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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

My poor little cat.

100 replies

Apanicaday · 15/12/2018 21:16

We adopted him and his sister getting on for 4 months ago. They were dumped on a vets doorstep in a cardboard box at roughly 24 hours old and were hand reared. They are now 5 and a half months old.

He's had all sorts of issues with weeing since we got him - he would wee anywhere and everywhere. We (and the vet) initially assumed it was behavioural and so we tried to deal with it using training.

About a month and a half ago we walked into the bathroom to a scene of carnage - there was blood everywhere. We thought initially that he had a urine infection, but when the vets investigated he was incredibly swollen. They anaesthetised him to investigate and decided to neuter him at the same time. When they did so they discovered that he had incredibly small testicles for his age and they couldn't find his penis (despite cutting him open a bit to try to locate it). He ended up in the vets for a couple of days with them emptying his bladder with a needle throigh his tummy, but eventually he started weeing again. They think that because his penis is either very small or non-existent, when he wees it doesn't poke out like it's supposed to and so he wees into the pouch which should cover it and so it kind of drips out of there. Which explains some of the random weeing- he certainly drips for some time after he's been.

About 10 days ago he started weeing blood again. So we got in touch with the vets who gave us antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. He has been on them since then. He hasn't reallt improved but hadn't got worse until today. Late this afternoon he started trying to wee almost constantly- and only drips were coming out - if anything. He was then sick several times.

So now my DH has taken him to the emergency vets and I'm at home worrying myself sick. He's such a cuddly boy and his sister is missing him :( When he was at the vets last time they said that there's specialist surgery that they can carry out to create a new hole for him to wee through if he keeps having problems, but that it's very fiddly and complicated and expensive. He's insured (thank goodness!) but has already used £500 of his annual limit.

Poor little thing. He had such a crap start to his little life too.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 15/12/2018 21:18

Oh bless him. I remember some years ago a Vet on The Hill (I think) episode where they removed the adult cat’s penis for much the same issue. He was fine. And gorgeous.
Hoping a vet turns up on the thread soon. Such a worry aren’t they!

TheSpottedZebra · 15/12/2018 21:27

Oh no - poor you and poor kitten.
Hope you get some encouraging news soon.

perfectly1mperfect · 15/12/2018 21:36

Poor little thing. Hopefully you can get him sorted so he can enjoy life soon.

Let us know what the vet says.

Original poster
Apanicaday · 15/12/2018 21:48

Thank you.

They are keeping him in - his bladder is getting on the full side (not to the point of it being dangerous yet, thankfully) - and she saw him trying and failing to wee. He's going to have a manual bladder emptying (or a catheter or a needle if that doesn't work) and an x-ray and ultrasound and they will take it from there. She thinks he's being sick from the stress and the pain. Poor little cat :( He really is such a gorgeous affectionate little boy- he spends most of his time draped around my neck like a scarf!

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 15/12/2018 21:49

Oh bless him. Hope he’s home and feeling better soon.

Original poster
Apanicaday · 15/12/2018 21:55

This is him a few weeks ago

My poor little cat.
OP posts:
fartfacemcfartfaceface · 15/12/2018 21:59

Oh get will soon little tuxedo cat xxx

perfectly1mperfect · 15/12/2018 22:01

What a gorgeous boy he is.

Keeping him in will mean they can make sure he's comfortable whilst they work out the best thing to do.

Keep us informed, I will be thinking of him.

TinslePaws · 15/12/2018 22:09

Thinking of you OP, hope your sweet little boy makes a speedy recovery.

I remember how panicked I was when my boy cat had a bladder infection and it was nowhere near as serious as this. He's a lucky boy to have people who love him so much and can get him the help he needs, especially after such a rough start in life.

Wolfiefan · 15/12/2018 22:16

Oh he’s lovely. Hope he’s home soon.

viccat · 15/12/2018 23:02

A friend's cat had the operation you mention (as an adult cat) and it's resolved his issues (he had a narrow penis and kept getting blocked). Fingers crossed that will work out for your boy as well if they decide to go ahead with that.

Original poster
Apanicaday · 16/12/2018 13:13

He's had surgery this morning - it turns out that his cat equivalent of a foreskin only had a tiny tiny opening and so there was no way his penis could get out. The vet has cut it open and has now managed to get a catheter in which hasn't been managed before. He also had a blockage (they think caused by cystitis which was caused by wee backing up) - so I'm feeling very relieved that we rushed him in last night.

He's going to be catheterised for the next 48 hours and then they will take it out and see what happens - if he wees by himself then he can come home and should be sorted- if not then they will have to go with the penis amputation and new hole formation operation (which does have a proper name starting with urtheros-something or other which I can't remember). The vet seemed optimistic that that wouldn't be necessary -so am keeping my fingers tightly crossed.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 16/12/2018 14:03

I’m really hoping all goes well for him. Hope he’s feeling better very soon.

perfectly1mperfect · 16/12/2018 16:46

Poor little cat. I hope that the operation was successful and that he'll be home with you soon.

Keep us updated.

Vinorosso74 · 16/12/2018 16:50

Poor boy! Paws crossed this has worked for him. It's definitely good you took him in yesterday. Hopefully once things heal he'll feel a lot better.
I do love a tuxedo cat!

minkies11 · 16/12/2018 16:54

Thank god he has such a fantastic owner like you! He's still got his whole life ahead of him and sounds an absolute darling. Hopefully he will bounce back when his waterworks are fixed - they can be tough little things so fingers crossed for you!

LetBartletBeBartlet · 16/12/2018 16:55

Poor little furball.

I hope he has a settled 48hrs without complications, and is home soon.

TinslePaws · 16/12/2018 19:50

Glad to hear it's looking good! Been thinking of your little fluff ball. Have my fingers crossed for his swift recovery. Must be a massive weight off your shoulders knowing what's wrong and having a treatment plan in place.

FrankieChips · 16/12/2018 19:54

Poor little man. They can handle a lot more than we can. I’m sure he’ll be well again very soon x

Thekitten · 16/12/2018 21:13

Poor little thing, he's had such a rough start in life. He's so lucky he's got such caring parents :3 I hope he recovers quickly!

Mia184 · 17/12/2018 12:12

The poor little cutie! But he is very glad to be living with you! Fingers crossed that he will be able to pee normal soon!

Original poster
Apanicaday · 19/12/2018 18:44

Poor thing is still at the vets. They took his catheter out yesterday morning to see if he could wee - he failed to all day so they gave him a muscle relaxant to see if that would help-but it didn't. So he had to be sedated again, drained by needle again and then recatheterised. He has it in for another 48 hours and then they are going to try again. They think that as well as his penis abnormality, that he also has problems with crystals, and that he will possibly need to go on a special diet for that too.

Keep your fingers tightly crossed that another 48 hours sorts him out or the more radical surgery is looking mote likely :(

OP posts:
TheSpottedZebra · 19/12/2018 18:50

Fingers crossed here.
I too knew a cat who had the radical surgery due to crystals. He lived a long and happy (and very) fluffy life after that.

Perfectly1mperfect · 19/12/2018 19:27

I have been checking back to see how he's doing. Poor little baby. Sorry that what they have done so far hasn't worked. I will keep my fingers crossed and think of him as I have been.

Hopefully he'll be home with you soon. He's lucky to have you as his owners.

minkies11 · 19/12/2018 20:34

Fingers crossed your poor little boy gets his waterworks in order!

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