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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how the feck am I meant to get a urine sample...from a cat?!

28 replies

Lex345 · 28/03/2023 20:21

Just that really-she has had a little bit of blood in her wee and is at the vets tomorrow, they want me to try and get a sample?! I don't think running the tap and dangling her over a small pot is going to help me here! Any advice at all???

OP posts:
Purplebunnie · 28/03/2023 20:23

Our vets gave us special crystals to put in the litter tray or something like that I can't remember

Littlegoth · 28/03/2023 20:24

Empty litter tray. If she won’t go in it you can get plastic litter type thing from pets at home

Gymmum82 · 28/03/2023 20:24

Get katkor cat litter. Put it in a clean tray. It comes with a pipette to suck it up with and a sample pot. Ask your vet for some or you might be able to get it in pets at home

ComtesseDeSpair · 28/03/2023 20:24

Clean empty litter tray and keep her indoors until she eventually breaks and pees in it.

My parents had to do this with their elderly cat recently. When the vet said they’d need to get a sample they were just like, we’ve owned this cat for 14 years and we’ve never seen him wee in his life. The empty litter tray eventually did it, but he did have to spend 24 hours living in the tiny utility room until he broke and used it.

coffeecupsandwaxmelts · 28/03/2023 20:25

Ask the vet for special non-absorbent litter. Pop it in the tray and when they go, you can just syringe it out and pop it in the sample tube.

Purplebunnie · 28/03/2023 20:25

Sorry my reply is not helpful at all. Fingers crossed it's something that can be treated with antibiotics and if she is a table refuser Lick-E-Lix (sp) is a game change. Crush the tablet up and mix with a bit of Lick-E-Lix

Findyourneutralspace · 28/03/2023 20:25

You can get a kit from the vets. It’s a special kind of litter.

Sagittarius25 · 28/03/2023 20:26

You can buy special non absorbent cat litter that comes with a little thing to collect the urine with - not helpful when you need the sample for tomorrow though and you can only get the special litter from the vet or online!

I've had to try and get samples from mine twice before, once I could and the other time I couldn't. They can also do a procedure where they use a needle to draw out urine through the abdomen. But to be honest during the time when I couldn't get a sample, they had enough symptoms to diagnose a UTI anyway.

I now have non absorbent cat litter stored in the house just in case!

Melassa · 28/03/2023 20:26

There is this plastic litter you can get, it comes with a pipette to draw up the wee. You can buy these at most pet good stores. The amount in the packet is minuscule, my cat demands 2 packets before even considering going in.

alternatively your vet can extract wee with a syringe in the bladder.

DobbyTheHouseElk · 28/03/2023 20:28

Clean the litter tray. Empty it. Shut cat in room with litter tray for 24 hrs. Wait for a wee. Then if nothing happens ask vet for the special plastic litter that is non absorbent. Add that to tray. Cat thinks it’s safe, does big wee, you then use a sterile syringe to suck up the warm wee and drive it off to the vet.

well that’s what I did anyway.

TroysMammy · 28/03/2023 20:28

You get some special crystals that are non absorbent and a pipette and tube. I had to do it years ago and the cat in question was crying and whinging to go out. I said "if you do a wee in the tray I'll open the door". To my amazement he had a wee in the tray.

Original poster
Lex345 · 28/03/2023 20:29

Ah thank you-they wanted me to take one along tomorrow but I can't see it happening, she knows I have committed the ultimate betrayal and booked her in at the vets, which she hates, and it will be a miracle if I manage to get her in the pet carrier, much less rock up with a perfectly preserved specimen. Had visions of me chasing round trying to fit some sort of special absorbant nappy 😂

OP posts:
DobbyTheHouseElk · 28/03/2023 20:31

Another time I managed to “catch” the wee in a travel soap dish which had recently been in the dishwasher. That was interesting. Taking the wee to the vet in a soap dish. I told them I didn’t want it back.

Original poster
Lex345 · 28/03/2023 20:38

DobbyTheHouseElk · 28/03/2023 20:31

Another time I managed to “catch” the wee in a travel soap dish which had recently been in the dishwasher. That was interesting. Taking the wee to the vet in a soap dish. I told them I didn’t want it back.

Haha I don't blame you! Although I have to ask....how did you do that?! I dont think she would let me near her whilst she wees. I will try the empty litter tray over night but I am not hopeful!

OP posts:
DobbyTheHouseElk · 28/03/2023 20:49

Elderly diabetic cat so a very full bladder. Basically picked up cat and his bladder released all over me and the stairs. Luckily I’d just washed the soap dish and it was sitting on the stairs on way to the bathroom! Grabbed it and caught what I could.

Original poster
Lex345 · 28/03/2023 21:08

Oh bless! Lucky with the soap dish though lol

OP posts:
Rebel2 · 28/03/2023 21:11

I waited until he was committed to going then shoved a clean shallow tray under his bum and then a jug into the tube
His face was "that's PRIVATE" Grin
The vet did give me the litter too but I saw a chance and went for it
Also it was over £100 for urine testing...

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 28/03/2023 21:12

If she's anything like mine, leave a piece of clothing on the bathroom floor. Every fucking time.

Rainsdropskeepfalling · 28/03/2023 21:15

Get special litter from vet. Shut cat in room. Cat crosses legs for 3 days. Take cat to vets along with unused special litter. Cat comes out of the box, goes under vets desk and pees in the corner. Vet gets a pipette and sucks up sample from the floor.

Done exactly this at least twice.

saraclara · 28/03/2023 23:05

Yep, Katkor is your friend. Little plastic beads instead of litter. Our vet sells it. My last cat had loads of urine infection, so I ended up buying half a dozen packs from Amazon (they're really cheap) so I always had some in.

I never knew quite what to do with it afterwards though! Semmed a bit riskly to wash it and use it again in case it messed with the test. So I'd rinse it under the garden tap and put it in recycling!

Original poster
Lex345 · 29/03/2023 07:44

I managed to get one! Its only a drop but managed to get some in a syringe, hopefully that will be enough to be tested, just hope she is OK, she is only 5 :(

OP posts:
Rebel2 · 29/03/2023 08:31

Lex345 · 29/03/2023 07:44

I managed to get one! Its only a drop but managed to get some in a syringe, hopefully that will be enough to be tested, just hope she is OK, she is only 5 :(

If it turns out to be cystitis, Cystophan (Amazon have it) is a good supplement and my fussy cat will happily eat it

DifficultBloodyWoman · 29/03/2023 08:50

Oh, you poor people!

What crimes have you committed to be punished this way?

🤣😂🤣😂🤣

Redebs · 29/03/2023 08:53

I was wondering if you had to use one of those adhesive envelope things they use on newborn babies.

CiderWithLizzie · 29/03/2023 08:53

Our vet got a urine sample by putting a syringe into her bladder from the outside (tummy?).