Along with the daily maintenance of your cat's litter box, pay attention to her stool, along with your cat's health. Health problems stemming from litter boxes are common. An ailment that your feline may easily contract is Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).

You probably already enjoy kitty's affection, and know she needs your love, demonstrating snuggling, purring, and eating well. It's easy to overlook a UTI. Cats have a high threshold for pain, and it's important to make sure she is using her litter box, not the floor, for her business. If excretion habits have changed, she may have contracted UTI.  It's up to us to pay attention.

The symptoms become clear and include her crying piteously when she urinates, or tries to urinate and little or nothing comes out. She may cry as well during your usual calming and grooming period. But the most obvious symptom of UTI is blood in her stool.

If she abandons her litter box, she may be associating it, in kitty logic, with fear and pain, stemming from UTI. If she urinates on a light colored surface, the blood is more obvious. But check any puddles you come across around your home. If you're lucky and your cat continues using her litter box, check her output on a regular basis, to insure her good health.

Feline UTI is not a permanent infection, and is treatable with antibiotics at your veterinarian's clinic. Call them immediately, and they will probably ask you to bring her in for evaluation.

After kitty is evaluated and treated, she should regain her routine litter box habits. If she seems to have trouble readjusting, give her a short period of confinement with her litter box. This method of recognizance has proven to be highly effective.

You can prevent future UTI's with a permanent change in your cat's diet. Consult with your vet as to what modifications will be healthy to avoid another UTI breakout. Kitty has only you to rely upon, and in return, you're rewarded with invaluable affection.