Mary, I think that is exactly what the booklet says to do to collect a sample from a cat...
Ok, so I got a call from the vet, she said that both of my dogs show traces of protein in the sample just like my test showed but she said she isn't worried about it...

Also, the specific gravity was a little lower on my test than on hers. She said that usually the stripps don't show that accurate on specific gravity and that it is best to send to the lab for further testing. one of my dogs came back normal on her strips and the other still a bit low, 1.015, so she told me to take another sample tomorrow morning and she is going to send it to the lab.
I think it is best to test first thing in the morning because as I have found out, (I have already used up like 6 test strips) thier urine is a bit more diluted later in the day. When I got mine I thought about waiting until the next morning to test them but I couldn't wait... (I am not a very patient person)