In the latest instalment of our cat care column, pet expert Pauline Dewberry looks at the important reasons for having your tom cat neutered.
Un-neutered toms - the bruiser bullies of the feline fraternity. Not to their humans, of course, who don’t see the dark side. They see their ‘boy’ occasionally cuddling up on their laps, watching Shetland or Strictly, purring away blissfully. What they don’t see and usually don’t know about is their ‘boy’ is prepared to walk miles to have his wicked way with a female. Like a little hairy Viking (but without the horned helmet) he plunders and pillages his way through other toms’ territories, striking fear and loathing in feline and human alike.
The fallout from these Viking raids can be costly as fights ensue, resulting in visits to the vets to sort out abscesses, torn ears and other assorted ‘war’ wounds. Also, un-neutered toms run the risk of getting run over and killed in their quest to find a fair maiden.
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Many un-neutered cats aren’t vaccinated either, which means they could pick up – and pass on – terrible diseases like FLV, feline Aids, and feline leukaemia. All of these are preventable if the cat is both vaccinated and neutered.
An un-neutered tom also likes to mark his territory. Not by carving his initials into the trunk of a tree as in a ‘Fluffy woz ‘ere’ kind of way. If you’ve ever encountered the eye-watering, skin-blistering pungent odour – eau de tom cat – you’ll know what I mean.
Cats mark their territory to show other cats that they’re in town. Later, when other cats walk by, they’ll read the bin, lamppost or wherever Fluffy has sprayed and know exactly who was there and how long ago. Depending on Fluffy’s street credentials, other cats might scarper home to avoid him, or he might just meet his match.
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If you have an indoor kitty, aggressive behaviour (from raging hormones) will be directed at his companion cats, and spraying will be directed at your furniture and belongings.
Neutering your ‘boy’ doesn’t diminish his masculinity in any way. It will calm him down and he’ll be less likely to roam and get into fights. It also decreases his chances of developing prostatic diseases and hernias and eliminate the chance of developing testicular cancer. The need to leave his mark will certainly subside.
Not all cats are lap cats, but it doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy being in our company. Casey has ‘intimacy’ issues so avoids laps but will Velcro himself to my thigh. Gibbs is a ‘biscuit maker’ and will visit my lap several times during the evening. Being neutered makes them happier cats and you might find your cats will snuggle up to you to watch romcoms as Casey and Gibbs do with me.
Pauline is a pet behaviourist majoring in cat behaviour and also a pet bereavement counsellor. She also runs the website www.thedailymews.com
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