Neutered vs. Intact: Pros & Cons

Okay, so im opening the separate topic and i hope im doing it in the right board..

I have a cat, its devon rex, male, not spayed. He is olmost 12 month old, he is not a kid already, but he doesnt spray, he is not agressive, never tried to run away or smth. we are living in the apartment block, so its impossible to run away, really. but even when i take him outside (on a leash), he doesnt like to walk on the ground, he jumps back on my shoulder. i've read that its typical for devon rex males not to be "machos", most of them do not spray at all. i know one devon rex owner in my town who didnt spayed his boy either, cuz he doesnt really act like a male...if i had a female cat, of course i would have got her neutered, bcuz its simply very dangerous for cat's health. but what to do with Givi? running away is IMPOSSIBLE, plus he doesnt have any bad habbits, is it sane to spay him? i mean i dont wanna do it just cuz of statistics, if i have no reasons to do it, why should i do it???...

i wanna hear your opinions, your reasons, your stories

MAle cats who are unneutered and kept indoor only are at risk of testicular and prostrate cancer, plus the fact that they have all these hormones making them want to mate, and you are preventing them, which in my opinion is cruel to them. And while you say running away is impossible, it could happen, in which case he could add to the overpopulation crisis, as well as get into fights which could affect his health. If you dont intend to breed (and if you dont have breeding rights, you shouldn't), then all cats should be neutered regardless of sex. I am also assuming that he is a pedigree, in whcih case, do you not have a contract that states he has to be neutered?

The operation, especially for males, is a very small one and he'll be completely recovered in a day or two.

I would have him neutered because of the risk for testicular and prostate cancer in addition to preventing a potential hormone spike in the future that might start him spraying and meowing at 2-3am to try get at female cats etc.

He could become very sexually frustrated which is just bad and unfair on everyone involved. That doesn't seem to have happened yet but you never know what could happen in the future. Cats become socially mature at 2 years old so you've got until then a high risk of him starting up.

So with that and the lowering of cancer danger with neutering combined with the operation being minor and the cat recovering quickly from it I would say it's a no brainer.

As for cats getting fat and lazy when neutered, my Nikita has been spayed since she was 6 months and she didn't slow down at all.

The metabolism in neutered cats is slightly lower so they need to eat a bit less but that's easy to keep an eye on.

2 booktigger

I am also assuming that he is a pedigree, in whcih case, do you not have a contract that states he has to be neutered?

Click to expand...

He is a show cat and he can be used in breeding...

i'm reading carefully your replies..

It all depends on the cat of course and ultimately it's your choice. I just have a hard time getting my head around the concept of an intact tom behaving like a neutered cat. Everytime I've known someone who didn't neuter their cat he ended up spraying eventually and making everyones lives miserable.

However those were moggies, not pedigreed cats and of course I don't know Givi as well as you do but I'm not sure if I'd be willing to risk it.

I'm a bit puzzled about why you don't want him neutered. As others have said, it's a very simple procedure with males. Just because he doesn't spray now doesn't mean he won't start to spray in the future, and if you wait until then to get him neutered it may be too late to stop the spraying. Much better to get him done before that happens. He's still young so he may yet start wanting to go out and fnd a female when he's a bit older, and determined cats often find ways to get out. Neutering him now can prevent that.

I, too, think it's a bit cruel to keep a male cat intact and not allow him to breed. Cats are very much driven by their hormones so imagine how frustrated he is going to feel when his hormones are urging him to find a female and mate, but he's not allowed to. I can't think of any disadvantages to neutering a male really and lots of advantages (someone earlier mentioned testicular cancer). I would never hesitate to get a male cat neutered. It usually makes for a more loving pet.

Originally Posted by AZ<3Me

I have a cat, its devon rex, male, not spayed.

Click to expand...

I should hope not!

I think you should get him fixed. There is no reason not to do it.

Did you buy him for showing/breeding or as a show/pet? Most times unless he's an outstanding example of the breed and really is needed for breeding, a breeder will require him to be neutered at a certain age or have him done before you take him home.

I'm surprised that the breeder you got him from didn't have this in the contract!

Sooner or later he WILL spray and once he starts, he won't stop. He's at risk for cancers if left unneutered. So you don't have to worry about his future health/happiness, please have him neutered now

Originally Posted by AZ<3Me

...if i had a female cat, of course i would have got her neutered...bcuz its simply very dangerous for cat's health. is it sane to spay him? i mean i dont wanna do it just cuz of statistics, if i have no reasons to do it, why should i do it???...

Click to expand...

First of all, spay=female, neuter=male and is also a general term for both sexes.

Ok, you say that if you had a female you wouold spay her because it is simply bad for her health not to. It is the exact same reasoning for males as well. It is dangerous for their health. Sure they can't get pyometra like females can, but cancer is a very big risk you are taking the longer you wait. You know this is dangerous for females due to sstatistics so why are you against neutering your male just going by statistics? That is an EXCELLENT way to determine what is the right thing to do. Look at statistics, look at the odds of a cat developing testicular and prostate cancer... Of course it is sane to neuter him. It would be insane to leave a male whole. Eventually he will most likely spray. I bet you big bucks that he will someday. All he needs is a whiff of an intact female in heat be it next door or right below the window... And if you ever leave your windows open with just a screen in, he will manage to get out of it someday, rip the screen out, jump down, cats have jumped from high balconies before to get out...

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Sooner or later he WILL spray and once he starts, he won't stop.

Click to expand...

Please get him neutered, for his own health and well-being.

My mother had a male Siamese cat she swears never sprayed, so I put neutering my cat off, because he really didn't spray. Then he hit age 2 and within a week was a monster, and not in a good way. He sprayed all day every day and became very aggressive. I called the vet that Friday and he was neutered the next Monday. I learned my lesson the hard way.

If there's no reason not to other than "he's fine now", I'd do it before you have a bad week that forces it upon you. It was not fun cleaning up spots 2-3 times a day and getting attacked because he didn't know how to deal with the sudden hormone surge. He's so much better off now, a bit calmer, but still as playful and hyper as he was. Nothing has changed except the negatives.

Even if he never becomes aggressive or a sprayer, you're saving him the health issues and the confusion of all those hormonal urges he won't be able to release.

2. Please make sure to spay and neuter your cat. Unless you are a professional breeder and your cat is part of a professional breeding program, please educate yourself to the importance of spaying and neutering by the time your cat is 4-6 months old. By spaying and neutering you enhance your cat's quality of life and improve his or her health. You are also proving your love for cats because in acting as a responsible pet owner you are minimizing the problem of cat overpopulation.
that is the VIEW of the site as a whole ... and RULE number 2

You dont seem to have the knowledge of the breeders here so I am suggesting getting him nuetered if he is a GREAT rep of his breed then freeze some ....

Forgive me for asking but as a breeder I'd really want to know...

1. How show quality is he?
2. Do you have any intention of showing him at all?
3. Do you have any intentions in the VERY NEAR future of becoming a breeder?

There are show cats and there are SHOW Cats. And really there is a big difference in show cats and Top show cats. Show cats are generally around 80-89% of the show standard. Top show cats are 90% or more of the breed standard.

If your cat is Top show, by all means, get him granded quickly and start your breeding program.

If he's just a show cat, more breeder than show please, make your decision with what you want to do with him.

If you have no intention of showing OR breeding, please neuter him. It is very unfair to have an entire male roaming around - seriously. Most breeders do not keep entire males without good reason.

If you look at my siggy, my Suria was neutered at 4.5 months and he is a very good example of his breed. I had NO intention of keeping him as a breeder but he IS a SHOW cat.

As the others have said, there are medical reasons for neutering a male even though he is not spraying now, he will start sooner or later and him being of the short hair breed I would say sooner rather than later.

Please, if you haven't decided on what to do with him, get him neutered. If you do eventually want to start a breeding program, you can do so with another male.

If you don't plan on breeding or showing him I would definitely neuter. It decreases the risk of testicular as well as prostate cancer and a lot of cats eventually start spraying. He would also have the urge to mate which is very uncomfortable for them.
Not to mention that even when you are really careful not to let him out, accidents happen- a guest could accidentally leave a door open, he could slip through a window and screen, etc. Even if he has no interest in the outdoors yet, interest in females sure changes things, and they work hard at getting to them. It's just not worth it adding to the overpopulation if he got out and got another kitty pregnant.
I also agree with Siggav that with proper exercise and diet, spayed and neutered cats do not get fat and lazy. Mine are spayed and anything but that.

It's the responsible thing to do and will improve the health of your cat in the long run.

As you've asked for the pros and cons, and you've already been given so many pros, I just wanted to emphasize that there really aren't many cons.

The incision is so small that many vets no longer even use sutures on a neuter, it heals like a regular cut. Givi will likely not be in very much pain, if any. Though of course, the younger the better, but Givi is still very close to kittenhood. He'll be up and about like normal the same day he comes home if you do an overnight, the next day if not, and most of that is the anesthesia.
There is a small, small risk associated with any surgery requiring anesthetic, but all in all the procedure is about as risky as a dental, that is- not really at all without extenuating health issues.

Neuters are very inexpensive, as well.

If you want to do this from the cost/benefit sort of viewpoint, the benefits far outweigh the costs. Cats are very instinct driven, and as has been pointed out, your Givi is not fully mature yet. It's hard to guess whether he will try to get out, and either manage to somehow (and they do, I've never met a fortress that could hold a cat) or injure himself trying.

Givi's happiness and health should be the primary concern, and he will be happier and healthier once neutered.

I can tell you he will start to spray eventually if you don't get him neutered.

I have a cat that was not neutered until just before I got him, just under two years old. He didn't spray right away, then another cat was outside. This started the spraying and it has never stopped.

Believe me, if you ignore all the other reasons, future spraying is one you do not want to deal with. I have lived with this for 6 years now and even though I love him dearly I have contemplated having him PTS because of this. It really is that bad.

Neutering is a simple procedure that takes less than ten minutes to perform, once the cat is anesthetized. For your and Givi's long term happiness, get him fixed. You won't regret it.

AND if this is not your own home and its rented, the landlord will NOT be very happy if the cat has been spraying. Tom cat spray sometimes cannot be gotten out of a carpet or wood floor and you will be held responsible for any damage or replacement.

we did it i understood that it is a must when he became a big boy although we are having a post surgery complications... but its been a week already and we are doing much better (thank God). thank you for helping me making up my mind, your suggestions were very helpful

Givi and Yegana *kiss*

I am so glad you have had him done, and sorry to hear there have been complications - this is very rare!! He will thank you for it, as he wont be full of hormones anymore.