Also another fun fact: not all tardigrades are capable of going into the tun state. For example, aquatic tardigrades that live in freshwater streams can form what is called a summer egg, which allows them to survive hot and potentially dry conditions, but I don’t believe much has been studied on this alternative state. IIRC marine tardigrades also cannot achieve the tun state, so this really only applies to terrestrial^* tardigrades.

^*Terrestrial tardigrades are also sometimes referred to as aquatic tardigrades as they are only active (not in the tun state) in the presence of water (e.g., after it rains)

My heart goes out to you and I’ve seen this happen to my friends cat before. If I’m not mistaken, it’s almost exclusively male cats that are affected due to their urethral anatomy and stress tends to cause the onset of the inflammation. It is very life threatening without treatment, but the cat will live a normal healthy life after the surgery otherwise. You did the right thing taking your baby to the vet right away and saved his life, I hope you get the help and support you need to help him with this procedure ❤️

What type of litter do you use with that box?