pros and cons of having your cat neutered...

freethink3r

I'm due to get my cat neutered in a month or so, but I'm not sure about it.

Okay, so they don't spray and they're less aggressive. But will he not feel sore and violated and like I've betrayed him? Will his personality change? I like his personality, he's sweet. He's in love with our female (spayed) cat and rolls on his back trying to slither over to her he feels more "male" than our other boy cat. I don't want to change that.

Neuter him or don't, and why?

mymo

Pro's: prevents unwanted litters, there are millions of cats out there already.

My toms stayed loving and playful (even at 13 one is still playful) and didn't change a bit, and they are less likely to wander after females and get injured.
He may not spray yet, but he will.
My toms were leaping around the next day like nothing happened, it's a tiny op, once over the anesthetic they are fine.

Cons: can't think of any

DBB

I think it's safe enough to say that your cat's lovely personality is not stored in his testicles :-)
He's a product of a good upbringing by the sounds of it, and removal of the nuts won't change that. If anything, neutering male cats avoids/gets rid of the unpleasant, hormone-driven aspects of behaviour, leaving an even nicer cat behind!

SillyMangoX

I can never think of a reason to leave a cat un neutered unless they are a purebred being used as a stud. As said above it cuts down on the spraying (or at least gets rid of the horrible smell), reduces testosterone fueled behaviors such as fighting with other cats, and this in turn greatly reduced the chances of them developing deadly infections passed through fighting/mating like FIV and FeLV, and eliminates the chances of him getting a female pregnant so reduces the amount of unwanted kittens in the world!
I have my 2 boys neutered, and to be honest the operation didn't phase them one bit. It's very minor, they don't even need stitches after it. In fact after we brought Cream home from the vets after being done he was straight up the Christmas tree! Only think that Dude did was drag his bum on the floor once, after that it was as if he was never done at all.
Having had a cat that died of FeLV/ FIV from being un neutered, I would always say do it ASAP because it's not worth leaving them entire and losing them so young.
And don't worry about personality, it didn't make a bit of a difference to my boys! Cream actually got a lot more cuddly and loving afterwards and Dude stayed the same as he always was. And contrary to popular belief it doesn't make them whimps/ unable to stand up for themselves. My guys have no bother fending their garden from the unneutered Toms across the road!

tatli_lokma

Plus it's not about what you want or your sensitivities about the process, it's about what is best for the cat and about what is responsible pet ownership. The best thing for the cat and the most responsible thing to do is have him neutered. As others have said regarding your fears for his personality, if anything he will become more loving and affectionate not less and you will avoid testosterone fuelled negative behaviours. And his 'teen' years will be much less eventful!

angelfire9

I've two toms both neutered now
The first was always affectionate and is now even more so
The second was standoffish and is now a lap cat
Both still hunt rodents and defend their garden so I can only see the positives

Must say 1st cat took full 24 hours to recover from the snip other lad was tearing around by 6pm

anniehoo

I agree with all that's been said above. Be very glad that you will never have to experience "tom cat" spray. I adore cats, but this is possibly the vilest smell ever :eek: It is horrendous, lingers forever and so difficult to get rid of as it's impossible to detect where they've sprayed (door frames, windows, cushions, beds,clothes.....you name it!!)

Male cat neutering is one of the simplest operations a vet performs being one of the first surgical procedures they learn in vet school. There are far more pros than cons (I can't think of any cons tbh) and I would never keep an unneutered male cat in my home again.

Rips

I don't know how anyone can stand the smell of an entire male cat.

He may not spray now, but he could start at any time, he may be more sensitive to change in his environment, neighbouring cats howling etc

Leaving him that way, is just asking for trouble as well, even if he is indoor, leaving him entire will make it more likely that he will stray in the event he gets out. And then you have that on your head, FIV/FeLV, cat bite abscesses, unwanted litters. It is unthinkable to leave him entire if he is outdoor, or free access.

As far as personality changes, it doesn't change their core personality, only takes away their hormonally driven ones (and sometimes not even those, I've know neutered males who act like yours does)

You might save money on a lifetime of feed bills with the adjustment in his metabolism!

Zapperzy

Agree with all said above. I'v seen far too many entire males having to be put down because of FIV/FeLV, neutering won't wipe out the risk of contracting either of these awful diseases but a neutered male is less likely to be getting into testosterone fueled fights and therefore contracting them by this means. They normally make better pets, less concerned with roaming about looking for females to mate with.

The operation is very straightforward, not completely risk free but relatively low risk. The boys are usually up and about like nothing happened within a few hours.

Unless in the case of a pedigree cat with the intention of breeding from it in the future I don't think there are any pros to keeping a cat entire.

disco1

There is no cons...its the responsible thing to do

OwaynOTT

Can't really add much more to the above, it's a no brainer really.
Wish our neighbour up the road would have done it! He must have like 20 cats by now and looks after none of them.

Jonblack

Ever heard the saying "lucky as a cut cat"

seb65

I've had 3 pet cats over time. All neutered (2 males). No ill effects, no lingering hostility. Only personality changes were for the better - less aggressive, friendlier, calmer and no spraying. Everyone is correct, once your Tom hits a certain age he will spray. The spray is pure acrid and impossible to remove with anything but a long period of time.

If you do not neuter and your cat is both an indoor/outdoor he is more likely to roam away from home. This means fights with other Toms as well as getting lost. And of course, litters.

If your cat does go outdoors, get him neutered, it's the responsible, humane thing to do. Simple as.

deise08

Decided I didn't want to be dealing wit unwanted kittens so handed my girl in a few years ago. went to collect her and she had turned into a boy!! imagine my shock!!!
she was a he all along.
ok he did feel very sore and sorry for himself for about two days after. Couldn't go up two steps of the stairs without a yelp and an auld lick down below. felt fairly bad then. but he bouncing around then after that.
Been around cats forever and I would highly suggest them to be neutered.
got a gruelling from the brothers about takin his bits and had to defend myself to other people who didn't see the point of neutering a male seeing as they weren't the ones who had the kittens.
I don't see any cons. just all pro's

boomerang

If you don't neuter him, he will wander as soon as the female cats come in call in the spring. Un-neutered toms have a far greater range than a neutered male. He will get into fights and come home with abscesses or worse - with FIV or FeLV. It's inevitable. Chances are he will simply never come home again, because ranging far further puts him at greater risk of getting lost, or getting hit by a car, or someone nabbing him and dumping him elsewhere because the spraying is such a nuisance.

If anything, his personality will be sweeter. And he won't be impregnating the neighbourhood and continuing the horrible cycle of feral kittens born to die.

It's a no brainer, OP.

boomerang

Pain after the surgery is largely down to the skill of the surgeon. He honestly shouldn't be experiencing pain as referenced by the poster above. And the sooner you neuter, the quicker he will bounce back. We're neutering kittens at twelve weeks of age and it's like they haven't had surgery at all!

Will he feel violated? No, because he is a cat, and cats don't have that emotional sophistication. Ditto on him feeling betrayed. You need to get past those anxieties OP, because being a responsible pet owner means doing things for your animal's welfare that in the moment they would much prefer didn't happen - vaccinations, worming, maybe hospitalisation when injured and ill. You can't shy away from doing the right thing for your cat because you've humanised him.

Morf

I'd have no issue recommended neutering.

Only issue is that he was done quite young and his head has seemed quite small for his body for a while there. It's a bit more in proportion now. (About 18 months old)

freethink3r

tatli_lokma wrote: »

Plus it's not about what you want or your sensitivities about the process, it's about what is best for the cat and about what is responsible pet ownership. The best thing for the cat and the most responsible thing to do is have him neutered. As others have said regarding your fears for his personality, if anything he will become more loving and affectionate not less and you will avoid testosterone fuelled negative behaviours. And his 'teen' years will be much less eventful!

Don't get me wrong, I'd love them more cuddly. It just feels mean taking away his balls. They're not mine to take :O I wouldn't want someone extracting parts of me. It just feels so strange to be able to have someone's testicles lopped off routinely like it's nothing.

freethink3r

I suppose it is like when I take him for vaccinations even though he howls to escape, and it would be better for him. I just wanted to think about it first.

tatli_lokma

freethink3r wrote: »

Don't get me wrong, I'd love them more cuddly. It just feels mean taking away his balls. They're not mine to take :O I wouldn't want someone extracting parts of me. It just feels so strange to be able to have someone's testicles lopped off routinely like it's nothing.

I take it you're a man? Men seem to be very attached to their animals balls for some reason whereas women are much more pragmatic about the whole thing.

Morf

tatli_lokma wrote: »

I take it you're a man? Men seem to be very attached to their animals balls for some reason whereas women are much more pragmatic about the whole thing.

I'd be far more cautious about spaying a cat. Much bigger OP. Far more chance of infection (a previous one of mine was very unwell afterwards). A lot longer healing time etc..

Off topic a bit, I apologise but it puts it perspective how quick, easy and relatively painless that neutering is for all concerned.

SillyMangoX

freethink3r wrote: »

Don't get me wrong, I'd love them more cuddly. It just feels mean taking away his balls. They're not mine to take :O I wouldn't want someone extracting parts of me. It just feels so strange to be able to have someone's testicles lopped off routinely like it's nothing.

It may seem strange but it is all part of routine care when you take on an animal. I think you need to detach yourself from the humanistic point of view and look at things from a welfare point of view. The kitty isn't going to miss what he doesn't even know he had, plus if he is left entire but you choose to confine him/ keep him away from lady friends then those little pom poms are going to be causing him a whole heap of distress! How old is he btw? Cats can become sexually active from as young as 4 months (though males are usually a bit later)

The Bishop Basher

Is it not a little disingenuous to say there are no cons ? The surgery itself is a con. Nobody likes putting animals through procedures unless absolutely essential. There are always risks involved no matter how good the vet. I know my sisters cat was very sick following this procedure. She's fine now but it was touch and go.

I think when you balance up the risks against the benefits it's a no brainer but it don't agree with the numerous posts saying there are no cons either.

Nody

anniehoo wrote: »

I agree with all that's been said above. Be very glad that you will never have to experience "tom cat" spray. I adore cats, but this is possibly the vilest smell ever :eek: It is horrendous, lingers forever and so difficult to get rid of as it's impossible to detect where they've sprayed (door frames, windows, cushions, beds,clothes.....you name it!!)

Had similar issues before and I've tried probably 6+ different UV lights (which all failed) but I'm happy to say this one actually works and you can spot where they peed even after the smell is gone. Best used in combination with UV glasses (can be found on Ebay or in hardware stores) to avoid eye pain and don't require total darkness (only makes it easier the darker it is).

Rips

Swanner wrote: »

Is it not a little disingenuous to say there are no cons ? The surgery itself is a con. Nobody likes putting animals through procedures unless absolutely essential. There are always risks involved no matter how good the vet. I know my sisters cat was very sick following this procedure. She's fine now but it was touch and go.

I think when you balance up the risks against the benefits it's a no brainer but it don't agree with the numerous posts saying there are no cons either.

Is elective surgery a con?

It certainly shouldn't be - it would take far longer for an adult cat to undergo a proper dental treatment, and there are far more risks, possible consequences involved with removing a damaged tooth .. but you couldn't argue against the procedure when you consider the welfare of the cat.

Would you shy away or opt out from preventative health treatment for yourself?

Sure, we are seeing plenty of comments as far as people's bad experiences in relation to surgery, but this is dependant on the animal itself, its health status, whether it is male or female (your sisters cat is female?) and the owners choices ... I can assure you that for every post on here about pain after surgery or poor recovery, there has been a phone slammed down in anger, after someone has gotten a quote to neuter a cat for a measly €35.

Your pet should not be in pain after a simple elective procedure.

If you are prepared to pay, you can practically eliminate all the worries highlighted in this thread - have pre anaesthetic bloods run, ensure your cat is neutered at a practice that offers human grade anaesthesia and analgesia and is monitored throughout. Simple things make a huge difference in relation to recovery, like the difference between being bundled back into a cramped carrier in a cold room with a soaked hind end to await collection, and being placed comfortably on an insulated bed under a heat lamp and being monitored during recovery.

Neutering male cats is a procedure that was often carried out by unqualified staff before the regulation of nursing - I can absolutely assure you, that although its now illegal, this is still being done. Similarly, cats are being whacked out with whatever drug is cheapest, not the best, or safest, and vets are scrimping on medication costs, like analgesia, because of demand for cheaper services. I know of vets who do not provide analgesia for cat neuters outside of the analgesic compound that it included in the anaesthetic (ie; they have enough drugs so they don't feel pain when they are being cut)
And I'm not talking about poor practice per say, I'm talking about an industry being limited by owners demands and expectations. An industry that will be constantly taxed and challenged by the amount of abandoned animals, or animals in homes where owners are unable or unwilling to provide for their care.

Your sisters cat was female, how old was she, does she have underlying health concerns, did she have previous litters, was she in heat, and what sort of procedure was carried out? The list is endless as far the 'possible' cons you could dream up, but they can all be taken into consideration so that the choice to neuter or spay is an overwhelming 'pro'.

The Bishop Basher

I agree with you with regard to the benefits outweighing the risks and mentioned that in my post.

I'm simply responding to the numerous posts that said there are no cons at all.

As regards to whether you call it a "con" or not is just semantics. The reality is that, regardless of how well it's carried out, any procedure, even with the best of care, will carry risks.

That, in my mind, is a con, drawback, negative to consider, whatever you want to call it.

Personally I would still opt to neuter.

rannerap

I left both my kittens in to be spayed last night and I'm going to pick them up in a little bit. I felt like a monster doing it but I know that in the long run it is better for them

kylith

freethink3r wrote: »

But will he not feel sore

Yes, a little.

freethink3r wrote: »

and violated

No.

freethink3r wrote: »

and like I've betrayed him?

No.

freethink3r wrote: »

Will his personality change?

No.

From his point of view he'll go to the vet, become drowsy, and wake up a bit groggy and a little sore. After a couple of days it'll be like nothing happened him at all.

boomerang

To put anaesthetic risk in perspective, a study published in the Irish Veterinary Journal put it at one in eight hundred cats. For elective neutering in a healthy young male cat, the risk is probably even smaller.

taytobreath

boomerang wrote: »

To put anaesthetic risk in perspective, a study published in the Irish Veterinary Journal put it at one in eight hundred cats. For elective neutering in a healthy young male cat, the risk is probably even smaller.

i reckon i have seen over 1000 cats neutered (not actually seen the operation) and all the cats were brought back as healthy as ever

there are certain cats that don't take too well to the anesthetic, they are a bit wobbly legged for a few hours but this will pass as soon as it wears off.

Keep your cat inside for a few days even though he may be an outdoor cat.

Also may i add the amount of times I have done a trap nueter release for the old lads that are male and that its ok for us to trap the females but if you ask about the toms they'll say... "shor they cant get pregnant they'll be grand leave the toms alone"

boomerang

They can't get pregnant but they're the baby makers!

(And the main reservoir of FIV and FeLV, which can be spread to the females they mate with, and their kittens)