Common wisdom ?, are boy cats still considered more immune to urinary issues than females

As some have seen in another thread, I am struggling with a kitty subcoming to mitral valve stenosis.

I have been advised by my family and close friends to bring another baby/boss into my life.

I don't want to be "sexist" or cast aspersions that would lead to folks considering one sex over another, but after seeing my friends large siamese girl get kidney stones and almost die 6 years ago(midnight er saved her),  I started feeding wet, and getting my cat urine screens.

So on this issue is there a common wisdom, or established facts on health differences for boys and cats.

One thing on the boys, they seem to be more prone to obesity (my subjective observation).

Also any opinions on toxic bladder, crystals, kindey stone prevention.  Last summer my cat was placed on Orbax regimin with results from her urine test.  I think they use the term acidic to describe severity.

Thanks!

I've never dealt with this personally, but I read a lot and always got the impression that males were more at risk for urinary trouble.  My basic summary of all I've read about feline nutrition is that one of the main advantages of feeding wet food (canned) is good urinary health.  I'm sure others will have more detailed info. 

I've always heard the opposite - male cats are more prone to blockages because their urethras are narrower.

Males are more at risk simply because of anatomy - the urethra narrows in the penis, and that is where the troubles start as crystals that females pass without problem tend to catch in the narrowing and cause problems.

I'm not sure which gender is more at risk. . .I've heard girls get more infections because bacteria can travel up the wider urinary passages more easily, but boys are more prone to crystals and things like that. And when boys get any kind of urinary issue, it's more serious because they get blocked so easily. Same is true for humans, BTW, but I don't think we choose our companions based on that! :tongue2:

Anyway, choose the cat you like best and don't worry about gender. Feed an appropriate diet and provide appropriate health care, and hope for the best. That's really all anyone can do :dk:.

Willowy said:

I'm not sure which gender is more at risk. . .I've heard girls get more infections because bacteria can travel up the wider urinary passages more easily, but boys are more prone to crystals and things like that. And when boys get any kind of urinary issue, it's more serious because they get blocked so easily. Same is true for humans, BTW, but I don't think we choose our companions based on that!

Anyway, choose the cat you like best and don't worry about gender. Feed an appropriate diet and provide appropriate health care, and hope for the best. That's really all anyone can do

.

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Thanks guys, wow I had that one backwards,  so much for anectodal information.

Im guessing I pieced together this from seeing my friends female get stones.

I was at my friends house when he noticed balls of red fluid on his blanket (the polyester kind that is like a fleece), he somehow knew what it was and we rushed her to 24 hour ER.

Doctor said she could have died quickly from the kidney stone blockage. That is when I started yearly urine screens.

Somehow I picked up or made up in head that this was a female thing (doctor may have said it), I then had my two females tested, both were acidic.

As far as diet, I will always feed my cats wet and have pyrex bowls filled with water from my Reverse Osmosis water filter (dont wory, minerals are added back in post filter).

I have a spare drinkwell too (although i find them unsanitary)

I have no experience with UTI's, other than hearing them mentioned often in the Food section.

I need to research signs for it so I am better prepared in future.

And Willow, I am a human boy of 33 years and thank God I have never had a problem in this department.  Having the symptops and cure for kidney stones described was enough for me to take the right steps to prevent it.

Ok female it is, and not for their pee, I just like female names more then men. 

Little factoid: Korina is a legacy greek name that means maiden. I didnt name her, but years later I googled her name, and found out it was greek, which is cool as I am greek (its a greek thing  )

I can tell you from experience what it is like, if anybody I recognize wants to PM me.  Too personal and horrible to put in public.

Mine turned out OK, so glad to share the story.  Boys are more prone to crystals, as the others have said, due to anatomy, but girls can get them too. Any cat is prone to urine/bladder issues.

With boys, you have to feed them a grain free food, grains, are one of many causes, but its the biggest one. You also have to give them purified drinking water, tap water has too many minerals in it. You have to keep them flushed out, have to, its imperative. You do this by mixing the wet, with water, so its real soupy, twice a day. If kitty won't eat wet, I had one, then you mix 1 teaspoon Gerber baby food, chicken or turkey ONLY, with water, so its like a broth, twice a day.  

To prevent urinary/bladder issues, you have to keep them flushed out, same as above, if the urine is too concentrated, it burns the bladder walls, so thats, why, ya keep them flushed out. 

 I had one, he was blocked, 2 yrs old, rushed him to the vet. The vet at that time, put him on Hills Science Diet SD and then CD dry. His crystals came back, so I did extensive research on it. He was put on wet, grain free, mixed with water, no more crystals, no more bladder issues, and its been 6 yrs.

Here is a good site to read.

http://catinfo.org/   

Interesting idea. Definitly noted.

Basically I feed Korina what she likes in wet food, and rotate it (she will tire quickly).

Main brand is NV Instinct cans, Chicken, Lamb and Rabbit, as well as some others.

Korina NEVER drank water, at least not in front of me.  All vets told me (along with some folks here) that cats who eat a moist diet, dont drink nearly as much when eating dry, however that was a mute point as my cat had progressively got worse ph in urine over the years.

Korina's favorite food (so much that I just had to shake it and she come running back inside) were wellness pouches, little chunks with liquid gravy.

Before the 2006 recall I fed her the equivilant from Nutro.

any ideas on liquid other than water, maybe canned chicken broth? Oh thats probably salted.

I guess if I raise a kitty on a wetter than wet food diet, she will get used to it.

Thanks again everyone.

FlintMcCullough said:

Mine turned out OK, so glad to share the story.  Boys are more prone to crystals, as the others have said, due to anatomy, but girls can get them too. Any cat is prone to urine/bladder issues.

With boys, you have to feed them a grain free food, grains, are one of many causes, but its the biggest one. You also have to give them purified drinking water, tap water has too many minerals in it. You have to keep them flushed out, have to, its imperative. You do this by mixing the wet, with water, so its real soupy, twice a day. If kitty won't eat wet, I had one, then you mix 1 teaspoon Gerber baby food, chicken or turkey ONLY, with water, so its like a broth, twice a day.  

To prevent urinary/bladder issues, you have to keep them flushed out, same as above, if the urine is too concentrated, it burns the bladder walls, so thats, why, ya keep them flushed out. 

 I had one, he was blocked, 2 yrs old, rushed him to the vet. The vet at that time, put him on Hills Science Diet SD and then CD dry. His crystals came back, so I did extensive research on it. He was put on wet, grain free, mixed with water, no more crystals, no more bladder issues, and its been 6 yrs.

Here is a good site to read.

http://catinfo.org/   

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jcat said:

I've always heard the opposite - male cats are more prone to blockages because their urethras are narrower.

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 This is exactly what my vet told me.  Two of my three male cats had problems with struvite crystals.

Yeah my male cat has had crystals and a UTI...and I always make sure he has lots of water.