Blocked bladder- Stress in cat

[Vincent]

Hey all, a few weeks ago my cat (1 year old male, ragdoll/ British blue) was struggling to pee. He was getting very frustrated and angry and was constantly going to his litter tray trying to pee but nothing was coming out. After a few hours I was worried so I took him to the vet who advised he needs to have his bladder pumped due to a blockage. After tests and urine samples they couldn’t see anything in his urine to assume there were crystals so we believe it’s down to stress. After he had the catheter procedure twice he came home and recovered really well and now he has suddenly become frustrated again and he is showing the same symptoms as before. Frustrated, can’t pee and meowing a lot. My cat lives with me in a studio flat with a balcony which is shared with a neighbour who also has a cat. I feel like the neighbours cat causes the stress because my cat is always meowing to the walls and windows etc. My cat and me would always travel to my parents house and stay the weekend and he seemed very comfortable in this environment. Staying at my parents (who have 3 cats) never seemed to be an issue. However we haven’t gone there since he has been blocked. I’m not sure if he prefers being with me in the flat or being at my parents. I’m very lost at the moment and just want to do what’s best for him. Can anyone help please? Thanks.

[Mollycat]

Poor puss, there is something very wrong if he needs treatment after just a few weeks.

Not sure I like the sound of your vet assuming it's crystals, if there is a blockage it can easily be diagnosed and crystals alone don't cause blockage. Also there are several different kinds of urinary crystals with different causes and I would definitely want that investigated.

Certain dietary imbalances can cause crystals, so I would look carefully at his food. The acidity and dilution of urine, presence of too much or too little of certain minerals, I would look there. Even a raw diet can be unbalanced. But you would need to know what kind of crystals they are before you can consider making adjustments.

Yes stress can be a factor but it's unlikely to be the only one. But if your cat is noticeably more relaxed in a different environment maybe that needs to be thought about. One thing I will add, some cats, especially boys, and some breeds including Ragdolls, can be very sociable characters. I had a retired stud Raggie and was forced to get another cat for company as he was so stressed alone that if I left him even to take the bin out his fur would be full of static electricity and he would be in a near panic. He was fine once he had a friend. But I would not dismiss this as purely stress, it needs proper investigation.

[Mollycat]

One helpful article and guide to the different crystals (there are plenty more)

https://www.hillspet.com/pet-care/healt ... -treatment