cat food

Question
I have 3 cats. My one cat was at the vet Sunday, and they did a urine test. They said they think it was a urinary track infection, and gave him a needle, and took a urine test. Hes been fine since, Playing, eating, drinking,and going to the bathroom. The vet called tonight with the results and said he has crystals. and that he should be on a special food for 6 weeks.  Does he still have to go on that food even since hes been fine? Also would the other cats be able to eat it, and would it be a life long food, he would have to be on? Thanks

Answer
What he looks like on the outside and what is going on inside of him are two different things. He is not fine if he has crystals.

Crystals mean he has a sludge that looks like toothpaste in his bladder forming with lots of crystals which are microscopic particles that can create bladder stones. Instead, however, cats get this sludgey buildup which is the crystals with a whole lot dead bacteria. That is what makes up the sludge.

The problem is that in male cats, they have a narrow urethra and so this sludge tends to clog up inside the penis. This blocks the cat and he cannot urinate which can result in death very quickly.

So yes, he needs to be on this food, preferably Hill's C/D and yes, he should be on it for life. Yes all your cats can eat it and while it isn't cheap, each cat will require very little food to meet their needs. So in the long run you save money on food and vet bills.

The sooner you start the food, the safer and healthier your cat will be. Make sure you measure out this food, don't free feed it!
Follow the bag instructions. Each cat only needs about a half cup per day.