My Cat Has A New Personality

Seamus had always been a wild child... A couple weeks ago it got bad... he was biting my ankles and running around nuts and spraying, so I finally got him neutered Monday... he now has a brand new personality... maybe it's because he had the cone on his head and couldn't fight much... but he has been so mellow... he went from never letting me pick him up or just give him a random scratch on the head to me taking him and laying him on my lap or my chest for a good 10 minute cuddle session... he almost has done a 180 on his personality... I know the neutering mellows them out a bit, but is it that drastic??? If he didn't respond to his name and have his unique tuxedo coat, I'd almost think they switched him on me!

So glad he has mellowed for you. I am not an expert on this so I don't know if it is usual for them to mellow that much. Just be thankful and enjoy it. Maybe he figured he better start being nice so you won't take him back to the vet.

Spading and neutering do make a cats calm down.

Good quality canned food will help him heal and feel better! I have found out that soft, soothing music will help too.

How old is he? Why does he have a cone on his head? Thats odd they would give a cone from neutering, they usually heal very quickly.

I would certainly keep an eye on him because the hormones a cat produces prior to neutering doesnt go away that quickly and you said he was neutered on Monday.

He's 2... it took him a very long time to get settled when I took him in at 4 months and I wanted to do the neutering over the summer because I am off from work... last summer he was just starting to settle into the house after living here 6 months and he wasn't spraying or being aggressive so I let him settle down completely first... he just started spraying literally a week before he got neutered...

The cone, a lot of people on here asked that when I asked about it in another thread... the vet said leave it on 5-7 days (I cheated at 4 and took it off today, too much dandruff from him not being able to clean himself) I just followed directions because he didn't seem too bothered by it...

I'm still watching out for him spraying and acting up, he hasn't hit any of the spots he had sprayed at all... I know it takes a while for the hormones to go away which is why I was so surprised he mellowed out so much so fast...

Maybe Worriedmommy is right... he just figures he'd better be nice or I'll take him to the vet again! 3 times this summer was enough for him

With cats, there is never really a cut a dry that THIS is how a cat will be after a neuter. Just continue to keep an eye on him.

Since he was 2 before he was neutered, it is very imporrtant that you clean up any area he has previously sprayed with an enzyme cleaner, to totally remove the scent. He will want to keep going back to those places and "marking" those areas again, as long as there is a smell.

I saw at Home Depot this kit where they had a black light (that cat urine will show up with) and some enzyme cleaner for $20.00, where you could actually see with the light where cat urine was and then properly clean it.

I bet he's happy to get that cone off now. Since his surgery was Monday, he should be completely healed by now.

So happy to get the cone off that in fact he made me eat my words... he got a little fiesty... smacked me with two paws right in the face, sort of like he was clapping my face His playfulness is back... But he did let my brother pet him, that's a first... no one gets their hands on him when they visit... so I guess there's a happy medium achieved.

I did use a cleaner and a blacklight to inspect all the places he had previously marked, and I think I'm safe in that regard *knocks on wood*