The purpose of this study was to evaluate a correlation between the clinical aspects and urethral lesions in obstructed cats with the reproductive status and age at castration.All medical records of male feline patients treated at the Veterinary Hospital of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE) in 2019-2021 were selected. Cats were allocated into three groups according to their reproductive status: intact, prepubertal and postpubertal neutered. Cats with compatible signs of urethral obstruction (UO) were were selected for further analysis.  Patient's age, clinical signs, castration age and age of the first obstructive event were documented. Cats with recurrent obstructive urinary signs or urethral trauma that made catheterization impossible were referred for perineal urethrostomy. The morphology of the excised penises was assessed by histopathological analysis. Out of 84 cats with signs of UO included in this study, 28.6% were classified as intact, 28.6% as prepubertal neutered and 42.8% as postpubertal neutered. Intact cats had a significant earlier onset of UO compared to prepubertal and postpubertal neutered cats, as seen by the age at obstruction (3.6 vs 5.7 vs 5.5 years). Similar clinical signs and histopathological lesions were observed in all groups. The main clinical signs observed were stranguria, hematuria and pollakiuria. All cats had some degree of injury in the penile urethra. Most common lesions were hemorrhage, fibrosis and congestion. It is concluded castration, independent of age, does not appear to be a predisposing factor for early onset UO. Furthermore, it appears that intact cats had an earlier onset of UO compared to neutered cats, regardless of age at neutering. Urethral histopathological lesions and clinical signs were similar in both groups. This can have a great positive impact on public health since pediatric castration represents a useful tool in the control animals and the consequent dissemination of zoonoses.

Keytyanne Sampaio completed her Masters at the age of 28 at the Federal University of Pernambuco. He has several publications in the area of surgery and feline medicine. He serves as a member of the editorial board of leading journals.