This is a specific conversation about Cat urinary problems — diet and products that help — ask about yours and get one honest answer for your exact situation.
inparticular.ai
A blockage episode is genuinely frightening, and the fact that your vet has already flagged diet as the key next step puts you in a good position. For male cats especially, getting the food right after a blockage isn't optional — it's the main lever you have to prevent a recurrence. To point you to the right product: what is he currently eating, wet food or dry or a mix? And do you know whether the blockage was struvite or calcium oxalate — did the vet mention that?
He's been on dry food his whole life, a decent supermarket brand. The vet said it was struvite and that he needs a urinary support diet, ideally wet food or at least something that increases his water intake.
inparticular.ai
That's a really clear steer from the vet, and they're right — struvite crystals are very responsive to diet, and moisture is the single most important factor. Dry food, even a good one, keeps cats in a low-level state of mild dehydration which concentrates the urine and makes crystal formation much more likely. Switching to a quality wet urinary diet is genuinely the most impactful thing you can do. Has he shown any reluctance with wet food before, or is this more about finding the right one?
He's not been on wet food before so I'm not sure how he'll take to it, but I'm willing to try. What would you recommend?
inparticular.ai
For a cat with a confirmed struvite history and a vet's recommendation for urinary support, I'd go with Royal Canin Urinary Care wet food in gravy pouches. It's formulated specifically to reduce urinary concentration and lower the pH to discourage struvite formation — it does exactly what your vet is asking for. It's also a relatively palatable texture for cats transitioning from dry, which matters with Norwegian Forest Cats who can be opinionated about food. Introduce it gradually over a week, mixing it alongside his current dry food, then phase the dry out. The other thing worth doing long-term is adding a second water bowl well away from his food bowl — cats drink more when water isn't next to their food. But the Royal Canin Urinary Care wet is the core change.
That's really helpful. Should I be looking at the Royal Canin veterinary range or the standard urinary care?
inparticular.ai
For home management following a vet-confirmed struvite episode, the Royal Canin Urinary Care from the standard range is appropriate and is what I'd recommend for day-to-day feeding — it's available on Amazon UK without a prescription. The Veterinary S/O range is more therapeutic and is typically used under closer vet supervision for active or recurrent problems. Since your vet has given you a diet direction rather than prescribing a specific therapeutic food, the Urinary Care range is the right fit. If he has another episode, that's the point to go back and ask whether you need to step up to the prescription S/O formula.
Perfect, I'll order that. Is there anything else I should be watching for going forward?
inparticular.ai
Yes — know the warning signs well enough to act fast. Straining in the litter tray with little or no output, crying while trying to urinate, or a sudden change in litter tray behaviour (going elsewhere, avoiding it) all warrant a same-day vet call for a male cat. A full blockage can become life-threatening within 24 to 48 hours. Beyond that, a follow-up urine check at the vet around three months after the diet change is a good idea to confirm the crystals have resolved. You're doing the right things — the diet switch is the foundation, and most cats on a proper urinary wet diet don't reblock.
