No worries about Henry - he's healthy and happy now without his peener - and DH and I sleep much better at night not having to worry about episodes of him running in and out of the litter box at 3am!
He was catheterized twice to clear a blockage, and our vet was of the "three strikes and it's off" mindset. It was 2-3 years between episodes, but after the second episode we had another scare (not full blockage, but close enough) that basically sealed the deal for us. And he is by no means an overweight kitty - he's a skinny boy. The emergency vet (episode 2 - $1800 price tag) said that the anatomical features of boy cats' urethras were living proof against the concept of intelligent design - snerk!
Applaws also makes a high protein dry food too that we give our kitties as treats that I think is pretty good. I truly believe that it's so important to just read the ingredients (just like on human food). And yes, paying more for higher quality food usually means lower vet bills, but it's hard to rationalize that because you can't know what didn't happen if you didn't spend the extra money.
Pets at Home is the best - they've just opened up a store here, and although I still shop at the little store at the end of our street - Pets at Home have a much wider selection of food.
