How can you tell if a cat has a UTI??

Bobber likes using the great outdoors as a litter box-specially a corner behind the house that is mulched with fine wood chips. However since the snow storm and now the cold weather she has been inside. I found cat pee on a rug and just a few minutes ago when I went downstairs I could smell something and there was "spray on the entrance door. I have to admit the rug that I placed there earlier today had been in the garage and I wonder if it had peed on too in the past w/o washing. When she does go outside for a while she comes in and licks herself "there"!! She was scurrying around today like she did something odd. As she is a bobtail her tail was tucked under -well its only a couple inches.
I have no problem bringing her in. BTW the litter boxes are kept scouped.

Inappropriate urination, sometimes crying while peeing, frequent peeing and squatting with no results are all signs of a UTI, as is blood in the urine.

If you think she may have an infection I suggest a vet visit asap, as these things are just as painful for cats as they are for us!

I'm wondering about the same thing with my male cat right now. (see post above about cat urinating outside of litterbox). My cat is going in all sorts of places and the urine is dark, strong odor. I'll keep you posted on what I find out, but I think I'm going to take him to the vet to be sure. I've had a few U.T.I's and they are painful! I wouldn't want him to endure too long.
Good Luck!

She peed on another area rug this am. No dark color or smell. I think she has cabin fever with the cold weather because she peed on the rug that is by one of the doors that we let her outside. I'll keep watch though. She doesn't have any of the other typical symptons either.