Page 1 of 1
Urinary Catheterization of the Male Cat
Washington State University – College of Veterinary Medicine
http://courses.vetmed.wsu.edu/templates/printb.aspx
Several styles of urinary catheters
are available. The catheter
identified by the letter (a) is a
flexible rubber feeding tube. A 3
1/2 Fr size is used to catheterize a
male cat. Because it is flexible it is
more difficult to pass than the other
two catheters that are pictured. It is
longer than needed to reach the
urinary bladder. (b) is an openended polypropylene catheter. (c)
is a close-ended polypropylene
catheter. Both (b) and (c) are 3 1/2
Fr.
To prevent urethral trauma, the
penis should be extruded from the
prepuce and held parallel to the
vertebral column. The cat's head is
to your right.
Passing a urinary catheter in a male cat requires two people. One person exteriorizes
the penis and the second person passes the catheter. A finger tab cut from the sterile
package that the catheter was wrapped in, can be used to manipulate the catheter
without touching it. (If this is not clear, see urinary catheterization of the dog from the
selection menu) The catheter should be lubricated with aqueous lubricant. The penis
and prepuce should be cleansed with antiseptic solution. In the slide on the video
screen, the person passing the catheter has a syringe filled with saline that is slowly
being infused to dilate the urethra ahead of the catheter. If you are passing the
catheter to obtain a urine sample, do not infuse fluid during passage of the catheter.
The infusion technique is used to dislodge debris from the urethra of an obstructed
cat.
Urinary Catheterization of the Male Cat
Washington State University