The medication they had him on, is it just a temporary thing? i.e. not something they can give him all the time?

I know several cat owners who've had problems with theirs so I'll ask around and see if any have had the urethra problem.

Poor little Mookie; I'd be scared to death if either of my little boys was suffering that. I hope he gets well very soon

Sounds like it's about him; try the Science Diet. I too love my cats and no matter what it is *I* don't like, I would do it for them.

Hi, Torrie. I'm Sarah's (sadandbeautiful)BFF, and she asked me if I have any advice for you about this. I do. :)

I worked as a vet tech for eight years; now, it's been a while, so some of this thinking may have changed since then. But this is what I know, and how we treated cats with this condition.

1. The blockages are caused by crystals in the urine that form stones. Because male cats urethras are so narrow at the tip, stones can completely block the ability to pee. If this happens, your cat can die from toxicity within 24-48 hours.

2. You can treat this with diet. Now, when I was a tech, we told people to NEVER feed fish-based cat food. I know thinking on this changed, but we saw a lot of success with that in my day. It wasn't the dry food, per say, but the fish ingredients.

Also, there are prescription diet pet foods that contain ingredients that will increase the acidity of your cats urine, preventing those crystals from forming. Yes, Science Diet is one (the diet is called c/d), but I also believe a couple other companies make other versions.

3. Sex change. :) Ok, not really, but there is a surgery that can be performed that actually widens the urethra so that the crystals, should they form, pass without causing a problem. In a cat that has been blocked more than once, this is always what we recommended. In most cases, it cured the cat for life. :)

Lastly, for getting your kitty to drink more water, nothing--I mean nothing--beats a glass bowl put where the sun shines on it. Don't ask me why, but cats LOVE that. :)

I hope this helps. Blocked cats are a serious issue. I know you hate the Science Diet, but I have to say, as a cat owner (I used to have 8 before they all died of age-related stuff), I always fed SD and not one of them ever got blocked. Just something to consider. :)

Hope this helps!

Currently, I work in a very large pet food store so I say this: Keep him OFF Science Diet for as long as possible. Any of the Hills Prescription diets as well. They are full of fillers and by-products. Wellness is an amazing food. They do make a really good indoor formula with cranberry and other natural vitamins all good for the urinary tract. As far as wet vs. dry-they are basically the same ingredients, with more moisture. The only downfall to wet food is that if the pet parent is not brushing their teeth, there are usually some oral issues to worry about because there is nothing scraping tartar off their teeth and gums.

I am obviously not a vet, but I hear about vet recommended stuff all day long and have to argue points for retail foods. Mookie sounds like he may need to be medicated for his and bladder problems, and if you don't have a problem with that and can afford to do it, I would keep him on Wellness and medicate.
Good luck. As a pet lover, I hate to see or hear about other peoples' pets in pain.

This is such a hard situation, you have my sympathy!! Unfortunately, it's really common too. Male cats have smaller urethras and this sort of urinary tract disease is so common. Does Wellness have a urinary tract food? I do think that a diet change might help him (at least it'd be easier and cheaper to try compared to surgery). I also know of a few people in similar situations who have had success w/ Purina's UR prescription diet. I'd bug your vet for more information - depending on what is actually causing the cats problems (cystitis, crystals, etc.) there should be a lot of options that they can recommend to you, short of surgery. Good luck!

Poor Mookie... I wonder if testing a raw diet would help him? My dogs are on raw for several reasons, but it helped my girl's recurrent UTI a great deal.

That said, an obstruction isn't a UTI, so not sure if that would do any good.

Have they said what the obstruction is? Is it stones or swelling or what?

My only idea could be to try a food like Origen or Innova, something really natural. (I used to work in the pet health industry) and I've seen a simple change of food do wonders for pets.

Sorry he's not doing so well :(
It's so hard for us to watch our pets suffer.

No advice, but lots of support coming from here. My cats are my life, so I completely "get" your level of distress here. Hope you get some good news!

I'm not sure if this will help but my dog was having constant urinary tract issues and bladder issues and I found a natural website that recommended Apple Cider Vinegar in her water once a day and it cleared it right up without any prescription medications needed.

Feel better soon Mookie :)

My cat, Niles, had a very similar medical history. He had been in and out of the vet several times. We tried different foods and supplements, and had to take him in to be catheterized several times and thousands of dollars later ended up with the surgery to remove his penis(!) and the Science Diet.

This was five years ago and he is doing very well now. The main problems he has had have been that he has gained lots of weight. The vet said the Science Diet is a very high calorie food. This can also be a problem because he got so fat it is hard for him to clean himself...

We are pleased with the outcome and we don't worry about him becoming blocked when we are at work.

My brother's cat also had this problem for years (and it made the cat EXTREMELY grouchy all the time)> They also did the surgery to remove the tip of teh penis/widen the urethra. And it worked. Their cat is fine now, has been for 3 years. Not one more pee problem!

Awwww, sweetie.

Butch, the family cat when I was younger, suddenly developed the same thing about 10 years ago (he is 15 now). Out of nowhere, he was unable to pee and cried, strained, and licked his privates. Poor guy was very sick. We took him to the emergency vet, who determined that he was blocked. Butch had surgery that night and the vet took Butch home with him for several nights in a row to watch him. (Butch was thrilled, he is the friendliest cat ever.)He got better, and has been fine since. He eats Purina One, the urinary formula.

My cat Priscilla, who passed away at 15, refused to pee in her box unless it was brand-new litter, peed on the carpet and occasionally my clothes. She had a problem with UTIs and was in and out of the vet frequently. She got all of the tests (blood, urine, poop) on a regular basis to try to figure out what the deal was. We were never sure, because most of the time she was just fine. With her, it might have just been a mental thing. Each cat is different that way, which can make their owners nuts when they aren't sure why things like this are happening.

All I can say is that I understand your frustration, and that you're a wonderful mom to your kitties, dog, and of course Willa. Your cyber friends are thinking of you!

Hey Torrie,
I'm a total lurker, but I thought I might finally de-lurk to go on and on and onnnn about my cat. He was diagnosed with hemorrhagic cystitis a few months ago, which is very similar and also stems from insufficient water intake. He is particularly insane in that he doesn't like to drink water at all, which on top of being weird is super annoying because we have to trick him into doing it. What ended up working best was filling a bowl with tuna and water and freezing it (I read the above comment that said that vets used to say no fish products, but our vet suggested this one so I consider it legit). He just licks at that thing until it's gone and we haven't had blood-pee since we started it. And I have to agree with having water in a glass bowl. A friend of mine's cat will only drink water from glass, in a separate room from her food. Man, cats are ridiculous. Hope everything gets better!

I've never owned a cat, but I've always had dogs (as have all my closest friends).

If the vet is recommending Science Diet, I'd give it a try. You've tried a lot of things... In a perfect world, you'd be able to keep him on a natural diet, but Mookie's urethra isn't perfect, by the sounds of things :)

I love the vet-assistant's suggestion to keep a bowl of water in a sunbeam.... Who wouldn't like to drink while standing in the sun?!

If changing his diet (again) and the sunny water don't work, I'd be inclined to go for the surgery. Again, in a perfect world, you wouldn't have to. Yes, he;;l be groggy, and there's a risk of complications... but can you imagine having such trouble peeing that you poop instead?

If Mookie were one of my pups, I'd do that.

(And, if nothing that the vets recommended worked, and he continued to block up regularly, I'd have to think about making that hardest decision.)

*hugs*

Whatever your family decides, however, will be right for you.

A family member of mine has had this problem with his cat. He was told by his vet to feed his cat baby food. It has worked very well for him along with the frequent litter changes and two litter boxes.

I vote for trying a raw diet. I use Primal Pet foods (whole foods usually has it, but might not have cat, but maybe they will order for you?).

I have a (purebred....INBRED) cat with irritable bowel and after steroids and waking up to wipe cat butt 4 times a night I tried it and it fixed him right up. My other cat had skin problems - gone. Cats that went to the vet twice a year for colds have not been back for more than a checkup since we started the diet.

It is expensive. But after 6 months or so, you might introduce dry and see what happens. My cats are now on half servings of the raw (am and pm) and free feed on Natures Variety Instinct throughout the day.

Good luck!

Your vet should've told you if it was Struvite Crystals. If they have NO idea, I'd get a second opinion. My (male) cat had a blocked urethra and, after a few days with a catheter, he was sent home and put on C/D (dry). The point is to use food with low ash content, but it doesn't have to be SD/Hills. Maybe will be helpful: http://www.thepetcenter.com/exa/uo.html

To answer a few questions-

The medicine I was referring to was an anti-inflammatory for his pain, and the vet said he couldn't be on it for more than a week or two. As far as I know there is no medicine that will "fix" the problem.

I am doing a bunch of research about food. The non-fish idea is interesting, especially considering that all of his food has fish in it.
I also really need to think about the raw diet idea. It makes sense, but it is time consuming and expensive, but then again, I'd do anything for him.

I will try the glass of water.

I will try the apple cider vinegar.

Something that is weird is that whenever they test his urine they never find struvite crystals.

The latest- definitely a blocked urethra.The vet thinks that he has some narrowing of the urethra. They will take the catheter out after a couple of days and re-evaluate his urethra. He said there is a good chance he will do the surgery.

Thank you all for your advice and support.

Royal Canin Urinary prescription food is what I give my cat. I think it's a more wholesome food than Science Diet. I actually give him the dry version and add water to it, but I think they make a wet food, too. My boy never got as extreme as poor Mookie, but I know how miserable and frustrating this illness is for all involved.

We haven't had this sort of problem with our cats, but I totally understand the willingness to do anything for them - if one of our boys (we have two) had any such issue, I know for a fact my cheap-skate husband would happily shell out any amount to make them better.

I have found this website particularly helpful for cat-related questions. I don't know how they are on stuff like this but our cats are three former feral kittens that we took in and they provided invaluable advice towards helping us tame them. Maybe some people on here will have had a similar problem and know some sort of solution?

http://www.thecatsite.com/

Our cat had a problem with his urine crystalizing. Vet said it was an issue with food, that what we were giving him was too high in ash. We switched to IAMS, which has a lower ash content, and he never had an issue with it again.

Dry cat foods tend to have a higher ash content. Most major brands of cat food in general have a high ash content. I can't remember the percentage (5, 15??) the doctor said to look for, but I remember IAMS as being one that was good.

Good luck, honey! Hugs to you and ear scratches to the Mookster.

Torrie--

Do the surgery! My cat had the same problem and after spending thousands on vet bills (and food changes, home remedies, etc) we decided to do the surgery. That was 14 years ago and the cat has been healthy and happy ever since.

The raw needn't be time consuming, but you're right, it can be pricier than dry. Though, if the alternative is switching to RX food, it's about the same.

Check out these brands, who all make either specific cat food, or food that's suitable for either breed:

Nature's Variety (They also have a freeze-dried non-grain product that might be easier to deal with.
Primal
Stella & Chewy's
Oma's
Bravo

I don't know if they have Innova in your area, but they make a great natural cat food very much like wellness except that the ingredients are raw and align with a natural cat/kitten diet verses all of the ground up animal byproducts and rice protein crap that's in Science Diet.

I worked at pet stores for years and have talked to various reps. I have had my animals on a variety of different foods and I've found that Innova is an amazing product for animals with health issues.

Keep us updated on Mookie. I am a cat lover and I feel your pain. It sounds like the surgery is easy and effective along with some new food. I just lost my cat of 16 years and I was heart broken.

Hi Torrie

Our cat has a very similar problem - it started years ago when a vet advised us to put him on dry food only. He would pee blood outside his litter tray and it was diagnosed as cystitis, possibly brought on by anxiety (this was puzzling as the cat lives indoors, has no stress and sits on a silk cushion!). Apparently some cats (esp. black and white cats) just have this anxiety condition. Then he began scent marking everything with his face and this was thought to be OCD! For some years we had no problems at all, even with significant lifestyle changes - I moved house, met my husband who moved in - the cystitis didn't reoccur so I thought it had gone. However, I'm 9 months pregnant now and over the past two months the cat has had re-occuring cystitis three times - the last time (over the weekend) he was quite ill with it...it's again been diagnosed as a UTI only (after loads of x-rays, blood tests etc.) but with an underlying anxiety condition. He's been given some tablets which he has to take for the rest of his life - apparently there is some new medication being released in a couple of weeks which is like cat prozac so he may be given these after the current set of tablets run out. If he's anxious now I dread to think what he will be like in a week or so's time when there's a tiny baby in the house! But I guess we'll just have to hope for the best - he's very good tempered luckily but just a stress monkey!

I'm writing from the UK so forgive me if anything has been lost in translation! I can let you know which drugs he is on at the moment if you wanted me too but it may not be too helpful if they're not available in the US. Sorry I don't have any solutions...I just had to post as we've had such a similar experience over the last few days. Hope Mookie is feeling better soon x

This is the saddest thing ever. Poor Mookie. I wish I had some advice. You should ask Aunt Marsha. moskomarsh@msn.com
She knows everything about cats.

I hate to hear your Mookie is sick. I have a 16 year old kitty with chronic kidney failure so I know how difficult this road is for you guys - how he's fine one day and not the next. If one of my kitties were in this situation, I'd do the surgery, I think. Better to shell out the $$$ for him to feel better permanently, if that's the likely outcome. And I definitely agree with the other comments about the importance of finding the right high-quality diet. I gave up on Science Diet and now use the prescription Purina food - my vet says it tastes a lot better. My little one is very picky and she likes it, and her kidney values are holding pretty steady. Anyway, lots of positive thoughts coming your way tonight for Mookie and your whole gang. :)
XO

I have no suggestions, but I'm sending your family and Mookie all my best that you are able to find a solution for this illness. It's a terrible situation to feel helpless in alleviating the pain or discomfort of a loved one -- including a loved pet.

Hi Torrie, my cat had the same thing and he received surgery to correct it. It took him about 4 days to recover, and he's been 100% fine ever since. I highly recommend it; it solves the problem forever.

I'm a little late to the party, but my cat Oliver did the exact same thing (looked us in the eye and peed blood) a few years ago. It was the same problem and we came 24 hours from losing him without even knowing it. He had surgery to remove the crystals and we switched him onto Science Diet and haven't had a problem since. Tt's been five years. I know it's not the best food, but he's healthy and alive and since he is my baby, that's all I care about. Good luck and I hope Mookie gets better.

Well, as much as I can say I agree about the science diet, you are going to have to give in. My mom's cat is seven... he had similar issues with the outside the box thing.. but ONLY when he was sick and kept it to the bathtub.... he had a completely crystalized bladder.......the vet had little hope he would make it, but he did. He has since been on the prescription science diet and has been pain free/ not sick for nearly 3 years now.