Your opinion about an unhappy cat

Many of you read my previous post in SOS about a stray I'm fostering. I need some advice. His name is King Louie

I've come to realize that Louie is absolutely miserable at my house. Friday, he went out of town to an adoption day at a petstore. A family fell in love with him, but it didn't work out b/c he sprayed every where. The family had other cats. I picked him up, and went to my sisters house before taking the 2.5 hour trip home. She doesn't have any animals. The whole hour he was at my sisters house, he didn't make a peep. He chilled out in the middle of the kitchen floor, he enjoyed belly rubs from my 3 young nieces, it was like he'd always lived there. AND he didn't spray at all (he does at my house) The car ride was uneventful. He softly snored virtually the whole trip. We get home, get him into "his room" (which is a large finished basement) and it's immediate howling, digging at the windows and doors and acting very unsettled. Although he gets along with other cats, in their presence, I think he can't stand the strange animal smells and it's upsetting to him. I completely cleaned and sanitized "his room" and my cats are not allowed in there.

I did buy him a brand new litter box, bowls, bed, even his own bag of cat food, to hopefully give him some peace from the smells. I'm continuing to use Nature's Miracle. I'm by no means calling it quits with him. But it does break my heart to see him so unsettled, after the perfect day at my sisters. (I already tried talking her into taking him, but she can't right now, her husband is very ill). I have a potential family for him, who have no other animals and I think he'd be very happy there. I just need to keep him a few more days until I can't work it out with the (hopefully) new home.

Anyone experienced this before?

I wanted to add. He is fixed. Just got him fixed last week. Nobody could really tell me his age, but that he's over a year old. He's super friendly, affectionate and loves to be pet and scratched. But he's howling like a female in heat and roaming "his room" trying to find a way outside.

If he just got fixed, he's still got testosterone. Sounds to me like he's exhibiting "tomcatty" behavior. He may or may not do well with other animals or calm down in you're home as time goes on.

Sometimes it can take a while for a male that has started spraying to quit after being neutered. Some of it anyway has become habit. You may want to hang on to him for a while before trying with another home so you won't have him returned again. Maybe some of the breeders on the site who have adopted out retired male breeding cats have some ideas on how to break them of the spraying. I am sure it is something they have dealt with.

Yes, after about a month or so, the testosterone should be out of his system and he won't be so inclined to behave as a tomcat - spraying, chase females, etc. The way he paces trying to get out he probably smells an in heat female in the neighborhood. He may calm down quite a bit after that.

It sounds like you have a wonderful home for him. He just wants to go do what unneutered male cats like to do most.

Please do keep us updated on him Bless you for trying to make this little guy happy!

He does sound frustrated to me. He sounds like he is just wanting to do what little boys do.... He sounds to me like a house and garden cat who needs to be in a place of his own with no other animals around at all. How much contact does he have with you guys once he is in "his room"?