Conference misery::feline_v1

    Why don't you want to have him neutered?  What breed
    is he?  Actually, a year old qualifies as an adult
    not a kitten.  Yes, spraying is marking territory,
    leaving scent for females, for other males, saying
    to the males, stay away, this is my area.
    
    Spraying is spraying, no matter why.  It STINKS.  If he is
    going to be used in a breeding program, then that's another
    story.  When he is fully mature, the odor of a whole male
    that isn't breeding, will become VERY POWERFUL!  
    
    Maybe you can give us more information. 
    
    On the other hand, there are boys that just don't spray at all.
    It's not law that every boy will spray.  It's just that when they
    do, it's a BIG PROBLEM is they are running around your house.
    
    E.T.

if the cat is unneutered, and there are females around, you can bet that
some level of spraying will occur.  It is the male's way of saying "this
is MY territory".  It will be real noticable.  Once a cat starts spraying,
other cats around the area will spray - including outside cats that smell
the spray...you can find your house attacked from both sides by lots of
cats..believe me, it is unbearable when it starts.

Just for the record:  allowing a whole male to run around outdoors TEACHES
HIM TO SPRAY.  If you wanted him to remain whole and hoped to live with
him, you should not have allowed him outside around other males (they are
everywhere there are females - he's met them by now).  If you plan to
live with this guy now, you probably have real problems.  Once a male
starts spraying, the only possible solution is neutering.  Nothing else 
works.  The longer you wait, the less likely it is that even neutering will 
stop the behavior....it becomes a "habit" with many males.

If you are planning on breeding your cat, well, by now he undoubtably has
had some practice - and had some fights to win females - please be sure
to have him screened for FeLV.  The unneutered male fights are a primary
source of infection.  Even the vaccine is not 100% protection.  You need
to have him screened regularly.....particularly BEFORE allowing any
planned breedings.  If the female gets infected, the kittens die very
young and very ugly.

re: what helps with the smell....take out stock in the company that makes
Nature's Miracle...and hope he doesn't spray anything like a bed mattress
that cannot be cleaned completely.

    If you are in the U.S. (specifically New England) look for a product
    called Odormute (sounds like).  I get mine from my local feed and grain
    store but I would think it would be available where ever supplies for
    kennels are sold.  The product alters the chemical make-up of urine to
    take out the smell--it works very well!  It works on everything from
    Skunk spray to cat spray and a lot in between.
    
    For your cats sake, I do recommend having him neutered, especially if
    he has access to the outdoors.  Your cat may have a home but the cat 
    he impregnates may not and one look at the notes files will show you 
    what can happen to kittens born in the wild--especially in the winter.  
    Sorry for the preaching.  LEACTURE OVER!

    I'm curious too.  Why don't you want to have your cat neutered?
    
    .4 sums it up best in the last paragraph.  If you allow your male
    access to the outdoors unneutered he is adding to the pet
    overpopulation problem by impregnating unspayed females.  Don't think
    this won't happen to your cat.  Un-neutered males cover may miles in
    territory searching for females to breed.  When left whole, their sex
    drive is strong and cannot be controlled.  Add to this the numerous
    fights he will get into with other tomcats battling for territory and
    whole females.  Add to that the hundreds of dollars you will spend in
    vet bills treating abcesses, etc., and perhaps you will change your
    mind about neutering your cat.
    

    What a coincidence.  I was just going to add a note to
    ask about whether or not I should have my cat neutered.
    
    I took in a stray cat that was hanging around my apartment
    building for awhile.  I've had it for two weeks and no one
    has claimed it.  I took it to the vets to get its shots.
    The vet says he is healthy (aside from some ear mites) and 
    appears to be about 2 years old.
    
    "Chester" is a very friendly and affectionate cat (in comparison 
    to the several cats I've lived with in the past.)  He loves to sit 
    on your lap and have you pet him.  He doesn't scratch, bite, or
    claw the furniture.  He doesn't cry to go outside, only when
    he wants attention or food. 
    
    He is unneutered, which surprises me considering all I've 
    heard about "tom" cats.  He doesn't exhibit agressive male behavior.
    He doesn't appear to be spraying (the only smell I've noticed
    comes out of his litterbox, and he does his best attempt to cover that
    up).  The one thing I saw him do once was jump in the bath tub, sit
    on the drain and go to the bathroom. Is this spraying?  Needless
    to say, I have locked him out to prevent this from happening again.
    
    The question I have is, will neutering have an adverse affect on
    his personality?  He is so affectionate, and I would hate for
    that to change. I plan to keep him as an indoors cat.  Also,
    does the age a cat gets neutered cause any probems?
    
    I have an appointment to bring him in for neutering on Friday,
    but I am debating the issue.  I'd appreciate any comments you
    have.
    
    Thanks,
    Maria 

    Jo,
    
    Maybe they should go after the Vets that charge such HIGH
    rates for spaying and neutering, make more low-cost programs
    available, etc.
    
    e.t.

    
    Just a word:
    
    .0 has asked for advice on the following two questions:
    
    1.  What is the purpose of a cat spraying?
    2.  How can she prevent it, without neutering?
    
    
    Most of us that frequent this file regularly, know that this is a
    controversial issue.  Most replies so far have been on target.  
    I just would like to ask that we don't lecture or flame.
    
    I have asked .0 for more information, but I don't see a reply.
    If .0 takes the time to read through a few notes, will realize
    the advantages of spaying and neutering.  
    
    thanks

re: to neuter or not

as you have adopted an adult male cat and you like his purrsonality, you will
be happy to know that it won't change a bit due to the surgery to neuter
him.  What you will gain is less odor from his urine in his cat box, less
interest in going outside when a female in heat comes by, and less biological
need to "mark" his territory should a female in heat show up.  The trick to
the game is that the female phrenomes spread on the wind and can be smelled
by whole males for miles when there is any breeze at all....a whole male cat
may be a darling when no "good smells" exist, but should he detect a female
who is ready for mating, you can expect undesirable behaviors - they are,
after all, natural responses to the sex drive that exists in all species.  

I mentioned in an earlier reply that some cats get the "habit" of spraying.
I have known some and it can make them impossible to live with.  I have
never met anyone who can determine why one cat gets that habit and another
does not...however, the cat that gets the habit may continue to spray once
he is neutered....the cat that you described sounds like an ideal house
cat and a perfect candidate for neutering.  Once he is neutered, he will
not change with the availability of females.  That means that neutering
will make his purrsonality more stable, not less.

oops, that's female pherenomes...oh, poo, my "speller" won't work today...
make that air-born female hormone scent markers, okay?   8^}

    Maria,
    
    I have a stud cat in my house.  He is an absolute dream, and I love him
    very much.  He is extremely affectionate.  But, when he has to choose
    between me and a female cat, he chooses the female cat.  No question
    about it.  Were he a neutered male, he would just as affectionate to
    me, if not more, but he wouldn't turn off his affection when his
    hormones built up.  It could be that your male just hasn't matured
    sexually yet.  
    
    BTW - going in the sink can be a form of spraying.  With a whole male, 
    you really have to rule out physical causes for innappropriate
    urination first, but if all is well with him physically, you can be
    pretty sure that he just marked your sink.  Thank your lucky stars that
    he chose the sink, which is easy to clean.  Next time it might be on
    your sofa, your bed, or your favorite silk blouse.  Cats tend to want
    to spray on your personal items because they smell like you!
    
    And, you can also expect another benefit of neutering, his litter box
    won't need to be completely changed as often since once neutered, the
    pungent male smell of his urine will subside.
    
    jo

    For outdoor cats the dangers of being unneutered include being hit
    by cars when they travel to find females.  The urge can severly
    overpower the cat's normal wariness of streets and cars etc.  
    
    Also, unneutered and unspayed cats are more likely to develop certain
    forms of cancers.  You might want to consider that too.
    
    There are alot of advantages to neutering that aren't immediately
    obvious.
      Nancy DC
    

    Unneutered cats which go outside can cost other cat owners, w/neutered
    cats, megabucks at the vets.  
    
    michele (who speaks from experience) 
    
    p.s.
    
    Neutered animals make much better pets anyway......hormones can be 
    tough to deal with.  

    Thanks for all your comments!  I'm definately bringing him in
    to be neutered on Friday.
    
    Maria