Originally posted by ratchet22
QUESTION? How do you know your cat would have this stone or crystal problem? I use scoopable cat littler, would it still be noticeable? I would hate to have one of them have it, and not know because I didnt know about it, or didnt see it......
You will know because they won't be able to pee. The stones and/or crystals block the urinary tract and they can't pee. This is a life threatening situation. If the urine can't get out, it will become toxic to the cat and death can occur within 24 hours. So if you ever notice any of your cats - male or female - straining to pee and nothing or just little dribbles come out, don't wait until morning when the vet opens, take them in immediately!

Thanks so much everybody for all the info. Phred, I agree with your assessment of her first paragraph. If not for your endorsement of the content of the rest of her site, that first statement would be enough to make me close the site immediately - which is the exact opposite of what you want visitors to your site to do (according to my most recent classes that is ). I suppose if I told her Tubby lived to the ripe old age of 18 1/2 eating only dry cat food his entire life, she'd tell me he would have lived to 25 if I had fed him her "natural diet." I've learned over the years that just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it's good. Arsenic is "natural" and quite deadly.

Anyway, I might just take you up on your advice about having a complete urinalysis done in a month or two, just to make sure. So...how's that for controlling my paranoia?