Why are male cats at greater risk of urinary blockage than females?

Their urethra is longer and narrower.

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  1. Their urethra is longer and narrower ✔
  2. They drink less than females
  3. They groom more often

Why: Plugs or stones can lodge in a tight, long tube more easily. Cornell says male and neutered male cats are at greater risk of obstruction than females.

Huh, didn't know that: iCatCare says a blocked urethra in male cats may happen when a 'urethral plug' forms from proteins, cells and crystals.

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References

Answer: Their urethra is longer and narrower. Plugs or stones can lodge in a tight, long tube more easily. Cornell says male and neutered male cats are at greater risk of obstruction than females.

  1. Cornell Feline Health Center, Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/feline-lower-urinary-tract-disease
    Male and neutered male cats are at greater risk for obstruction than females because their urethra is longer and narrower.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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