Can a dirty litter box cause my cat to keep getting UTIs?

Is she getting tested after finishing Clavamox? She could just be having the same UTI over and over and the Clavamox isn't killing it off. It just gets suppressed for a while.

As to the dirty litter box, maybe it is contributing to the problem, maybe it isn't. Supposedly most UTIs in cats often are never found to have a specific cause. I'm a lazy litter box cleaner as well, but my cat hasn't gotten a UTI in the 8 years I've had her.

One thing you might want to make sure is the cat is drinking enough. If it is eating dry food, try substituting some wet, or using a bubbling water fountain to encourage drinking. This will help keep the cat well hydrated.

It could certainly help. Holding your urine in can cause UTIs, and if she holds it in in hopes of coming back later and finding a cleaner box, then it could be the cause of her infections. You should really clean it twice a day, but even if you'd just do it once a day, it'd make such an improvement. Try doing it as soon as you get up in the morning, or before you go to bed. Then it'll be routine. Plus the more often you clean a litter box, the less work it'll be to clean it.

You could also try switching her to wet food if she's currently on dry. That usually helps with UTIs.

No, UTIs are caused by what she's eating. I'll guess you are giving her commercial dry cat food. (Because most commercial cat foods are garbage, my cats get home cooking. Before "commercial pet foods" became Big Business, people gave their pets table scraps and/or home cooking -- and were, probably, healthier for it. That having been said....)

Give your cat (canned) fish with (pure, nothing added) Cranberry Juice in it**, a couple times a week. Tuna and salmon mix best (flavorwise) with CJ, but there are other fishes, as well. The only times my cats have had UTIs is when they've eaten commercial dry cat foods (Meow Mix, Friskies -types)...[so, I try not to give them that stuff any more... and they get CJ, often, as maintenance.]

Cranberry Juice can be found in most health food stores and, usually, in the all-natural or organic sections of grocery stores. It costs $7 - $10 per 32 ounce bottle, but lasts a long time, and keeps well. RW Knudsen Juices, sometimes, has coupons available on it website to help defray the cost. There are other good brands, too, of course.

For those times that my cats had UTIs, giving them the fish/CJ for 2 or 3 days (twice a day), the infections cleared up... maybe within 24-36 hours of the first dose.

** Mix about a capful in to 5 oz. of fish.

[SO WEIRD... YAHOO told me this question was deleted. ;) ]

She needs to have a clean litter box! She may be going in the box , checks things out and leaves only to hold her urine and come back later. If the box is really bad you are lucky she doesn't pee on the floor or furniture.

Scoop the box twice daily, its not that bad to do and after 10yrs you certainly should tolerate it!

Would you pee in a toilet that was flushed 2 times a week-I think not

Litter boxes should be cleaned regularly. I am not sure if this has anything to do with your cat's situation, but it is a good rule.

yes, once your cat gets neutured hell stop spraying or urinating outside the litter box. cats are really to get neutured since they are around 5 months.

The litter box but it may also be the health problems she already has---FOR REAL MAN--CLEAN THE BOX how would you like to have to poo and pee on days old crap--think about animals like you would children-would you let your child be in a shity diaper for days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well wtf, why would you leave it dirty