Bad tempered after neutering

I was wondering if anyone else experienced this and whether it calmed down after a while.........

In the two or three weeks before Harry was neutered he was a little less playful than he had been which I attributed to the length of time it took for him to settle down after being in the cattery (he had diarrhoea and was quite upset for a while). I got him neutered 5 days ago and since then he has been not only much more playful (which I am glad about) but also quite snappy at times. Either my partner or I could be stroking him on our laps and suddenly he turns around and attacks us.

He had no issues when recovering from his surgery and he has not been ill in any way. He's going to the toilet and eating as normal. He is just being pretty cranky! At times he is affectionate as ever but he's unpredictable. Bagheera was and always has been a sweetheart and had no issues like this post surgery and everyone says male cats are lovely after neutering but it seems to have had the opposite effect on Harry!

Any advice or similar stories would be appreciated.

I'd give him more time to heal. He might just be extra sensitive for awhile longer.

Most males recover quickly and back to their normal selves, so be patient. Give him a few extra treats.

If things don't improve in a week or two, maybe call your vet about it.

Seamus didn't want me near him too much after his neutering. He was content to just relax and lay around and would only tolerate a little scratch on the head a few times a day. He didn't want to really be on the couch with me at all. He may just be telling you he's had enough and wants to be left alone or maybe he's still a little sore and gets uncomfortable on your lap. Even we get cranky when we're not 100%.. I hope he feels better soon!

The other posters gave good info; I just wanted to add my get-well wishes to little Harry, who's got me wrapped around his little tail already! and to say that yes, he's probably still sore. It can't be a lot of fun. Give him time, and monitor him to make sure all's well "back there". BEST OF LUCK! and do keep us posted, won't you?

Good point on checking him back there. He could have some litter stuck which is irritating things - check him out

Thank you for the advice. The area looks fine; I have been keeping an eye on it. He came up to the bedroom this morning and attempted to destroy everything in his path; it's strange that he acted this way at 3-4 months, completely settled down and is now back to his bold ways! He's asleep on my lap now as if butter wouldn't melt.

The others gave good advice. However, it may be nothing to do with the neutering - just a phase in his adolescence! Our Bruce came through his neutering (at 5 months) with no problems whatsoever - no obvious discomfort or changes in his behaviour. But gradually he seemed to get snappier - would suddenly turn on you during playing/stroking.

With help from this forum, we came to the conclusion that it was simply overstimulation, so we tried to be very rigorous with him, and immediately withdrew affection if he tried to 'go for' our hands, saying 'no' sharply. We also tried to anticipate when it might happen, and ease off the pressure of stroking etc. before it got to that point.

It is working! He's almost 10 months old and he definitely knows the difference, and is turning into a loving and gentle cat.

Good luck - I hope Harry heals well after his op and you are able to help him age gracefully!

Bruce&Sheila

Thanks for that Bruce and Sheila. He is being like a bratty teenager really. I'll see how things go over the next couple of weeks.

Once you followed the thoughtful advice about possible medical issues, I would second Bruce and Sheila.

My little guy is now a 6 months Ragdoll kitten and at about 8lbs, he is quite the little tornado. He went from being a very sweet and cuddly kitten to a bratty teenage cat in days! (he was fixed at 5 months) My mistake was probably to try to be too firm when he was over stimulated (read completely CRAZY!) and that just made him be more challenging and independent. By doing simple things (thanks to the TCS library) such as using lots of no, walking away gently, stopping play etc., weâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ve now come back closer to his cuddly phase. He still decides when he wants to be around but has learned that when he goes too far with his play/behaviour he gets nothing… Things are much smoother now. He stopped sleeping with me (heâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s big enough to sleep alone now apparently) but does come in at 4am for a tummy rub (how can I say no….) With patience and love heâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll probably let go of the independent phase (sooner than later I hope!).

Alex