What to do???

HI,

I'm new here so first let me introduce myself and my "furgirls"

We have three strickly indoor female cats...two sisters, Gracie and Lizzie who are 6 years old and Annabelle who was playing in traffic a block from my home a few years ago.
I couldn't help myself so she was added to the family.
No Vet can tell my just how old Annabelle is, but they seem to think she's about the same age as the other two cats.

We moved into a new neighborhood 6 months ago and the first thing I saw was a beautiful white male cat.
The neighbors say he showed up a year ago June as a very tiny kitten and they've been feeding him ever since.
They call him Kidd, he's such a sweet little man and my greatest wish is to make him an indoor cat...BUT Gracie and Lizzie both have on and off breathing problems so I was advised by the Vet they it would be risking to have them spayed, so they aren't but Annabelle is.
If I were to bring Kidd into my home I would have to have him neutered.

One thing and one thing only is stopping me...I'm afraid that he'll spray in my house and very afraid that he'll really go to town with the spraying when Gracie and Lizzie go into heat.
I've talked to my Vet and the two other Vets in town about this, but can't get a straight answer.
Two of the Vets say he's going to spray whether he's neutered or not and the other says if he's neutered he won't spray.

Anyone been in this situation that could offer some insight?

Like I said he's a sweetheart and I so want to bring him in, but not if he's going to spray my house.

I hope I posted this on the right board.

Thanks for any help

All I can say is that he will spray if he has already started doing so, and a neuter won't stop that behavior.

If he is NOT yet spraying, the neuter shouldn't make him start.

Because he is already over a year old, it might be risky, as he may already be in the habit of spraying to mark his territory.

I wish I could advise you what to do, but I really can't. Best of luck - please keep us posted on what you choose to do!

Thanks for the quick reply, GingersMom.

I'm really not 100% sure if he's started to spray yet or not.
The Vet that I take my girls to did tell me that given his age he more than likely has already started...but like I said I've never seen him spray.
I do know that when a new stray came into the neighborhood in August (this new one is a spayed female) he didn't spray then.

A little background...there are a total of four stray cats...two netured males, Kidd and the female.
The eat together on my neighbors back porch...we share the cost of the food..and her Husband has built them houses in their backyard...the two netured males sleep in one house and Kidd and the female sleep in the other one.

When the female showed up there was no trouble from any of the males, none of them sprayed on or near the porch and Kidd didn't spray in or near his house, he just welcomed her right in to share it with him.

I'm so torn as to what to do, as far as I know he hasn't sprayed yet but on the other hand I don't want to bring him in give him a nice indoor home and then have him start to spray and have to put him back out because that just wouldn't be fair.

I think that worst case, even if you were to catch him and neuter him, then let him go back outside to live, it would be better than letting him live unfixed - you want to keep him from adding to the population of strays and ferals wandering around.

I didn't catch my feral rescue, I adopted him from a foster home. I'm sure there are others out there more experienced with capturing strays and ferals and can give you better advise.

One thing and one thing only is stopping me...I'm afraid that he'll spray in my house and very afraid that he'll really go to town with the spraying when Gracie and Lizzie go into heat.
I've talked to my Vet and the two other Vets in town about this, but can't get a straight answer.
Two of the Vets say he's going to spray whether he's neutered or not and the other says if he's neutered he won't spray.

Anyone been in this situation that could offer some insight?

Like I said he's a sweetheart and I so want to bring him in, but not if he's going to spray my house.

I hope I posted this on the right board.

Thanks for any help

Click to expand...

Welcome...the best thing you can do for him is to take him in to be neutered. If he has already begun to spray..it may not totally eliminate the behavior.but it will greatly reduce it. Also, by getting him neutered, you will be improving his life.

Katie

From everything I've been reading it looks as though if he's already started to spray I'm going to have to give up on the idea of making him an indoor cat.
As sweet as he is I can't have a cat spraying in my house.

This just breaks my heart because I can't stand the thoughts of him or any cat for that matter having to live outside in the snow...YES...it's snowing were I live!

I know I've never seen him spray and I know he never sprayed when the new stray came.
I'm going to ask my neighbor one more time if she's SURE she's never seen him spray.
Can you tell I REALLY want to bring this cat in
My luck I'll get him fixed, bring him in and he'll rip my house apart because he wants to go back outside.
But I have news for him, once he's in he's in for good....my cats are indoor only and the little stinker will just have to get used to it.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Keep us posted.

Katie

I have a 6 yo neutered male who never before sprayed untill i got my girls. all but my stray tinkerbell are spayed. Tinkerbell was preggers when i brought her in. My boy Puddems was a completely indoors cat, and like you , i didn't want spraying in my house , so Puddems has an outdoor enclosure all to himself. Where i live in sunny Queensland Australia we have mild winters so keeping him outdoors in winter isnt a problem. Puddems get along with all my girls he just feels the urge to mark his territory and stink my house out.
Puddems was neutered at 6 months before he started to spray. He didnt start till he was 6 years old.

Oh my, so I guess I'm taking a chance no matter what if I bring him in.
Looks like he may just have to remain an outdoor cat.

One of the other neighbors has been talking about taking the female in since she showed up on August.
Maybe I'll give her until the first of the month and if she hasn't taken Ashes in by then I'll nab her

I found to get males out of that "habbit" me and my mum bleached where they marked. After about 2 months they gave up and marked outside insted
Not sure if you get Kleeneze near you, but I also found their pet accident clear also works.

Doesn't the bleach leaves marks where you use it?

If I do bring him in he won't have the option of going outside to spray because once he's in he's in for life.

I do have to take Gracie and Lizzie to the Vet next week so I'll ask the Vet again what he thinks and also what product he'd recommend to get rid of the odor in case we do bring him in and he sprays.

Thanks again everyone for your help.

Well, last night was the final straw for me.
It was so cold here last night and even though he does have a kitty house to sleep in, Kidd sat on our back porch and cried because he wanted to come in.

I talked to my Husband this morning and he feels like I do, that if Kidd was going to spray he would have sprayed when the female showed up and he didn't.

So the first of the month he's going to the vet to be tested ...I don't think he's postive but I won't bring him in with my cats until he gets the all clear...if everything comes back okay then the Vet will neuter him and his days of being an outside cat will come to an end.

Then to top it all off...a VERY pregnant female showed up last night...right now she's living in the neighbors basement...my Husband already told me not to get any ideas about her ...he said if I want Kidd I can have him, but I can't have both.

Originally Posted by Graciecat

Well, last night was the final straw for me.
It was so cold here last night and even though he does have a kitty house to sleep in, Kidd sat on our back porch and cried because he wanted to come in.

I talked to my Husband this morning and he feels like I do, that if Kidd was going to spray he would have sprayed when the female showed up and he didn't.

So the first of the month he's going to the vet to be tested ...I don't think he's postive but I won't bring him in with my cats until he gets the all clear...if everything comes back okay then the Vet will neuter him and his days of being an outside cat will come to an end.

Then to top it all off...a VERY pregnant female showed up last night...right now she's living in the neighbors basement...my Husband already told me not to get any ideas about her

...he said if I want Kidd I can have him, but I can't have both.

Click to expand...

Hey Gracie...how wonderful of you to take in this boy. Good luck at the vet. Regarding the VERY pregnant female...make sure your neighbor has her well confined so that she can be spayed once the kittens are weaned.

Katie

Well I told Gracie, Lizzie and Annabelle that they would be getting a new Brother shortly...they seemed unimpressed

I'm sure WW Four will break out once he gets here....we had WW three when Annabelle joined the family.
We kept her in a room by herself and every day brought her out for a longer period of time...after awhile Gracie and Lizzie realized she wasn't leaving so they had no choice but to welcome her to the family.
We'll be doing the same with Kidd.

Speaking of that name...I'm not at all fond of it...and when I look at him the name Patrick comes into my head.
BUT...from the day he came here over a year ago the Neighbors Daughter has called him Kidd...and he responds to that name, so it looks like no matter how much I don't like it I'm stuck with it!!

Another question for anyone who's dealt with Male cats....I've had cats all of my life, but they've always been Female...Tammy when I was a little Girl..my parents got her when I was 3 days old, she lived to be 21, then 2 days later Maggie who was a four week old Kitten when my Husband brought her home..she lived to be 18...and now Gracie, Lizzie and Annabelle who are all 6 years old...Gee now you all know how old I am if you add that all up

Anyway now after that LONG paragraph...here's my question.
I was always under the impression that Male cats...especially those who aren't neutered will fight with other Males...Kidd does not do this...if the neighborhood bullies, Spot or Thomas try to fight with him...he either runs onto our back porch or to the Neighbors back porch where he's fed...he will not fight back.
That just seems odd to me...could that mean that he's not fuctional...by that I mean is it possible that even though he has all of his "parts" he doesn't have testostrone or something?
I know that probably sounds dumb...but that might help explain why at his age he's never sprayed...of if he has it doesn't have any odor to it at all.

Please don't laugh at that question, like I said I've never dealt with Male cats before.

As for the two Females...the spayed one has been taken in by a couple down the street and the pregnant one will be living indoors with the people who have her now and they are going to get her spayed after the kittens are weaned...as for the kittens, we aren't sure if we can find them homes or not, but we are going to try...if not the closest shelter is 40 miles away and we'll have to lie to get them to take the kittens because it's a different county...but we're all prepared to do lie for the right reasons just so the babies have a chance to find good homes.

Sorry I wrote a novel!

I have a male kitty named Will (in my avatar) who showed up outside from the dairy barn across the street. He was an outside kitty, and did not get neutered until he was over a year old. I have definitely seen him spray outside!

He went missing for about 11 days, and when he came home we decided to try transitioning him inside. He has been a total gentleman. I foster, and have had cats in heat recently, and it does not seem to affect him. He has definitely not sprayed in the house.

I would say give Kidd a chance. Remember that he can make kittens for about 4 weeks after being neutered.

And I would get a second opinion on the females getting spayed. My rescue just had a girl with a serious heart murmer and an enlarged heart spayed. Not being spayed is stressful for kitties, and owners. And it greatly increases their risk of breast cancer or a deadly uterine infection (pyometra, I think). I would not feel comfortable having a kitty unspayed.

As for Kidd not fighting back, he is just not fighting to be alpha. That doesn't mean he can't or won't make babies. And if you never had a male kitty before, you are in for a treat. I have only had girls before, too, and my Will and Garfield are SO loving and cuddly! Boys are wonderful!

Will is a beautiful boy.

I'm willing to do everything in my power to make Kidd an indoor kitty.
He is the sweetest little man.
I fell in love with him the second I laid eyes on him...partly because I've never met a cat I didn't like, partly because he's such a sweetheart and partly because he's white with bright yellow eyes...just like my sweet little Maggie was.

I've had three opinions on Gracie and Lizzie and all three Vets told me the same thing, that the risks out weight the benifits to such a great percentage that none of them would spay either of them.

Like I said I've never dealt with Male cats before and wasn't aware that even after he's neutered that he would still be able to reproduce for 4 weeks afterwards...I guess we'll just have to keep him away from Gracie and Lizzie a little longer than we kept Annabelle away from them.
But that's a small price to pay in order to give him an indoor him.

I thought I would pipe in even though I'm glad you've already made the decision to take in this boy. Last year my sister was feeding a male cat out in her neighbour and I took him and brought him to my rescue. We estimated he was about 18mos old, and he lived first in my house, and then in one of my friends houses and he never ever sprayed. He's been around and introduced to other males and females etc...and no problems.

Good luck with Kidd!

Thanks Renny...it's good to know that the male you're speaking of never sprayed.
As far as any of us know Kidd hasn't even sprayed outside so fingers crossed that he keeps up that habit once he comes inside.

Well, I wanted to update all of you that were so helpful to me regarding Kidd.

He was supposed to go Friday to be tested and neutered...BUT this morning when my Husband was on his way to work the engine in his jeep blew up

We have no choice but to have it repaired ASAP...which means the extra money we had that was going to go towards Kidd now has to be spent on the jeep...plus thousands more!!!

Now, this may be a stupid idea...but I'm so sure that I HAVE to bring Kidd in that I'm thinking maybe I'll just bring him in and keep him in a seperate room for now until we can get him to the vet.
Is that a stupid idea?
I feel certain that he's not sick in any way...and he would be in a different room away from my cats.
It's supposed to get VERY cold tonight and snow and everytime I look outside and see him my heart breaks and I want to cry.

Like I said in my first post we've only lived in our new home for a short time and the neighbor told me Kidd's been here since June of 05 ( he was a tiny kitten when he showed up )...I know he's survived this long, but if God forbide something would happen to him I couldn't live with myself...I'd keep thinking, "You should have just brought him in".

HELP!!!!!
I need some advice.

I know there are risks on bringning him inside- But Im sure everything will be fine if hes seperated from the others.. especially if its gonna get super cold! I hope that u decide to bring him in Also regarding money- As for the neutering and probably for the leukimia testing and everything- U can go to places that can help u pay for the costs. For instance I brought 2 strays home from louisiana (i live in colorado- So they traveled a LONG way) And Im going today actually to a place called Dreampower- Its a rescue organization- And im going to pay 10.00 per cat to have them fixed!!