mucus in kittens urine

Question
Hey there.

We're hand-raising a little female tiger kitten (her mother was a stray that was hit, orphaning her at ~48 hours old). She's 11 days today, and went to the vet yesterday due to the fact her urine was a light pink color. The vet thought it might be a UTI, so she's on antibotics and pain meds, started 24 hours ago.

When I just had her potty again (using warm wet washcloths.. not the first kitten we've had to hand-raise), she's not crying or straining to go anymore, but the urine is a darker pink, and there's clumps of mucus that she's passing.

Our vet doesn't get in until Monday morning, and she's already on antibiotics and passing urine, but does this sound like a UTI? I'm going to mention it to the vet on Monday, but I'm going a little bonkers trying to figure this out.

She's still drinking her formula (~60ml/day, with added yogurt right now due to the antibiotics), doesn't seem to be in any pain, doesn't cry when you press on her belly, and is sleeping fine/a little active (Her eyes just opened lately, so she's curious and explores a little bit, but she's not any more lethargic then she has been).

Answer
Hi Jamie,

It may still just be an infection. The body produces mucus in response to infection - it's a way to trap bacteria and prevent it from penetrating more vital tissues. The bladder wall itself is lined with a mucus layer to stop urine from irritating the bladder wall, but also to prevent bacteria from migrating into the body if an infection should occur. When bladder inflammation arises, this mucus lining responds by thickening, and some of it does often sloth off and pass out in the urine. In male cats, mucus plugs can cause life-threatening urinary tract blockages, but this is not generally seen in females because of the shape and width of the urethra.

There is a condition that causes a lot of blood and mucus in the urine that is not simply an infection, called interstitial cystitis. This is an inflammatory condition, and while bacteria are often present, they come after the inflammation and are not the cause of it. This is usually an adult cat disease, and it would be surprising if this baby was suffering from this already, but it's something to keep in mind.

Good luck!
Jessica