I have had 17 cats in the past 50 or so years, 13 male and 4 female.
A friend of mine recently agreed to take a male cat, 2 years old, who had been surrendered by an elderly woman due to the cat being sick with urinary crystals. The vet gave the cat surgery and then neutered him. He is now in a new home, and they are tearing their hair out.
Two of my male cats can help highlight some of the key issues when taking on a young male cat.
Seafood and fish are bad for male cats. Male cat urinary passages are very narrow and those types of food can narrow them further. They can also produce crystals. In addition, cheap food with a high “ASH” content, can also be harmful to male urinary tract health. Dry food will only make the situation worse. Animals who eat dry food will always be dehydrated unless you can ensure they are going to drink plenty of water. We drown our food bowl of kibble to force them to drink.
A cat on a poor diet can start to form crystals, and these crystals can lead to irritation, blood in the urine, and harm to the bladder and indeed entire urinary tract. It will also make them feel irritated, like they have to pee all the time.
Neutering a male cat later in life, past the age of 1, can lead to certain undesirable habits. This includes male spraying of urine. It is a territorial thing in most cases, but it can also be a behavioral thing, such as peeing if threatened.
In addition, their ‘sex life’ might continue, as in humping your laundry, bedding, and other soft furnishings, to the point of making a wet, sticky mess all over the place.
Every cat is different, of course, but watching out for these male cat issues can go a long way towards having a healthy, happy cat and a clean house.
