Several comments: 1) unless your cat is old, has diabetes, renal failure or some other degenerative condition, it is unlikely your cat has a urinary tract infection (very rare in young cats, but not unheard of). Most of these cats with bladder issues that are uncomfortable and have blood in the urine have cystitis, but that does not necessarily mean infection, too. The causes of cystitis are many, from stress, diet, stones to 'idiopathic' (i.e.. no obvious identifying cause). It is such a common problem in feline medicine, it has its own name: FIC (Feline idiopathic cystitis), or the old name was FLUDT (Feline lower urinary tract disease). 2) but one things is for sure, your cat is uncomfortable. ONe of the main things that should be considered in any cat that is urinating blood, straining, crying when urinating, or urinating inappropriately is the potential pain issue. Pain relief alone can make many of these cats better. You might ask your vet for some help in this area. 3) Diet is a big area of concern and should always be addressed. Canned food is a FAR better choice for any cat with bladder issues for several reasons. One is canned food is mostly water, so cats that eat only canned food urinate more, and urinating more empties the bladder more, and emptying the bladder more can result in emptying it of irritating substances such as crystals and mucus (often the cause OR result of straining and bleeding). But possibly more importantly is the carbohydrate issue, which many specialists are considering to be a big deal when it comes to 'happy bladders' in cats. Canned food (MOST canned foods, not all) are lower in carbohydrates- significantly lower. Dry foods all have carbs with a minimum of around 22%... But carbs are really not part of a cat's natural diet and a diet of maybe 7% or less would be far better. So I suggest if your cat is amenable to this, feed her a pate canned food only- no dry. Many cats in my practice have been made symptom free by just switching to canned food.. and my own cat was 'cured' this way when my professor in vet school told me to do the same thing despite my arguing with him that I was sure she had a bladder infection (of course I turned out to be wrong). 4) the 'stress' issue is a bit harder to resolve or diagnose, but stress alone can cause cats to pee blood and be uncomfortable. Your cat's loss of another cat, or having fleas, could have stressed her out some... but most of the time, we humans really have no idea what is stressing a cat. But adding more litter boxes, giving meds to reduce stress and using pheromone diffusers can all help resolve or at least improve these kittie's stress. 5) and I mentioned stones up above... sometimes bladder stones can result from either a dietary issue (most common cause), infection (rare in young cats) or a genetic metabolic issue (not much to be done about that last one other than keep cat on canned food). But without an x-ray, this possibility cannot be ruled in or out. I know rads are costly, but they are one time only cost and worth it to diagnose some cats properly. Discuss these things with your vet and see what they say.

OK, Steph, it's time for some name suggestions that you can run past Brent to see what he thinks... For twins, one boy and one girl: Logan Lianne Aaron Arielle Leighton can be a boy's name or a girl's name, and the same with Logan, so you could do Logan and Leighton...

A simple blood test can tell you if you are low in vit. B12. I give myself injections once a month. They are not painful at all. I haven't noticed a big difference yet and it's been a few months. Both Lupus and heart problems can cause the symptoms you describe. I hope you feel better soon. (((Judy)))

"I haven't had a period in years and where periods and pms were a nightmare for me, menopause was a breeze (especially when compared to all the years of painful pms)" My sisters and I joke it's karmic revenge :). We all had/have horrible, nightmarish cycle issues. PMS, cramps, hemorrhagic bleeding, you name it we got it. And all of us have wanted to kill our friends when they would start with that blithe 'oh yeah I had a cramp once, I think' and 'no, I don't really do PMS'. And then comes perimenopause and the light dawns for those lucky, lucky ladies-yeah, it's not much fun, is it. Me, bitter? Me, vengeful? Me, obnoxious? Guilty as charged LOL. Seriously, I hope those who are having a rough time seek medical assistance because some of the suffering can be relieved. And I'm here to say that time really does make it better, at least it has for me. Personally after living with the aptly named curse for 40+ years (menarche at 11, menopause at 52) my life post-menopause is rainbows and lollipops. Other than issues with dryness and lack of libido caused by hormonal changes in my organs....menopause has been the biggest blessing in my life. I feel so much better on a daily basis, my moods are more even, I don't have to deal with the monthly agonies. Wouldn't go back for anything. I think I'm done with hot flashes and night sweats too -