So you're saying the bacteria is secondary - a result of the crystals and not the cause?That might be helpful if the primary cause is bacteria. Unfortunately, in my case and ops case the primary cause is crystals. Those are primarily caused by how the cat's body processes food. And dehydration plays a big part. But if the crystals are to the point of blocking the urethra then any bacteria is a result of irritation and damage caused by the crystals.