[Huntress]

I do feed dry food. I hope I didn't cause Norman's problem by doing so.

[CAluvdubya]

Don't worry about it. I know I caused my cats diabetes with the dry and also the surgery for the other cat. Vets don't tell us what problems dry food causes. Wet is much better for them. But I'll bet if you switch to Fancy Feast or the Wal Mart brand you won't have any more problems (after surgery).

[stlnative]

You should do some research tonight about this common problem with male cats from off the internet tonight.

Yes dry cat food (most cheap brands) will cause the problem in male cats that have a small urethra to begin with. You will have to feed your cat a special diet for the rest of his life so he does not get blocked up again. He also may start urinating where ever he pleases after the surgery and for the rest of his life.

Do yourself and the cat a favor, put him to sleep and go adopt another homeless kitten or cat, get 2 if you like. You will mourn the loss of your cat, but time will heal your pain and you will know you made the right choice by putting him to sleep.

[stlnative]

Please read here...

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/fusfaqs.html

[rintense]

Dry food is fine. It's the kind of dry food that's the problem. Your cat will need to switch to a dry food that promotes a healthy urinary tract. The prescription science diet is wonderful and your vet will recommend the correct one. Purina also makes a great prescription line of food as well.

Commercial canned food is like letting your cat eat out of the garbage. Ick. Does terrible things to the teeth, liver and coat.

[RSteyn]

>I do feed dry food. I hope I didn't cause Norman's problem by doing so.<

I had a cat develop this problem feeding one of the best known and supposedly great dry foods out there.

Cat people, read: www.felinediabetes.com

They aren't selling anything! There is a great table listing the composition of just about every commercial canned cat food available so you can feed your CARNIVORE properly by selecting not by brand, but by composition!

Your cats, present and future, would thank you if they could.

[pbmaltzman]

I do feed dry food. I hope I didn't cause Norman's problem by doing so.

Some dry food may cause problems; not sure. But there are special foods you can buy to feed a cat with urinary problems. I think they have lower magnesium or low ash.

If you decide to go ahead and get the medical help for your cat, you might look into a special diet to avoid another costly episode.

I guess it's still controversial regarding when to spay or neuter a cat. Spaying or neutering very young may (or may not) have an effect on the maturity of the genitourinary tract, which may have an effect on what (if any) problems the cat has as an adult.

I decided to get away from supermarket foods (and also away from most pet supermarket foods). I recently started my three cats on Innova Evo, which is a dry food that is supposedly compatible with a raw food diet, and is also low-carb and no-grain. It'll be a while before I see much in the way of results, I guess, but so far, the cats seem to really go for the stuff, and two of them seem to have softer fur. One of them had some dandruff, and it's already starting to ease off.

A few years ago I had to have a cat put to sleep who was only about 9-1/2 years old. I think he had cancer (losing weight, stinky breath, weakness), and I didn't have the money to take him to a vet for costly treatment. When that cat was young, I had times when all I could afford to feed him was cheap stuff supplemented by leftover meat from my table.

I'm hoping that by feeding my current cats better food, I will be able to extend their healthful lives and stave off the inevitable for a few more years.

If I were in your shoes; if the vet were willing to take payments on the medical procedures; and if the vet were pretty sure that the treatment would actually cure the problem and allow your cat to have a good number of healthy years left; I would then go ahead and get the medical work done on the cat. And I hope that getting your cat healthy doesn't mean you have to eat peanut butter sandwiches for six months.

I recently adopted a one-year-old, former feral cat. She turned out to have a case of diarrhea, which turned out to be an intestinal infection. To cure it, I spent a couple of hundred dollars on vet visits, tests, and antibiotics.

She wasn't happy about taking a course of a heavy-duty antibiotic/antifungal, and I wish she'd been healthier to begin with, but the upshot is that she's now in good health, has put on some weight, and has a good appetite now.

I wish you and your cat the best. I hope both of you come out of this ordeal in good spirits!