urinary tract infection and neutering

Question
Dear Jana,  I have a kitten who is approximately 7 months old (he was rescued
from the street three months ago, so we're not sure).  He has just been to the
vet because he could not urinate.  The vet had to insert a catheter and
removed a huge quantity of urine. He now has 2 types of medication and
special food to control the problem.   Where I live (Thailand) vets do not like
to neuter cats until they are at least a year old, so he hasn't been neutered
yet.  The vet has now told me that he strongly recommends Jess is never
neutered because this is likely to cause more urinary tract problems.  Of
course I don't want to do anything that could cause him to suffer, but the
thought of living with an un-neutered tom is not something I would welcome.  
Do you have any suggestions?  Thanks!

Answer
Neutering has NOTHING to do with this cat getting a UTI. Hormones are not the reason they get them.
As the Merck Veterinary Manual says:

Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD):
In this condition, magnesium-ammonium-phosphate crystals accumulate in the urinary tract, together with mucous-like material. There are other etiologic factors, but providing the cat with a diet that has a low magnesium content and that maintains a urine pH of <6.4 helps limit the development of crystals and uroliths. Because prevention of FLUTD depends largely on control of urine dilution and whole body acid-base balance, dietary management is an important component of urinary tract health in cats. Watering dishes and litter boxes should be cleaned daily (without using any phenolic disinfectants or phenolic-based soaps) to encourage maximal water intake and urination. If more than one cat uses the litter box, pheromones or other odors may tend to repel one of them. Thus, when multiple cats are confined together, having several litter boxes may be helpful in controlling FLUTD. Some cats with signs of FLUTD produce calcium oxalate crystals and uroliths; in this case, dietary management should minimize calcium intake and produce a more alkaline urine pH.

So basically it is diet and cleanliness related. Not neutering a cat will most likely make the problem worse because of mating, spraying and raging hormones. Some cats have problems because their urethra is small- something you cannot do anything about and neutering or not doesn't fix or address. Some cats get so bad they have to be 'made' into females by removing the penis and creating an opening for the urine. They are usually very successful surgeries but they are definitely last ditch efforts to save a cat.

So diet is where you want to start. You can get your cat neutered anywhere, you don't have to go to the same vet. Did he give you a reason that keeping him a tom would prevent FLUTD? (That is Feline Lower Urinary Tract Diseases or Disorder. That is what it is called now).

He can be neutered at 8-9 months of age. That is the age they pretty much have topped out their growth. Waiting until one year is a invitation to a cat that sprays all over your house with horrible tomcat urine and will not stop once neutered because he will smell it all over the place. So find a vet that will do it for you next month.

Now diet might be harder to control over there but the best food on the market for this is Hills products. The best one of all is a prescription diet called C/D that will help him stay unclogged as long as he stays on it and nothing else. Some cats are just crystal producers and the crystals mix with bacteria and cause a sludge that clogs up the urethra, the tube that runs from the bladder to the outside of the penis. Since male cats have a longer tube than females it is easier to clog. Females that get cystitis are getting FLUTD also, but it affects them differently. Rarely will a female clog up.

So the key is lots of water and a diet that keeps the ph of the cat more acid. In the case of oxalate stones it has to be more alkaline.
So get some C/ D if you can and if not get him on some Science Diet Adult formula from a pet store as it is also formulated to help prevent FLTUD. You can see it right on the bag- helps promote urinary tract health. Giving him canned food also increases water intake.

I hope this helps and that you can get him neutered soon.
take care and please let me know what you are able to do.