Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Male Cats and Their Delicate Plumbing


My cat Tiger has had a urinary blockage twice during the last ten days. This is considered an emergency, as the blockage can prove lethal in a short time. I have learned that this is very common in male cats because they have a very narrow urethra that gets blocked easily. I have also learned that once they suffer a blockage, they are apt to have recurrences on a regular basis. This means keeping a close eye on them, and frequent trips to the vet.

The vet told me they could do a surgery called perineal urethrostomy, which sounds terrible but apparently is the best solution to the problem. I don't believe in taking extreme measures and causing an animal discomfort, but I was assured that once they are healed from the surgery they are fine. I will have to get special cat litter, special food, and give him medicine while he heals. I will have to keep him in a separate room from the other cats and watch him closely. It has to be a room with a window so he can look out, and without a bed so he can't hide from me. I asked my husband if Tiger could stay in his office. I think my husband is getting a little impatient about the whole thing. But I am very fond of Tiger and will do whatever I can. Please wish me luck.

4 comments:

Jenn Jilks said...

We had a cat like that. It was caught early enough that putting him on a good diet eventually fixed it.

Then I had a cat who (w think) fell out of a tree and ripped his face, needed surgery ($800!). Don't we love our animals?
Best of luck...

judy in ky said...

Yes, we do love them, don't we? I am looking forward to bringing Tiger back home. We have to feed him a special diet and use special kitty litter.

Susan said...

Poor Tiger! I'm sending up good thoughts for him and his recovery. He sounds like such a sweetie-pie. I hope all is well soon.

I love that pile of quilts that he is lying on. Do you collect them? You're in the perfect state for it!

BTW, my new little kitty foundling finally figured out how to use the litter box! Yay! Now if I can just convince my husband to let him inside (as if he had any choice, lol!).

judy in ky said...

Hi Susan, thank you for the good wishes for Tiger. He will come home either today or tomorrow.
Yes, I love quilts. When we lived in Pennsylvania, we had a larger, country style house where I hung quilts on the walls. Here, our house is smaller so I have them stacked up. Also, I have collected quite a few "cutter" quilts that I intend to use for crafts some day. Some of them are too nice to cut up, though.