Advice on preventing urinary tract problems in your cat.

My cat Tabitha recently had a urinary Tract infection, she was peeing in piles of laundry on the bathroom floor instead of in the litter tray and at one point it was so severe she was straining to go to the toilet so hard she peed blood. Of course I took her to the vet and she had a couple of jabs, one a pain killer and the other to treat the infection. The vet said these jabs should last four days and if the infection comes back I have to take her back to the vet to discuss changes in diet.
I did a lot of research online into urinary tract infections in cats and I’ve discovered they are very common, in fact they are the commonest cause of cats peeing outside the litter box which is in turn the most often cited reason people give up their cats to adoption centers or abandon them. It’s sad to think that something so easily treated causes so many cats to be abandoned by their owners when as trip to the vet and some changes in diet could sort it out easily.
I’ve found the urinary tract problem my cat had is referred to as “Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease” or FLUTD, it’s also know as cystitis. It can result in urine crystals and bladder stones which are a more serious problem, worse in male cats than female cats. Vets used to blame ash and magnesium in the foods but now are more concerned with the PH level of the cats urine, it seems you can help prevent these crystals forming by avoiding fish flavored cat foods which are suspect in causing them, and also make sure the cat always has fresh drinking water.
I also found a list of foods that cats should never eat because they are toxic to them, I found some of the foods on it surprising (for more detail on this list check out the link to the article "human food for cats" below).

Onions Garlic and related Root Vegetables
Tomatoes
Raw potatoes
Chocolate
Grapes And raisins
Milk

My sources were two articles from about.com “Which cat food to correct urinary problems?” And “Human Food For Cats” I recommend both articles to any cat owners. There are also other articles on the site that have helpful tips on choosing the right food for your cat it’s worth looking into as it could save you a lot of money in vets bills in the future, and save your cat unnecessary pain and suffering.