Russian Blue cat crystals — diet fix that helps

Urinary issues in cats need to be taken seriously — particularly in male cats, where a full blockage can become life-threatening very quickly. Diet is one of the biggest levers you have for both prevention and management. If there's an active problem, a vet check is essential before anything else. To point you in the right direction: is your cat male or female, what symptoms are you seeing, has he been to the vet recently, and what are you currently feeding him?

That's actually a good position to be in — caught early, no blockage, and a clear dietary path forward. Russian Blues aren't especially predisposed to urinary issues compared to some breeds, but male cats as a whole are vulnerable because of their narrow urethra, and crystals in any male cat are worth addressing promptly. The dry kibble is likely part of the problem. Dry food keeps cats in a mild state of chronic dehydration, which concentrates the urine and encourages crystal formation. Can I ask — do you know what type of crystals the vet found? Struvite or calcium oxalate? And is your cat drinking reasonably well otherwise?

Struvite is the more manageable of the two — diet alone can dissolve early struvite crystals and prevent recurrence, which is exactly what your vet is pointing you toward. The single most effective change you can make is switching to a high-moisture urinary wet food and reducing or eliminating the dry kibble. More water through food means more dilute urine, which stops crystals forming and helps flush out what's already there. For a cat like yours — early-stage, struvite, otherwise healthy — I'd recommend Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Urinary S/O in the wet loaf format. It's formulated specifically to dissolve struvite crystals, create a urinary environment that discourages regrowth, and it significantly increases water intake compared to dry food. It's available on Amazon UK in multipacks and is one of the most consistently effective urinary diets on the market. Your vet has already flagged the issue, so moving to this diet aligns directly with what they're recommending.

Royal Canin Urinary S/O sits in a slightly grey area — it's marketed as a veterinary diet and some sellers do ask for a vet's note, but on Amazon UK it's widely available to order without one. Given that your vet has already seen the urinalysis and pointed you toward a dietary change, it would be worth mentioning to them at your next contact that you're planning to start this food — they may even give you a written recommendation, which can make reordering easier. The important thing is getting him off the dry food and onto something high-moisture as soon as you can. Even a quality standard wet food is better than dry, but the Urinary S/O formulation gives you the therapeutic benefit on top of the hydration.

A few practical things that make a real difference: add a water fountain if you don't have one — running water encourages cats to drink more and Russian Blues in particular often respond well to them. Feed multiple smaller meals rather than leaving dry food down all day. And book a follow-up urinalysis in around 4–6 weeks once he's settled on the new diet — that lets you and your vet confirm the crystals are clearing. You're already ahead of this because it was caught early. Stick with the wet urinary diet consistently and you have a very good chance of keeping this completely under control.