I simply cannot tell you what I all dreamt this night but it showed I was not in an easy mood.

This morning as soon as we opened the vet's exterior door we heard our Tigris and so knew he was alive

Ok: the medicinal details.
It is called iFLUTD. Idiopathic Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease.
His kidneys are ok. Well, a little high in urea but nothing to be really concerned.

He has definitely no stones.

He has a bacterial infection but the vet thinks it's a secondary one.

His urethra is chronically inflammed, swollen and there is scar tissue. Poor boy must have been in pain. The reason for this is not known (which is what "idiopathic" means).

Now there are two options:

1) the conservative option:
The bacterial infection is treated by antibiotics.
The inflammation of the urethra is treated by prednisolone.

This is what we start doing. He'll have to take the prednisolone for about 2 weeks time (and it will be funny 2 weeks regarding the fact that Tigris doesn't eat most of the stuff other cats die for
). The vet says she knows some cats who work rather well over the years with maybe one or 2 times prednisolone per year.

Of course it is essential that the bladder is flushed. Having no stones, neither struvite nor oxalate, Tigris may have his veggie juice which is the only beverage he really is craving She says the pred makes him hungry and thirsty- so that may help.

Then it's no more dry food. Wet food to help his intake of water.

2) surgery
Of course I asked about the perineal urethrostomy (which is -am I right?- what Fister, Boots, Mishi and Storm had.

To my vet's opinion this would be the last resort. The urethra is a block against bacteria coming from the exterior and so can prevent UTIs. My vet says that many cats with urethrostomy suffer from UTIs and need antibiotics often.

I said I knew some who had it and seemed to get along rather well.

Now my question: Randi, Phred, Tracey:

Can you tell me what your vet said about the risks of the surgery.

I agree with my vet that we will first try to control it the way I described but I'd like to know more about the plumbing surgery.

Isn't it funny that very manly cats seem to have more problems. I would have put my bet on Filou for being prone to diseases but as I behave like an eagle now when one of the boys goes to the box, I can say that he p...s like a waterfall.

BTW: Filou was a velcro kitty yesterday and this morning. I think he was saying: Do you keep me when I am very good

I am happy I have my big boy back. Now I hope we can get him to get better.