Ok I am a little confused about your vet. My vet always takes a sterile sample. ESPECIALLY if she is looking for any bacteria. A sterile sample has to be taken with a needle. Urine collected through normal urination will ALWAYS have bacteria so that would be rather useless. If the cat is at the vets for several hours without access to a litter box it certainly seems as if they should have been able to get a sterile sample.

Denyce