- Not a substitute for professional veterinary help.
As a pet parent, you can do a lot to track your cat’s general health and well-being. You might, for instance, monitor their eating habits and regularly check their skin for signs of irritation, like scabs or hair loss. One more helpful tactic involves checking the color of their pee and comparing it to a cat urine color chart.
The color of your cat’s urine can point to several different urinary-related problems, which aren’t unusual in cats, according to Dr. Alexa O’Daniel, an emergency doctor at the Veterinary Emergency Group. “A common reason we see cats in the emergency room is due to urinary issues,” she says.
Most changes in your cat’s urine are worth getting checked out by a professional, but some require more urgent attention than others. If your cat can’t produce any urine at all, this is a medical emergency, Dr. O’Daniel says.
Below, learn what color your cat’s pee should be—and a few key signs it’s time to call your veterinarian.
What Does Healthy Cat Pee Look Like?
Healthy cat pee is transparent or light yellow. It has a faint ammonia smell, and you shouldn’t notice any “bits” or cloudiness in the urine.
Urination usually occurs every 8-12 hours, according to Dr. O’Daniel, though this can vary from cat to cat. Some cats may visit the litter box just once or twice a day, while others may make more frequent bathroom trips.
Is my cat peeing too much?
Not sure whether your cat pees too frequently or not enough?
A healthy adult cat excretes around 0.6 to 0.9 ounces of urine for every 2.2 pounds of body weight. So, a 10-pound cat may pee as much as 4 ounces—roughly a half cup—of urine a day.
If your cat is peeing more or less than usual, you might notice the litter box has double the usual amount of clumps—or stays suspiciously dry.
A Cat Urine Color Chart To Pinpoint Common Health Issues
This cat urine color chart breaks down the different shades of cat pee you might notice and what each of them could mean for your cat’s health, according to Dr. O’Daniel.
Color | Health problem | What to do next |
Clear, pale amber, or light yellow | Generally, these colors point to healthy urine. That said, urine could remain clear even when your cat has an underlying health issue, including problems with kidney function. | If your cat has clear urine with new and unusual litter box behaviors, like urinating outside the box or peeing more frequently, call your vet. |
Dark yellow | This can suggest dehydration. | Offer plenty of fresh, cool water. Cats need four ounces of water for each five pounds of body weight every day. If your cat drinks plenty of water and their pee stays dark yellow, your vet can offer more guidance. |
Cloudy | This can indicate a urinary tract infection (UTI). Urinary crystals usually aren’t visible to the naked eye, but you may see what looks like tiny “bits” in the urine. | If your cat’s urine becomes cloudy, you’ll want to make a vet appointment as soon as possible. Treating infections promptly can help keep them from getting worse and causing additional complications. |
Orange or red | Urine that appears orange, pink, red, or bloody can signal infection and inflammation. | Reddish or bloody urine is always a medical emergency, so call your vet right away. |
When Do Cat Pee Color Changes Require A Vet Visit?
Urinary issues can vary in severity, from milder infections to kidney or muscle trauma.
One serious issue is orange or red pee, also called hematuria (bloody urine).
“Hematuria is never normal,” says Dr. Jennifer Frione, a veterinarian and owner of Lakeside Animal Hospital in Plantation, Florida. Urine with even a hint of red means it’s time to consult a vet.
Dr. Frione says cats with hematuria may also:
- Visit the litter box frequently
- Urinate outside of the litter box
- Strain or cry out when urinating
- Drink a lot of water
Some conditions related to hematuria can be life-threatening. “The most common cause of blood in the urine is feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD),” she explains. “Other causes include infection, feline idiopathic cystitis, bladder or kidney stones, cancer, clotting disorders, and trauma.”
Your vet will take a urine sample to identify the cause. They may also run other tests to check for signs of inflammation so they can recommend the right treatment.
UTIs often improve after a few days’ treatment with antibiotics. Clotting and bleeding disorders can prove trickier to manage, however. In some cases, they may be fatal, which is what makes it so important to get timely veterinary care.
Other Signs Of Urinary Problems In Cats
If the litter in the tray soaks up all your cat’s pee, you might find it tough to check the color or volume of the urine.
But you may pick up on some of these other, more noticeable symptoms:
- Withholding pee (no urination at all)
- Incontinence (peeing outside the litter tray, possibly all over your house)
- Changes in the amount of pee
- Urinating more frequently
- Crying or yowling while peeing
- Excessive cleaning or licking the genital area after peeing
These signs can point to a number of serious health concerns, including:
- FLUTD
- Inflammation
- Urinary tract or bladder infections
- Cancer
- Feline idiopathic cystitis
- Kidney or bladder stones
- Internal trauma
- Clotting and blood disorders
At the end of the day, you’ll typically want to make a vet appointment for any signs of urinary issues—especially if you have a neutered male cat, Dr. Frione says. That’s because they’re more prone to developing a urethral obstruction, a medical emergency that can be fatal.
But identifying and treating these concerns promptly can help your cat stay happy and healthy.