Mittens Hits A Block – Dealing With Feline Urethral Obstruction

Meet two and a half year old Mittens – a large, cuddly, fur ball who just loves belly rubs. With his gentle nature and playful spirit, he quickly became an irreplaceable part of his family. However, Mittens’ journey took a sudden and dangerous turn when he was diagnosed with a feline urethral obstruction that led to high-risk perineal urethrostomy surgery.

Mittens’ pet parent Jade shared his story with us. It highlights the challenges he faced and the incredible strength he displayed throughout his recovery – and hopefully teaches other cat parents what to look out for when it comes to urethral blockages in cats.

Meet Mittens

Mittens joined his loving family over Christmas in 2020 when Jade gifted him to her two children, Vinnie and Abbie. He quickly won their hearts with his affectionate personality. Mittens loves exploring the neighbourhood and rolling around on warm concrete.

“He’s a gentle giant that purrs up a storm and loves sleeping with his human – Vinnie,” says Jade.

He shares the house with a younger cat called Miley as Mittens lost his sister due to bring hit by a car in June 2022. Mittens and Miley are best friends and she keeps Mittens on his paws with lots of playfulness and running around the house.

Uncovering the unexpected

One day, Mittens started to spray around the house, which was not his usual behaviour. Jade suspected a urinary infection and took him to the vet, who prescribed Mittens antibiotics and sent him home. He spent the night sleeping on the couch, one of his favourite places. However, Mittens’ condition worsened. Early the next morning, Jade woke up and went downstairs to check on him.

He was still in the same spot on the couch where she’d left him before bed, but now he looked lifeless and was unresponsive. They Googled the closest 24-hour vet.

“Our very brave 8 year old Vinnie wrapped Mittens up in a towel and held him while my husband James raced Vinnie and Mittens over to VSA hospital in Henderson,” says Jade.

The vet told the family that he was in critical condition; his bladder was overfull and was leaking internally.

“She described it as passing urine through razorblades, which must have been terrifying for Mittens,” says Jade.

“We knew we would do anything for our Mittens as our children had already lost his sister and our older doggies, so another loss was just not on the cards. Mittens was our fur baby.”

Round 1: Initial treatment for feline urethral obstruction

The vet sedated Mittens and drained his bladder to prevent sepsis. By this point fluid was leaking internally and he was moments from death.

The quick actions of the vets at VSA in the early morning saved Mitten’s from passing, however he was still critical and needed to be transported to VSA in Sylvia Park over the weekend for further treatment and observation.

“We were told the next 12 hours would be critical for Mittens. He needed a catheter and plenty of medication,” says Jade.

On Saturday afternoon the family was told they could visit Mittens as he was no longer critical but was still not out of the woods.

“The vets at VSA said he was the friendliest cat considering his ordeal and he loved his belly rubs,” says Jade.

His diagnosis was urethral obstruction with major concern of cardiac arrest.

Round 2: Perineal urethrostomy surgery needed

The next day Mittens’ condition stabilised and they were able to bring him home from the vet. However once home they noticed that Mittens was still struggling to pass urine and when he did it was only a small stream.

“We weren’t taking any chances and took him to the Swanson veterinarian clinic the next day,” Jade says.

There his bladder was checked and it was determined that Mittens needed perineal urethrostomy surgery to survive.

“Conveniently the vet had just had a cancellation for that same procedure for the following day, so we snapped up this booking and took it as a sign that this was meant to be,” Jade says. ” Mittens’ vet who performed the surgery was qualified and more than experienced in this procedure and it just felt like we had to move forward with this quickly to prevent Mittens deteriorating again.”

How did Mittens do?

Perineal urethrostomy surgery is considered a high risk surgery but Mittens coped well. He was kept at the Swanson vet until he was eating and toileting normally.

“Again, the vets commented that he’s the friendliest cat they had met,” says Jade. “He wasn’t aggressive in any way and continued to love his belly rubs.”

Mittens was finally sent home. Although he was a little depressed and wasn’t a huge fan of the cone he had to wear around his head, he’d survived the ordeal.

“Today Mittens is more of an indoors cat than outdoors, but we just think he’s waiting for his fur to grow back,” says Jade. “He still loves sleeping with Vinnie and loves his belly being rubbed. Through this whole time, Mittens has not shown one sign of aggression; he is still our gentle giant.”

PS: Check out our guide on Indoor Cat Vs Outdoor Cat.

Insurance coverage for a soft landing

When Jade rushed Mittens into the VSA hospital, she had no idea what their insurance would cover and if feline urethral obstruction or perineal urethrostomy surgery was included – their only focus was on keeping him alive for the family. They had insured Mittens when welcoming him home in 2020.

“We chose PD because the coverage to cost benefit ticked all the boxes for us. We also had two older doggies at the time who had benefited from insurance in the past, so we thought we’d best protect our precious kitties,” Jade says.

She also says that once they submitted the claim for the various vet treatments and perineal urethrostomy surgery they were notified within 24 hours that it was approved, with no examination or additional questions asked. The money was transferred soon after.

“To know that PD was so prompt and caring made this whole experience just that little bit easier,” says Jade. “I felt stress free knowing Mittens was covered. Being a family in Auckland isn’t easy with the current cost of living and having two young children.”

So what is a feline urethral obstruction?

Feline urethral obstruction happens almost exclusively in male cats due to their narrow urethra. It’s a condition where something blocks or narrows the tube they urinate through. This blockage prevents them from being able to pee normally. It’s very serious and can be life-threatening if not treated promptly.

It causes discomfort, pain, and can lead to a build-up of toxins in the body. Urgent vet care is needed to remove the blockage and help the cat urinate normally again. Jade warns that feline urethral obstruction can be very common, especially in male cats who are predominantly bigger in size and weight.

“Even if you notice the slightest change with your cat, please be aware and take them to the vet for a check-up,” says Jade. “Luckily we noticed Mittens’ condition quickly because of him spraying, though he could have been unwell for some time but not shown any signs until closer to the day of his admission.”

Feline urethral obstruction symptoms

Here are the symptoms of feline urethral obstruction to look out for in your cat:

1. Frequent attempts to pee. Your cat may go to the litter box often but only produce a small amount of pee or none at all.
2. Straining to urinate. You may notice them hunching over the litter and putting in a lot of effort to pee, sometimes with no success.
3. Painful urination: Your cat may cry out or show signs of discomfort while trying to pee.
4. Cats with a urethral obstruction may groom their genital area excessively. They may also show signs of discomfort when you touch that area.
5. In some cases, you may notice blood in your cat’s urine, which can appear pink, red, or rusty in colour.
6. Cats with this condition may appear restless, uncomfortable, or agitated. They may pace, meow excessively, or hide.
7. Cats with a feline urethral obstruction may lose their appetite, become less active, or seem weak and tired.

Stories from other pet owners

Want to check out more inspiring stories like this? Read here:

• Steve the Russian Blue Cat Shares His Tail
• Piper Gets a Soft Landing After Rat Bait Scare
• Hazelnut’s Story (My Dog Ate My Pills What Should I Do?)
• Rebel the Staffordshire Bull Terrier X Gets Allergies
• The Tail of Two Kiwi Labrador Puppies
• Every Schnauzer Has His Story – Here’s Harvey’s

You may find interesting our article on cat UTIs – a different condition to what Mittens experienced but it can have similar symptoms. Read: Does Stress Cause UTI in Cats – Yes or No?

Insurance for the unexpected

Inspired by Mittens’ story? PD Insurance offers low-cost, award-winning coverage so you can give your pets high quality vet care without breaking the bank. If you sign up online you can get one or more months FREE! That’s right, freebies for your fur babies.

Join the PDPet family today and let’s create a world where happy pets and worry-free pet parents go paw-in-paw! 🐾🌟