Apple Cider Vinegar for Cat UTIs: Safe, Natural Relief

Last Saturday evening Mr. Pants, my 4 year old neutered male, started showing signs of urinary issues. My spouse found this site and he drove to the grocery store at 10pm and came back loaded up with ACV, coconut oil, cranberry juice and a load of wet food...

I followed the 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar to 2 tsps of water. He took it from a syringe and did it because he knows how much Momma loves him and trusts me completely... I stayed awake with him during the might, each trip to the bathroom showed no signs of movement; but come morning he was gettting drips out and over the last few days, the amount of urine has increased and he is well on his way to being back to normal...

The thought of going to a vet I dont trust, and the only one open on a Sunday was not an option. We have been very dilligent, and continue to dose twice to three times a day....checking the box after each visit.

So nearly one week later, the Pants is running around being a brat again lol

This site and all of your comments, put my mind at ease and have allowed me to finally relax.

I am looking into getting in touch with a hollistic Vet, as there are way better medicinal options out there that we can get in our local grocery stores.

Cheers to all of us Critter loving humans

My 18yr old cat displayed signs of a UTI last night when I got home from work and she is now symptom free. Her symptoms last night were: distressed meowing, squatting to pee every 2-3 minutes with little or no pee dribbling out, it was pink pee at first then went to dark red blood, unsettled and moving around (she wouldn't sit or lie still). She kept squatting over the air conditioner vents. You could tell she was very miserable.

Here is what I did:

1. Mixed equal portions of raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother) and filtered drinking water 50:50 mix. (All of our cats drink the same water we drink which is from a 10 stage filter we bought at whole foods for $100).

2. Used a 1.0mL syringe and gave her 1mL over a 15 minute period. I wouldn't give it to her all at once because it was strong! I gave about 1/3 then waited a few minutes. I gave her the second 1/3 then waited a few minutes. Then I gave her the last 1/3.

3. One hour later she was symptom free but I repeated the 1mL dose again to make sure she would be fine through the night.

When I woke the next morning she was cuddled next to me and purring like she always does in the mornings. She has not displayed ANY signs of illness since then. I went ahead and gave her another 1mL of the 50:50 mix and she threw up. I feel bad but I know now her body has enough apple cider vinegar in her system. I will switch her to the maintenance dose recommended in this article. I am planning to give this to her the rest of her life.

3 weeks ago I took her to the vet for the exact same symptoms and I didn't know what was going on (this was the first time it happened). I thought she was blocked and freaked out. The vet was able to gently push on her bladder and get her to urinate. That was a good sign because it meant she wasn't blocked. They analyzed her urine under a microscope and saw: bacteria, white blood cells, and red blood cells. The bacteria meant she had a UTI which explains the presence of the white blood cells. He gave her antibiotics Clavamox for 2 weeks. She took her last dose earlier this week. That's how I knew she had another UTI. She has no other medical history besides this.

The vet also explained that UTI's are common in older female cats because of their anatomy. Their genitals are close in proximity and if it doesn't stay clean they are prone to UTI's. If they poop and are not able to clean themselves well the bacteria can travel through the urethra and cause their UTI. It's the same for elderly women. If they wipe the wrong way such as back to front they are asking for a UTI. The bacteria travels. Just like in elderly women, elderly cats have a hard time moving as they get older and it becomes more difficult for them to keep the proper hygiene. To help with this I have bought 7th generation baby wipes (fragrance free) and I wipe her once per day.

On another note, I am switching her to a raw food diet. I have read so many good things about raw food and my boyfriend and I have decided to go with Nature's Variety - Instinct Chicken Formula. It's better to avoid giving fish to cats because it's hard for their kidneys to process it especially if they have kidney problems. Fish is not their natural diet.

Thank you so much for this site! I hope my feedback helps others.

I buried my 1 year 8 month old beautiful cat today from listening to these posts. If there is signs of blockage, the Apple Cider Vinegar will not dissolve crystals fast enough. 1st sign of blockage get them to a vet to drain the bladder. Our cat showed first signs Friday, and this morning he passed. Acv as preventative steady diet, yes! But will not unblock anything in the short time you have to react

Just wanted to Thank everyone for all the info. on apple cider vinegar for treating cat urinary tract problems.

My beautiful 10 year old peach calico, Misha, is sitting in my lap purring while I write this. Last week I thought I was going to lose her as I did two of my other cats due to uti. Luckily I found this site and decided to try the ACV treatment. I did change the dosage as when I tried to give her the ratio that was suggested she kept spitting it up.

So I decided to try the recipe I have used myself for arthritis: which is : 1 tsp of honey dissolved in 1 cup of warm (not hot!!! ) water and then add 1 tbsp of Apple cider vinegar and mix well. I started by giving her the first dose of 1cc with a syringe that evening. She did not spit this up... and since then I've given here 1cc 3 times daily. By the next evening she had used her litter box successfully and was resting relatively comfortably in her bed. Couldn't believe it!!!! So sorry that I didn't know about this when my other poor kitties needed help.

Anyway...a week has passed and today Misha chased her ball around the kitchen for the first time .She curled up with us to watch TV after supper. She is eating well and "talks" to us as she used to. She also purrs again!!!! I urge anyone who runs into this problem to at least give it a try. For us and Misha it was soooo worth it. Thanks again to everyone!!!

You should always take your cat to the vet to deal with blockages and UTI's they can become life-threatening very fast!

That being said.

My cat had a blockage last year about this time, he was hospitalized for a week and they put him on a lifetime diet of special food, and medications and a monthly vet visit to check his levels. I considered rehoming him because with the special food and medication he would have cost me over $300 a month.

I researched, found many use ACV, but he wouldn't touch food with ACV. I watched him, and noticed he did not really drink much, research and the vet said he needed more water to avoid a relapse. I had bought the water fountain my vet suggested (HE HATED IT). I was at a loss, so I added more water to his wet food. Adding slightly more daily. Still taking him to the vet monthly to check his levels and ensure he was healthy. After 3 months he was up to 1 cup of water in his 3.5 oz of cat food twice daily. No meds, no expensive food. Vet says he's very healthy, the quality of his fur has also improved. I bought the breeze litter system so I can monitor his urine because I worry after last years ordeal.

Over the summer I myself had a urinary blockage due to meds I am on for migraines, surgery hospital stay, all that fun. I talked to my urologist, he said ACV won't do a single thing to dissolve crystals, it's an old wives tale. He said real lemon juice will work, 8oz daily for the average person will dissolve the crystals, no idea of the cat dosage though.

I personally think my vet overreacted with lifetime meds and lifetime new special diet, especially as this was his first issue and he was 6 at the time. The new diet of watery wet food has worked amazing and he's a healthy happy cat.

We filled a little 5ml syringe up with 50/50 ACV (organic with the mother) and water, getting it down my cat was a challenge, but before we even finished the first syringe he peed all over me. Never thought I'd be so happy to have my cat pee all over me! He had taken a turn for the worse, had vomited once and was pooping on things, because he was trying to pee so hard and couldn't, so we were quite desperate. Almost instant relief! So grateful for this article! Thank you!

Thank you EARTH CLINIC! This remedy saved me another $75 vet bill. At first sign of UTI I came to your website and started my cat on ACV. I gave her 1/4 tsp. diluted 50/50 with water, 4 times a day to start and after just a couple of days I could tell she was almost completely better. It stressed her out too much to just administer like that so I mixed it with meat baby food (and additional water)and she lapped it right up with no problems. I also gave a couple of drops of kidney tonic mixed in. I will keep her on a lower dose to maintain UT health. Thanks again!!

I'm trying to cure UA in my cat that she's had for some time now. I've paid plenty to hear that she had been cured after treating her with medicine. I never seen any type of improvement in her health. Her urine is strong smelling and I was tired of wasting money on different vets. I decided to home remedy several things to help her. After a small amount of the 50/50 in her mouth, she immediately began foaming from the mouth and ran from me. Gave her some time and reapplied some more into her. Once again large foaming from her mouth began to happen again. Please tell me I'm not causing more problems to her by using this method to stop her suffering of UA??

Hi, I just left the vet before my 4yr old polydactyl (26 toes) Bambino, was even seen! I was sitting there with my 22 month old little boy and my sick cat for 3 hrs searching things like the truth about rabies vaccines (I knew they were going to say he needed his 2nd rabies vaccine, which I wasn't going to do since he is obviously sick and I have recently learned the truth about vaccines for humans) and the nurse came up to me and said the vet wants X-rays first. He hasn't even seen him, so I said no and continued to search how to naturally cure a UTI in cats...I happen to know the signs of UTI's and crystal blockages because I lost a cat to this years ago and that was after tons of $ spent on surgeries, antibiotics and prescription food, which now I know from reading this article is a bunch of money making garbage!!! So I left, they were saying your cat could die the Dr. hasn't even seen him yet.

I came home & gave him the 50/50 ACV and water, a 5ml syringe. He too foamed at the mouth. I also did 1 cup water 3T ACV and dipped his paws twice now and threw out his cheap dry cat food, gave him a can of tuna for now because he was looking to eat but I have to go buy him some wet healthy cat food...Any suggestions on what food to start feeding him? And should I continue to do the ACV/water 3 or 4 times a day? He did foam while I was giving it to him, but he seemed so much better right afterward...and I know that he wasn't completely blocked because he peed a little on me at the vet when I was trying to get him on the scale 👎 He seems ok now, actually up walking around looking to see what me & baby are doing. He was super sick this morning walking around crying trying to pee and squealing. He looked sick & tired! Now he looks pretty good. I was planning on continuing the ACV methods in this article until reading this post.

Thank you so much!!!!!!!!

I am sorry I didn't see this sooner, but I've just discovered it myself. You dip your cat's paw in the ACV dilution (1/2 c. distilled water, 1/2 c. of ACV). The skin absorbs the ACV in the bloodstream. Easy, non-coercive way to help your cat! You can also put on the scruff of his neck. 1/2 teaspoon absorbed in a cottonball. Treatment needs to be 3 times per day (every 5 hours or so).

Apple cider vinegar helped/possibly cured my cat! Homeopathic solutions are always a priority for me. So I'm constantly searching the web for cures to ailments that constantly seem to creep up, especially for my 6yr old, female cat, Loca. Though she drinks her water, and eats primarily wet food, with a small scoop of dry when I'm away, it seems Loca continues to get UTI's and/or crystals? After several trips to different vets, and prescriptions for antibiotocs that never seemed to have lasting effects, I gave up, and decided to seek my own remedy. Knowing the benefits that humans have from using apple cider vinegar (acv) with "the mother, " I decided to research it's affects on cats. Hello Earthclinic! I read how many pet parents used Apple Cider Vinegar to help their cats with UTI'S, and decided to try it. It worked!

Before acv, Loca was urinating on herself, and had crystals in her urine. After giving her half a capful of acv, with 2 tsp of water, mixed into wet food, for a week, Loca began to get better! No more crystals, no more wetting herself, and even her belly seemed to start shrinking! It sounds crazy, but it's true! She's even playing more!

I'm so happy to have discovered this site, and to have had such great results from something natural and affordable. Thank you all! I hope other pet parents can have the same positive results.

Hi, just wanted to share how I get the apple cider vinegar into my cat to treat a UTI. From the Amish market here I get raw pet food. It is ground chicken/turkey maybe rabbit. My cat loves it, so I put @ 1/2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar in a bowl and add 1/4 cup raw food, mix well and he takes it without problem. Sometimes I add a small bit of water. I hope this is helpful.

This according to the ASPCA's website:

"Common symptoms include:

Regarding water ... I mix the minimum (in cool weather) / more than the minimum amount (in hot weather) with my cat's dry (species specific) food, every meal. I also give Coconut oil when they show signs of illness (many times it corrects the problem, but there have been times of injury when it didn't & I took them to the vet). I also use C.O. reg. to prevent or move hairballs, as it's more effective than any other remedy I've tried, & mine LOVE it (except 1 that gets it put on his paw to lick off)! It works *great* for so many things, & they don't want to settle down at night until they've had their C.O.! I've also read that Coconut *water* is very useful for human UTIs.... Just thought I'd share.

My son adopted the best cat ever from our local shelter. Sadly he has had some health issues and was underweight. He has never peed outside the litterbox in all nearly 3 years we've had him (he is almost 5yrs old now). He was getting frequent uti's and bleeding allover, straining to pee, crying in pain, laying in the bathtub for the coolness. We took him to the vet (cha ching $$$$$) she put him on a special diet (more $$$$). he ended up getting the uti again, and I found this site, tried the emergency apple cider vinegar method using organic ACV with mother, then every few hours...with a couple days healed!

This was over a year ago, he has not had another uti since and is eating quality food we buy locally, with is way more affordable than the what the vet sells. I highly recommend ACV. I thought it was worth a try before running to the vet$$.

At the side of the mouth always, that way it doesn't go into their lungs. Wise woman for knowing to ask that. Many people have killed baby kittens when handfeeding them because of feeding them with a syringe front on. While I'm on the subject of feeding kittens who don't have a mother- if anyones reading- I've had lots of experience and have found a lot die on the formula made for this purpose of feeding orphaned kittens- but ALL live when fed goats milk :) (animal rescuer)

Our cat had a urinary tract infection and we tried dipping his paw in ACV and water, he got better the next day!! However, he licked his paw so much that some of his chin fur got thin because he licked so much! It grew back.

My two year old cat had a really bad UTI.Vet gave amoxicillin for two weeks and a shot. Seemed to help but it came right back.Bloody urine and straining. Back on antibiotics. Still no improvement. I decided to do ACV and water in a dropper. I also mixed coconut oil and ACV and dipped her paws in it. In two days blood stopped, and soon she was able to urinate normally. We are still monitoring her condition and I will continue the treatment. I also stopped all fish, and of course no dry food. I add hot water to good quality wet food. Hope people try the ACV TREATMENT since that is what worked in my experience. I just don't know when I can stop. Do I do it all the time, since it's obvious it was crystals. By the way, my cat does not like the taste, and it isn't easy to administer!

The most peaceable way I treat my cat with ACV is on the scruff of her neck. Bonnie is only 7 lbs and has an extraordinarily small bladder so we go through UTIs quite often. Cats should never eat tuna, whitefish or any seafood, ever. I surprised our vet when I told her that I give our pets organic turmeric powder- 1/8th teaspoon mixed with canned food- she suggests continuing this course of action as it eases Bonnie's flow. She also suggested that we feed Bonnie salmon a few times a week. I began adding turmeric to my pets' food 15 years ago when our cat Jasper was diagnosed with skin cancer- that's when I found this site and became a more educated holistic pet care health advocate.

More than 2 years ago, my husband and I spent more $1000.00 vet bill to have our ragdoll cat Manuel unblocked and treated. Manuel was in agony, can't pee and was crying. He was hopsitalized for 3 days, after discharged he still was suffering. I researched and found vitamin, vet's + best supplements and gave it to manuel twice a day as well as hydrate him water by syringe. It helped and what a relief. Then I work full time and I wasn't able to give Manuel his supplement daily. Last week he started having bladder problem. I cant handle to see Manuel having urinary trouble.

I found this ACV, plus put back Manuel vitamin C, Vet's + Best Urinary Tract support, and natural pet Urinary Tract Irritations cat supplement, thank goodness it help. Manuel is peeing regularly as well as has BM regularly. Well, he didn't like like the taste of the water with ACV but force hydrate him. Bringing him back to vet it's sighing $$$$$$$$ bills...

Very good question, actually. There are a lot of foods that do not mix well with meds. Grapefruit, bran cereal (for humans) but uncertain which don't mix well for cats/dogs. Maybe a vet can answer that question for you. Good luck and thanks to everyone for this feed. My cat has been drinking a lot and licking himself, (he's an indoor/outdoor cat so no litter box) and has been prone to uti's in the past. I will try the apple cider vinegar mixed with water. I was going to use bone broth but most is cooked with onions which are dangerous to animals as the do something to the red blood cells. Tuna is bad for cats too as is dairy, grapes, raisins, dairy, sugar, alcohol, chocolate ;) just fyi.

So my 2 year old cat began straining to pee last night. He was trying to per in every corner of the house but nothing was happening. So I began to panic. He's never had problems before and all I kept reading was that he was going to die and it's a hefty bill if I brought him in. So torn up and frustrated, as I couldn't afford to bring him in, I turned to google for home remedies. Ran out to the 24 hour grocery store, bought acv. Gave him a dose and waited. Stayed up til 5am and nothing happened, gave another dose. 5 hours later, still nothing and now he's throwing up and looking lethargic. But then suddenly, he peed. Not in the box but he peed quite a bit. This continued for about 20 mins. Just continuously peeing but not going in the box. I was so happy to see him finally have relief. But now my concern is is lack of control of his bladder. It's about 24 hrs since his first dose and he's looking better but is dribbling and not making an effort to use to box. He'll use it if I put him in it but he won't choose it. And will dribble if I pick him up. Is this just because he was so stressed and maybe this will get better with time? There's no blood, so that's also a bonus. But is this another issue? Or is this progress and things might look brighter with more time and doses? My poor kitty. I would love to get some feed back or opinions

My six year old cat, 12 pounds, on a rice and chicken dry food diet, came down with a uti. After reading the comments here, I forwarded the whole thing to my niece, who is one of the leading cat vets in Canada. She came back and said yes, ACV with the mother is the best thing, as no drug, sadly, is very effective for this.

Switched over to a wet food regime, including liver, plus 1 mm of ACV w/mother in a 2 tablespoons to 8 oz. water (well) once daily administered with a 1 mm syringe in her mouth and voila...she's a healthy, cured, happy cat within a week.