Cat Hostile to Friend After Neuter. Why?

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Robyn - 28 Apr 2004 15:57 GMT

Hi All,
I'm having more cat trouble lately. :-) Fortunately, most of it has
turned out well. Anyway, Some weeks ago we took in a young feral cat,
Froggy. He settled in well and has begun responding to affection and
allowing our touch. :-) But from the moment he joined us, he and my
neutered male, Squidly, have been fast friends. I mean, totally
inseparable. Always playing or sleeping together in a tangle. It's
wonderful to watch. Squidly grooms the little one just like a mother and
they roll around on the floor for hours playing.Here they are:

http://www.wtv-zone.com/nutfish/cats/squidfrog1.jpg

Anyway, yesterday came Froggy's day for neutering. We brought the
little guy home last night and let him out. Squidly HISSED at him! Just
refused to have anything to do with him. In fact he actually seems to be
afraid of him a little. He hisses and growls whenever the young one gets
near him. It's heartbreaking, because Froggy's in a little pain and
groggy, and he wants to sleep with his buddy and be comforted. You can
actually see the confusion on his face. It's the weirdest thing.

We thought it was maybe the strange smells from the vet, but here it
is the next day and still he hisses and snarls whenever Froggy tries to
approach him. I realize that time is probably the only cure for this, if
any, but I'm very curious about why this happened and if there's
anything I can do to help restore a lovely friendship. Thanks for any
insights. :-)

Robyn

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Karen - 28 Apr 2004 16:55 GMT

Not uncommon. Take a towel and rub both of them down with the same one
several times a day. It can take a few days for things to get back to
normal. This should help.

Karen

> Hi All,
> I'm having more cat trouble lately. :-) Fortunately, most of it has
[quoted text clipped - 24 lines]
>
> Robyn

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Robyn - 28 Apr 2004 19:33 GMT

> Not uncommon. Take a towel and rub both of them down with the same one
> several times a day. It can take a few days for things to get back to
> normal. This should help.
>
> Karen

Thanks Karen, I'll give it a try. :-) So it's a smell thing, then? The
other cats didn't react at all, just Squidly. Poor guy sure is needy
today. I can't do anything without almost falling over him. He runs in
front of me and flings himself to the ground, wailing pitifully until I
pick him up. (yes all my cats are spoiled.) Maybe he thinks I'm going to
send him to the vet, too? :-) Anyway, thanks. Hopefully they'll get back
to being friends and tearing the house up again in a day or so. :-)

Take care,
Robyn

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>> Hi All,
>> I'm having more cat trouble lately. :-) Fortunately, most of it
[quoted text clipped - 32 lines]
>> contains berries; grizzly scat has little bells in it and smells
>> like pepper.

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Rene - 29 Apr 2004 14:17 GMT

> Thanks Karen, I'll give it a try. :-) So it's a smell thing, then? The
> other cats didn't react at all, just Squidly. Poor guy sure is needy
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> send him to the vet, too? :-) Anyway, thanks. Hopefully they'll get back
> to being friends and tearing the house up again in a day or so. :-)

I think it is a smell thing. Every time Benny goes to the vet, I have
to go through this routine with Tucker. He doesn't even have to *see*
the other cat, just a whiff sends him in a hissing fit after he comes
back. I usually leave them alone and things return to normal in about
3 days.

Rene

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Laura R. - 29 Apr 2004 03:41 GMT

circa Wed, 28 Apr 2004 10:57:58 -0400, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Robyn (nutfish@bellsouth.SPAMSUCKSnet) said,

> Anyway, yesterday came Froggy's day for neutering. We brought the
> little guy home last night and let him out. Squidly HISSED at him! Just
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> anything I can do to help restore a lovely friendship. Thanks for any
> insights. :-)

That's normal, and it probably *is* smell from the vet's office. It
doesn't wear off in a day. :-) You might help things along by wiping
the newly-denadded guy down with a damp washcloth.

Laura

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Marek Williams - 06 May 2004 21:16 GMT

>That's normal, and it probably *is* smell from the vet's office. It
>doesn't wear off in a day. :-) You might help things along by wiping
>the newly-denadded guy down with a damp washcloth.

I don't know why no one else mentioned this, because it seems obvious
to me.

I recall as a child being forced to bathe twice a week. And that was
plenty to keep me smelling sweet. But when puberty hit, man did I
stink! Daily showers were not enough.

Now, what you've done to your cat is to remove the major source of
testosterone. Why is it suprising that he smells different?

--
Bogus e-mail address, but I read this newsgroup regularly, so reply here.

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Robyn - 07 May 2004 16:30 GMT

>> That's normal, and it probably *is* smell from the vet's office. It
>> doesn't wear off in a day. :-) You might help things along by wiping
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
> Now, what you've done to your cat is to remove the major source of
> testosterone. Why is it suprising that he smells different?

Not surprising at all, and you have a good point. But I don't think
the hormones subside all at once... And even so, Froggy's own siblings
saw no difference in him, nor did my other two cats, just his good
friend Squidly. That's the surprising part, the reaction of just one
cat.

We had some improvement this morning, BTW. The two had a very brief
game of Tag. First, Squidly tore through the room with Froggy after him,
then Froggy streaked back the other way with Squidly hot on his heels.
It ended right there, but it's more than I've seen yet. :-)

And on a different note, we found Froggy in bed with us last night.
He's still a little wild, so this is a milestone. :-)

Robyn :-)

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Mary - 07 May 2004 16:47 GMT

Hey nutfish! ;)

Just wanted to say that "Squidly" is a great name for a cat.
Makes me think of the old cartoon Dastardly and Muttley. I think I'd like to
have a cat named Dastardly and a dog named Muttley. Or vice versa!

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