My boy was neutered at 5 1/2 months.  I honestly don't recall seeing a
noticeable personality change in him.  He's now 3 1/2 years old and he's still
extremely active.  He has become a lap cat though.  I think it's supposed to
take a few weeks until their hormones level out, so to speak.  Both of my cats
shake their tails but have never sprayed.

Lauren
________
See my cats:  http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe
Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html
http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html
Declawing Info: http://www.wholecat.com/articles/claws.htm

I never noticed any personality change at all after my cats were spayed or
neutered.  As you said, your cat may become more affectionate with time --
but this is not something to expect immediately, and it it will vary greatly
with different cats.  What you describe as "mock spraying" may be what many
call "the happy shake."  If so, your cat is not trying to spray.  That, too,
varies with different cats.

MaryL
(take out the litter to reply)

Photos of Duffy and Holly (pictorial history of my blind cat Duffy's
integration into our household):
Duffy, Part I: The Introduction -- http://tinyurl.com/8y54
Duffy, Part II: Life at Home -- http://tinyurl.com/8y56

 What's a mock?
--

  ~~Philip

"Never let school interfere
 with your education - Mark Twain"

When I had my guy Nerf "fixed" (he was also about 5 months), I didn't
really notice any change in his personality or behavior towards me,
but what I did see was an immediate shift in his relationship with my
older cat Slinky (a spayed female).  Pre-neutering, Nerf was obviously
trying to take over as top cat in my household, and Slinky was acting
rather intimidated by him.  But as soon as I brought Nerf home from
the vet after being neutered, I noticed that Slinky started
re-asserting herself again and letting Nerf know that she was still
the #1 cat.

-Sandra

My cat Otto was neutered between 6-7 months.  I found him on the street, so
I wasn't sure of his exact age.  At the first vet visit she guessed him to
be around 6 months old, and he was neutered a few weeks later.  He was super
affectionate when I found him and he stayed that way after the operation.
His personality didn't seem to change at all.  He's now 4 years old, and he
does like to jump on Tiger, who is a 13 year old spayed female.  To me it
looks sexual - he jumps on her, straddling her back, and bites her neck.
Tiger does not appreciate this and usually wriggles out from under him in a
matter of seconds.  I never noticed him doing that before he was neutered,
but in those first few weeks Tiger pretty much hid anyway.

Liz

I think neutering doesn't affect personality that much.  I've had intact
toms that were affectionate and castrated toms that were aloof.  The
main thing is that they don't roam and fight as much if they are indoor/
outdoor cats or spray as much if they are indoor cats.  The toms I've had
that had free access to the outdoors never sprayed in the house, intact
or not.  The urine from a castrated tom doesn't smell as bad as that
from an intact tom, so even when they do spray it isn't quite as awful.