Cats -scientific/everyday evidence to suggest delayed neutering

[bigflesh 10]

i've a 6 month old lad cat who goes by the name of frank. i honestly am wondering what is the correct age to neauter him. call it general sex drive, effects on the young male brain etc, i want him to be a loving and dare i say it "needy" but yet affectionate cat for the rest of his life. will neautering make a great deal of difference if i were to leave it a couple of extra months or do it this month?

 

main point to consider:

 

effect on character if too early/late

 

i know its a fine balance in terms of the wee events etc (which he doesnt do), but i don't want to go headstrong into it now, when i could have ounced a little bit of extra testosterome out of him which will build his character that he takes through to his older years. or as a male myself (not cat), am i reading too much into it?

 

any advice appreciated....

 

got the voucher mags... franks fine and still loves you.

[magsie 10]

Hi love. Am so glad Frank is doing fine. I have his mum now you know! Rosie, she's lovely. I think now is the right time to get Frank done. I can't offer any scientific reasoning except mine all seemed to settle down once they had been snipped. Others will give you better advice than this love. All Rosie's girls are being spayed next week so Frank would be in good company! Am so glad Frank went to your place. Great owner.

PS - will go on CP website and send you the link. x

[magsie 10]

Not very scientific but here it is - the advice is to neuter between five and a half and six months of age.

 

"Will become less likely to roam (reducing the risk of being run over).

Will become less likely to fight, thus improving their chances of avoiding serious diseases, like feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) which are transmitted by cat bites and reproductive activity.

Will be less likely to mark their territory with urine (spraying)."

 

Neutering hasn't made any difference to our Barney who is the only male in a house full of females. He still pees everywhere. Always has done, always will do! But it smells better now he's been snipped. xx

[Plain Talker 11]

What they said. Neuter him asap. Anytime from about six months is ideal.

[medusa 16]

With queens, neutering is planned to be when they're big and strong but before they go into season and you have accidental pregnancies to handle. With toms it's more a case of when their testes are developed enough to be easily 'dealt with' by the vet, without having to cut, bruise or damage the surrounding tissue too much.

 

So, for most toms they can't be done before 4 months (although Pablo has size 12s, so he may be one of the exceptions!). However, if you leave it until they have already been through puberty, which can happen at any time from about 6 months on, then they run the risk of roaming off for lady cats, scrapping and being injured by other toms, contracting FIV and FeLV from scrapping or sex and generally of being smelly and rather tough to be around.

 

So- as much as most men don't actually want to get their toms neutered (I know, I do understand that the decision hurts) neutered toms are generally much healthier, friendlier, more loving and sweeter cats, which also happen to pong less and wee on less things.

 

If you're in any doubt about whether he's developed enough to be neutered then I'm sure the vet would check for you beforehand, but the average tom is all present and correct at 6 months.

 

I wouldn't leave it until he's already gone through puberty because it can change them for the rest of their lives, and in my opinion it very much confuses them if they have all the hormones and all of a sudden they stop. If you want him to remain sweet and snuggly then get him booked in as soon as you can.

[teeny 10]

What they said. Neuter him asap. Anytime from about six months is ideal.

 

very definetly as he will roam looking for a female and he could get lost in that process.

[Noodle 10]

You don't have to worry about him being any less of a 'boy' when he's neutered! Mine is unbelieveable, the cutest happiest cat when the cat flap is open, but when it's shut!... Grumps around the house, thumping down the stairs and kicks us off our own sofa! No joke! Total boy! And neutered at 5 1/2 months. Awww... he's sweet.

[Plain Talker 11]

There's pretty much nothing worse than "essence de tom-cat pee"...

 

If you don't want your house stinking like a midden, neuter asap.

[bigflesh 10]

cheers all.... i'm making the phone call tomorrow. xxx

[magsie 10]

Good man! x