I am so sorry to hear that you lost Butters. Urinary tract disease in a male cat can be fatal any time they become obstructed and we do see both the syndrome of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) and obstruction from it fairly commonly. The hardest part is there are still many unknowns about this disease syndrome. We do not completely understand what causes it and why some cats may have it and others may not. This disease can occur in both male and female cats but unfortunately it is the males that are more likely to obstruct to their narrow urethra. If you adopt another male, there are no guarantees but I would hope luck would be on your side. I have had three male cats, and knock on wood, never had an issue with FLUTD. The best things you can do are watch your cat closely, provide a high quality diet for your cat's lifestyle and life stage, practice good litter box hygiene and have fresh water available at all times. Again, please know how sad we are as well about Butters and let us know if you have any questions after you get your new cat.
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