Natural Treatment for Cat Urinary Tract Infections

“Natural treatment” normally means homeopathic medicines, which I list below. It should also include common sense ways to prevent feline urinary tract infections (UTIs) occurring. Preventative action can also be a form of treatment if applied after the cat has the infection.

This post is not a substitute for a veterinary diagnosis and treatment. Vets would usually advise what I refer to, below, as “basics” and also administer antibiotics. However, there may be wider health problems that a good vet will spot.

These basics should be in place:

1. Reduction in stress – stress can exacerbate and be a cause of feline UTIs. A cat’s owner would need to decide on the reason for the stress. Perhaps (a) being left alone too long or (b) hostility in a multicat house. Bach® Rescue Remedy may be suitable to calm a stressed cat. The better cure is to remove the cause.
2. Intake of water should be high or at least at normal levels. This means two things to me (a) making sure your cat drinks properly and (b) providing wet cat food as it contains 80% water. The former can be achieved by, for example, adding water to a favorite cat food treat such as cooked fish. Each cat has their own preferences.

List of natural treatments for cat urinary tract infections

Cystitis is a common UTI. It refers to an inflammation of the bladder. Two reliable sources prescribe Cantharis for cystitis with pain and frequent straining to urinate and, possibly, with blood in the urine. My sources are (a) President of the British Association of Homeopathic Surgeons, Richard Allport and (b) Dr. H. G. Wolfe in his/her book Homeopathy For Your Cat (pages 75-79).

Cantharis for pets can be purchased online at Amazon.com (North America):

It is also available in the UK – please click on this link to go to the relevant page of Amazon.co.uk. Link broken but you can find the product by searching on Amazon.

Note: Dr Wolfe appears to make no distinction between homeopathic treatments for animals and humans. This is because she sees humans as a “human animal”, which is of course correct. She refers to Cantharis 4 or 6. The numbers relate to the strength of the medicine.

You can click on the image below to purchase Cantharis 6 for all animals!

According to Dr Wolfe, the full course of natural treatment for cystitis is this sequence:

1. Belladonna 6  – one dose every 2 hours until improvements seen, then 3x per day for 3 days. Belladonna 6x is available on Amazon.com
2. Cantharis 4 or 6 as referred to above – administered every hour or two hours.
3. Berberis 3 or Sulphur 6 for a few days. Sulphur 6x is available on Amazon.com.

Urinary calculus can block the urethra. Urinary calculus is the solid component of the urine. Apparently neutered male cats and Persian cats may be more prone to this condition. This is a serious condition and veterinary treatment is strongly advised.

Dr. Wolfe recommends (a) Sabal serrulatum 3 or (b) Lycopodium 30 and Berberis 3 (c) Magesium carbonica 30 in conjunction with Lycopodium 30 – one tablet of one daily alternating with the other.

Note: homeopathic remedies are controversial. In Britain, the NHS spends several millions of pounds yearly on these treatments but that is a tiny fraction of the overall budget. The best known and widely accepted homeopathic treatment is Rescue Remedy, which is fine for people and animals. Many people have found it useful.

The beauty of these treatments is that they are natural. There are no side effects. All conventional medicines are described as a “poison” by some vets. Yes, they can cure, but they can also harm.

Administering Homeopathic Treatments

Dr Wolfe provides this advice:

• Extremely cooperative cat: “crush a tablet between two spoons and apply the powder to the tongue with a damp fingertip“.
• Place the crushed medicine on the cat’s front paws (nice idea but this can only work if the cat is in the middle of grooming or about to groom, as opposed to going outside).
• Put crushed tablet into ground meat/cat food  – the usual way. The medicine needs to be administered regularly so not too much at one time.
• Stir crushed tablet into cat milk (commercially available cat milk).
• Stir tablet into cat’s water.
• Some of these treatments are in liquid form (Rescue Remedy) so they can be added to water or perhaps placed on the cat’s tongue or in the mouth.