. This isn’t something that you need to measure to monitor, but it’s something that you need to look for when buying cat food.
Luckily, every cat food on this list does a great job of regulating pH levels. It was our primary factor in evaluating cat foods that help with urinary health, and all these foods stood out from the pack!
High-quality cat food is an important part of fostering a long and healthy life for your cat but the right cat food and water dish will promote good posture, offer whisker relief, and aid in good digestion. The Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl is our favorite bowl since it offers all of the above and is beautifully crafted to meet modern home stylings. The wide tray design catches any food and water spills and the entire setup is dishwasher safe. Learn more about the Hepper NomNom Cat Bowl here.
At Pet Keen, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
Conclusion
If you’re still a bit unsure about what you need after reading the reviews, why not go with our top choice? The Smalls Human Grade Fresh recipe features chicken thigh, chicken breast, chicken liver, green beans, and peas as the first five ingredients.
If you don’t have a prescription or just need something more affordable, Purina’s Pro Plan Focus Adult Urinary Tract Health is a great choice too. Either way, if your cat has urinary tract problems, you need to get special food for them sooner rather than later!
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Featured Image Credit: catinrocket, Shutterstock
