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Should I remove my male cat's catheter if he's bleeding and in pain?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | 15 lbs

Male cat had urinary blockage 3 days ago. Catheter set to be removed today but blood (pretty dark) is still present. Should I wait for catheter removal? I'm afraid he will reblock. The vet flushed him 4 times yesterday but still a fair amount of blood dripping from cathiter. Also, he's in a lot of pain.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 16th, 2019

Poor guy. I’m not sure if the catheter is doing much good if he is having pain and blood still present. It sounds like the catheter should be removed as your vet suggests to see if maybe it is the reason for his discomfort. Also catheters are traumatic in a lot of cases, so this can also be the source of the blood. This is not a simple thing to decide so all factors have to be considered, which I am sure your vet has thought through so it’s best to follow their recommendation on this one. Worst case scenario is that he reblocks when the catheter is removed, but if he is still being hospitalized they can then reinsert the catheter before anything detrimental happens. However, almost cats arts can have their catheters removed after day 2, although each situation can be uniquely different, 3 days seems more than enough time. If you would like to discuss the specifics of your pets case then please don’t hesitate to request a consultation from either myself or another expert here. I wish Chippy all the best and hope that he recovers soon! Take care.

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