Possible UTI, how much straining/urination is 'normal'?

I am sorry for all the posts, it has been a busy and sleepless 24 hours. I just got back from the ER with Lucy a few hours ago as she was up last night pooping and urinating around the house, small amounts of blood. Vet suspects UTI, results back tomorrow, her blood panel was normal, and has no ketones.

She ate when she got home, but ever since, has been going back and forth between her cat boxes, staying in them for quite a long time (up to 5 minutes) in squatting/straining position, with small drops of pee coming out. She is also peeing a bit laying down in her bed. The urine is definitely an obvious shade of red and she seems really uncomfortable. I gave her the first UTI antibiotic pill a few hours ago and some Buprenex. What is 'normal' for UTI behavior? I am very unfamiliar with it and her behavior is freaking me out a bit even though we haven't even been home from the ER for 3 hours.

Is it normal for cats to act this strangely with a UTI, and if so, are there any critical signs I need to watch out for, and what is the normal timeframe she should start acting better? I am guessing the ER would not have sent her home if they thought she would not manage, but I never know...

 

Yes those can be the symptoms of an UTI. For treatment, what is also recommended is subQ fluids or IV at vet.
However, my Patches had same symptoms but it was due to idiopathic cystitis likely due to stress.
https://icatcare.org/advice/feline-idiopathic-cystitis-fic/

 

You need to take her back to the vet and have then check her for crystals as larry was mentioning above.. its rarer in female cats than males ( Vengeance has had 2 ER trips this year where he was once completely blocked had to do an emergency procedure at 4am.. its better now if they can just catheterize her and flush them out than if she gets plugged up and then its an emergency. His 2nd time was very similar to this... usually once they have crystals they have a UTI at the same time.. the Vet should have looked at the urine and could see microscopic crystals in it to know that she had them in her system.. the first time he had to be hospitalized for 4 days.. the second time they sent him back home with me being he was not 100% blocked with Prazosin to cause his urethra to relax so that the crystal would pass... and it did he was on the bed while I was watching tv and all of a sudden he squatted and the damn broke all over my bed... then at the end of the mess I saw what looked like a grain of rice sitting on my comforter which I took back to the vet and yup was a crystal...hopefully being its now 12 hrs later she is better and you took her back.. also after both blockages for a week after he peeded some blood.. which vet said was normal due to trauma and UTI in the urethra..

 

https://www.amazon.com/WellnessPartners-D-Mannose-Organic-Source-Powder/dp/B00HQOLTUS Worked great for my cat. He now gets D mannose every other week. No more UTI's.