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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / April 2004Time to neuter?
A question: what is the earliest time one should neuter one's male cat? what sorts of behavioral problems other than spraying does this address? > A question: > what is the earliest time one should neuter one's male cat? Now a days, as early as 8 weeks, or 2 lbs. > what sorts of behavioral problems other than spraying does this > address? It is not just behavioral, it is for their health. Baby kittens recover faster, there is less bleeding and especially for males, the risk is practically nothing. Less than older males. But behaviorally, early neutering will curb the desire to roam far. It will curb the fighting instinct. It may or may not curb the "horny kitty" behavior; one of mine is often sort of masterbating on blankets and he was neutered years and years ago. Health-wise, there is testicular cancer that will not happen without testicals. Other health reasons, I'm sure you'll see replies.  SignatureCheryl > > what is the earliest time one should neuter one's male cat? > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > years ago. Health-wise, there is testicular cancer that will not happen > without testicals. Other health reasons, I'm sure you'll see replies. There's no question that it needs to be done, but i was attempting to get more information without volunteering more of the situation... The kitten in question is an F1, he's born of a feral mother, abandoned (truly) and rescued, crying, on abandonment day two. We took possession of him at his 2.5th week. He's been hand raised and travelled all over with us, in a kangaroo-pouch since we got him, nearly half the day. He's leash / harness trained, and pretty well adjusted - except for his inability to lose play-fights with our other two kitties. He's got a serious issue with not knowing when to quit. Stays violent, often times, until he's held for a few minutes (usually wrapped up like a kitty-burrito) and has a time to calm down. We're starting to clicker-train him this week, and since it was about time to fix him, i wondered what positive effect it might have on his anger management. b >>> what is the earliest time one should neuter one's male cat? >> [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > b The earlier it is done the more it will probably curb his agression. karen > > > what is the earliest time one should neuter one's male cat? > > [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > > b I wonder if a time out in a room by himself might not settle him more than being wrapped up? It could send the message that if he doesn't settle down he won't get ANY attention. We did this with Boots (hand raised/spoiled since 3 wks old) when he would get out of hand. He started settling some before he was neutered. I can't say that I've seen much of a difference in his behavior since he was done but that was only about a month ago. W > The kitten in question is an F1, he's born of a feral mother, abandoned > (truly) and rescued, crying, on abandonment day two. We took possession of [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > b actually, it mostly likely isn't anger, but a complete lack of understanding of the rules of the game. when kittens are born, they are taught by their mother and their siblings where the boundaries are in play. When they bite too hard or are two rough, the kittens cry out almost as if saying OW, and immediately stop play. if the rough kitten keeps going, the other kitten walks away, ignoring the offender. I would recommend the same treatment to your own little guy. Saying OW in a meow like way, and immediately stopping all movement and attention. if he continues to be aggressive, say it again, and put him by himself. Good luck! > A question: > what is the earliest time one should neuter one's male cat? > what sorts of behavioral problems other than spraying does this address? Shelters often do it as early as 8 - 12 weeks, to make sure kittens get adopted out as neutered. Otherwise, I think I'd have a male (or female) cat neutered by 4 - 5 months, if possible. Females can go into an early heat by that time, but I have to admit that I don't know the earliest a male cat can become sexually mature. My only male cat was adopted as a stray when he was an older kitten - maybe 7 - 10 months old?, & I had him neutered then; AFAIK (not sure, since he had been a 100% outside stray), he hadn't begun to spray yet. Besides deterring spraying, neutering a male cat will make him much more content to stay at home - Vs. feeling the need to go out & find female cats. Cathy -- "Staccato signals of constant information..." ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon > Females can go into an early heat by > that time, but I have to admit that I don't know the earliest a male cat can > become sexually mature. In my experience, it's a little closer to 6 to 8 months. When we started the breeding program, Malfoy - our first stud male - happily ignored his "stepsister" during her repeated heats until he was about six or seven months of age, considering her yet another thing to snug up to and play with no matter what state of heat she was in. SignatureDennis Carr - ke6isf@spamcop.net | I may be out of my mind, http://www.dennis.furtopia.org | But I have more fun that way. ------------------------------------+------------------------------- circa Wed, 14 Apr 2004 21:54:24 -0700, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Dennis Carr (ke6isf@spamcop.net) said, > > Females can go into an early heat by > > that time, but I have to admit that I don't know the earliest a male cat can [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > months of age, considering her yet another thing to snug up to and play > with no matter what state of heat she was in. Jacob started mounting his brother when they were barely five months old. They got neutered that week. ;-P Laura SignatureI am Dyslexia of Borg, Your a.s will be laminated. >Besides deterring spraying, neutering a male cat will make him much more >content to stay at home - Vs. feeling the need to go out & find female cats. > >Cathy I had the grandcat neutered at 6 months or so. He's still pretty wild and aggressive. He doesn't just walk. He swaggers, sideways, with his tail puffed out. But thhe weirdest thing is, he's over 1 now, and he has definitely got that big-headed jowly look that Toms have. I'm beginning to wonder about him. Doesn't hormones cause that jowly look? Sherry > >Besides deterring spraying, neutering a male cat will make him much more > >content to stay at home - Vs. feeling the need to go out & find female cats. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > Doesn't hormones cause that jowly look? > Sherry I *thought* so. This guy sounds like he has a largish reserve of testosterone hiding away someplace else, too! Cathy -- "Staccato signals of constant information..." ("The Boy in the Bubble") Paul Simon > But thhe weirdest thing is, he's over 1 now, and he has definitely got > that big-headed jowly look that Toms have. Can anyone elaborate on that statement, maybe with a pic? I don't get it. Signature-- ~kaeli~ Found God? If nobody claims Him in 30 days, He's yours to keep. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace kaeli <tiny_one@nospam.comcast.net> quoth: >> But thhe weirdest thing is, he's over 1 now, and he has definitely got >> that big-headed jowly look that Toms have. >Can anyone elaborate on that statement, maybe with a pic? >I don't get it. Unneutered Toms have a characteristic squareness to their face. Their jaw often looks very squared off and jowly. That comes from the testosterone in their systems. My mother claims my Benjamin has that jowly Tom look, but it's just his fur which is long and fluffy. If you smooth it down he has a pointy sweet kitty face without a hint of testosterone poisoning. He's my sweet sissy boy. ;-) Priscilla Signature"I think I might give growing up a miss. After all, I've left it rather late, and what would be the point?" Chris Malcolm in alt.support.menopause |> But thhe weirdest thing is, he's over 1 now, and he has definitely got |> that big-headed jowly look that Toms have. | | Can anyone elaborate on that statement, maybe with a pic? Toms develop thick padding on their cheeks - it helps to protect their eyes in fights. It gives them a characteristic jowly look. Check out the picture of Bigfoot in my "Ferals" album: http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=1644404&uid=514878 (He's also in the "Rikers Island Project" album.) > Toms develop thick padding on their cheeks - it helps to protect their > eyes in fights. It gives them a characteristic jowly look. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > (He's also in the "Rikers Island Project" album.) Oh, hey, that's interesting. I don't see too many unaltered males. Our cats are always neutered and there are no colonies around here. Do the jowls go away after neutering, or do they become permanent? Signature-- ~kaeli~ Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace | Do the jowls go away after neutering, or do they become permanent? Loss is usual (and gradual), but varies with the cat. They still have the oversize heads. A lot of the time one can tell that a tom was an adult in his prime before neutering. My Scruffy is one such. He has lost just about all of the padding, but that's due to CRF more than anything else. >Toms develop thick padding on their cheeks - it helps to protect their >eyes in fights. It gives them a characteristic jowly look. > >Check out the picture of Bigfoot in my "Ferals" album: Gosh, that's a handsome couple. Yes, that's the look I'm talking about. Boz has a thick neck, fat cheeks and a big head, all have developed over the past few months. Sherry |> Check out the picture of Bigfoot in my "Ferals" album: | Gosh, that's a handsome couple. Ollie and Creamy? Yes. I'll probably have to take that picture down, though. It was taken by my friend Meredith, and it's now being used on the Neighborhood Cats website. http://www.neighborhoodcats.org/about/about.htm There are more pictures of them in these albums http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=890009&uid=514878 http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=2515092&uid=514878 (Creamy disappeared Fall '02. Maybe he wandered off in search of fresh pastures, in that we had never managed to catch him, and we had caught Ollie, the last intact female, in the Spring.) | Yes, that's the look I'm talking about. Bigfoot's jowls are classic. | Boz has a thick neck, fat cheeks and a big head, all have developed | over the past few months. Does his pee stink? (You could also have the vet check his penis for spines - that would be a sure indication of testosterone in his system). Or it could be that he's genetically predisposed to look very tommish, in which case one might wonder what he would look like if he weren't neutered!;-) circa 15 Apr 2004 17:29:14 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, Sherry (sriddles@aol.comkitty) said, > >Besides deterring spraying, neutering a male cat will make him much more > >content to stay at home - Vs. feeling the need to go out & find female cats. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > that big-headed jowly look that Toms have. I'm beginning to wonder about him. > Doesn't hormones cause that jowly look? Usually, AFAIK. Did they get all his 'nads while they were in there? Laura SignatureI am Dyslexia of Borg, Your a.s will be laminated. > A question: > what is the earliest time one should neuter one's male cat? > what sorts of behavioral problems other than spraying does this address? Our very black male Rho just got the snip at about one year. It seems to have made him more sociable with my two 3 year old cats, Omicron and Sigma. I think if you are letting him outside a bit earlier would be recommended, they are fully adult by 1 year. Spraying is another matter, especially with a 3 cat household. For smell-deficient people like me it isn't a problem, but my sister always complains about the cat smell of my house. Rho just worked out how to get the phone to give him harpsichord music (the hold button) and has been enjoying it ever since. > A question: > what is the earliest time one should neuter one's male cat? > what sorts of behavioral problems other than spraying does this address? Spaying and neutering can be safely performed as early as 8 weeks if the vet is experienced enough to go in after those tiny organs. Most often the vets that won't do it until the animals are older are older graduates of vet schools where this was not taught, or are just uncomfortable handing small organs. Any vet involved with a rescue group will do juvenile spay/neuter. |
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