Suddenly peeing all over and acting strangely aggressive?

I have a kitty who's name is Booker Baghera DeWitt, and he's about 9 or 10 months old. He is NOT neutered. For comparison, you should know he's usually pretty social. He's definitely very shy and a big scaredy cat, but still pretty social for a cat. He also is usually very loving, and until recently, we've never had an issue with him and his bathroom habits. Up until now, he's been very good at always using his litter box.

Lately, he's been peeing, as far as we can tell, everywhere. On the mattress, on the blankets, on the couch is his favorite, and no mmatter what we do, he continues.

Well today, we discovered he peed on the couch again and when I went to pick him up he freaked out, started hissing, and attacked the crap out of my hand and arm. Badly. He bit me twice and clawed the crap out of my arm.
After I cleaned up the blood, he took off and hid under the couch.

This is not like him at all, we have never had this problem before. And If it can be avoided, I don't want to neuter him, though I have heard of the peeing situation being somehow caused by not being neutered.

Help?

Why do you not want to neuter him? That is THE most likely cause of his peeing outside the box. Living with an intact male has its challenges. Unless you are a registered breeder, neutering him is the responsible thing to do.

I really think the testosterone is kicking in.  Neutering will help the sooner the better.  The peeing everywhere and spraying could become a habit rather than something that is just hormone driven.

I agree with the others that he must be neutered if you wish to have any hope of the behavior stopping.

With that said I am concerned that you say he bit you twice.  If he broke the skin, you really should see a doctor for antibiotics.  Cat bites become infected with EXTREME regularity, and antibiotics can and should be started immediately. 

I honestly do not believe in neutering/spaying animals. Its my personal belief that its incredibly unnatural.

Is there any other way to stop this behavior?
And what about the sudden aggression? He's never tried to bite/scratch me literally for no reason before.

If it is at all avoidable, I do not want to get him neutered. I've taken a lot of steps up to this point to avoid getting him neutered.

Also, he is a strictly indoor cat, he never comes into contact with females or other felines, so I'm not particularly worried about him mating or fighting with other cats.

Unfortunately neutering really is your best bet.  His desire to mate will only grow stronger and as others have said; these behaviors can become habits.  It is much crueler to leave him "frustrated" if you will; than to simply neuter him.  It's very difficult to advise you on how to proceed correcting the situation while your cat remains in-tact.  I have heard some professional breeders do not even keep their stud cat's inside their homes; but in special catteries where spraying and aggressive behaviors such as this are less likely to become problems.

Please research the benefits of neutering; you may find it actually is in his best interest as well. 

Also please note; TCS has a very firm stance on this issue.  It is unlikely you will find support of leaving him intact.  Many of our members work in rescue and have seen the darker side of a cat left to it's own natural instinct.

I don't mean to beat a dead horse but I wholeheartedly agree with my fellow posters- neutering him is the only way to stop his behavior. It is not that he is peeing all over your house but rather, marking his territory in the hopes of attracting a mate and as a warning to other males that the turf has been claimed. In theory, having him altered will stop the behavior, though if it continues for too long it will become a habit and will be much harder to correct even once the instinct to do so has been eliminated. 

But before you stop reading.....

I really am curious as to why you are against it. Are there any particular questions that you may have that we can answer? Two of the most common reasons I have heard for not neutering are for health reasons and that the person doesn't want to castrate their boy and make him "less manly." In response to the first, having him altered will not change his energy level or sociability, and if anything it will help it as his aggression is just going to increase with his frustration. Having him neutered also decreases the likelihood of many cancers. In response to the second, cats do not have a "sexual identity" like humans do. He won't feel like any less of a man- he just won't be going bonkers trying to find a female! Another way to think about it: would you consider a man who had his testicles removed due to cancer to be any "less of a man?" Most people would say no, especially because it was done for the Man's health. Having him neutered is no different in that it's being done for his health and well being. Also, he's not losing all of his "equipment"- it is only the testicles that are removed. Perhaps it's reassuring to know that you aren't taking away Booker's gun, you are just loading it with blanks! 

I suppose if you are really adamant against doing it you could try getting him a pair of stud pants, but in my opinion that is going to be like putting a band aid on a gun shot wound. Yes, it will make it so he can't spray anymore, but it will do nothing to stop his urge to do so. Meaning, he is going to find other ways of marking his territory, most likely by clawing and destroying anything he can get his paws on. Not to mention you will be changing a cat diaper multiple times a day which does not sound like fun!

I do not believe it is anyone's intention to gang up on you so please don't interpret it that way. Rather, this is just one of those situations where there really is only one solution. Trying the stud pants or something like a calming diffuser may help deter some of the behaviors initially but they will not solve the problem. You also have to think about the long term: this is him just getting going so imagine what he will be like a year from now! The worst case scenario that I see happening is that his behavior drives you and your family so crazy that you end up re-homing him. By that point even if the new family has him altered he has the habit of spraying and will continue to do so. The sad reality is that most cats who spray end up in shelters and at the top of the euthanasia list and I KNOW that's not what you want for him! 

I know this because I don't believe that you would have even asked the question if you didn't really want to try to help him, and because of that I would implore you to do some independent research. While it may seem like it, I promise that we are not all a bunch of tree huggers trying to force some "theory" down your throat. Rather, there is a substantial amount of scientific evidence supporting that fact that altered cats live longer, happier, healthier lives. And, if that is what you want than this is the best way to achieve it. To get you started here is one article  that goes so far as to say that, " The benefits of spaying a male are so significant, that it is possible to say that unaltered male cats cannot make good house pets. If you want to keep a male cat as a pet you simply must neuter him."

Please, share your concerns and ask all the questions that you need to. In the end we all have the same goal which is to provide Booker with the best chance at having a great life! 

(PS: If he broke the skin, get your wounds checked out by a doctor ASAP! As was previously mentioned, because of the bacteria in a cat's mouth, cat bites can be incredibly dangerous- even life threatening. As much as we care for Booker's well being we also care for yours and don't want to see you hospitalized or in jeopardy of losing a limb from this!)

EDIT: I went back and read through your other posts and had a few other comments in regards to your more specific questions. You asked about the sudden onset of his aggressive behavior when he has never been like that before. While it has been implied it has not been officially stated that the surge in aggression is indeed caused by the surge in his hormones. Unaltered males become extremely territorial and are therefore more prone to aggressive behavior, even if it seems like it's out of nowhere. Also, why it's not going to prevent him from marking while he's still intact, be sure you are cleaning up everywhere that he has peed with a strong enzyme remover like Nature's Miracle. It's the only way to eradicate the smell and keep him from re-marking down the road. I would also highly recommend buying a urine detector light (most pet stores sell them for just a couple of dollars) to make sure you are throughly cleaning every area and not missing some obscure corner. Finally, while there is no doubt in my mind that his behavior is due to his hormones, it would still be a good idea to consult with your vet to make sure there aren't any other underlying health issues going on (such as urine crystals or a urinary tract infection). Your vet would also be able to answer any specific questions that you have in regards to having him neutered from a purely medical standpoint, and could explain specifically how the procedure works. Perhaps some of your reservation is fear that he will be in pain? My understanding is that, with today's technology the discomfort is minimal, and far better to deal with than a lifetime of him being frustrated with no proper outlet. I have had dozens of foster kittens neutered and they are usually back up and romping around by the end of the day. 

The only other analogy I can think of to describe what Booker is going through is that right now you are essentially dealing with a teenager on steroids- he is solely acting on instinct without any regard for anything else and it's only going to get worse as he feels more and more pent up. Also, while he is strictly indoor only, never underestimate what a Tom trying to get to a female in heat will do. One time I had a female foster who went into heat and a Tomcat literally scaled a brick wall to get to my second story balcony, and then nearly clawed his way through the screen door to get to her (and he would have succeeded had I not gotten home when I did). One whiff of a 'ripe' lady cat and there is no telling what he will do to try and get out. And, if he manages to, there is a chance he may never return. Because he is so instinct driven right now his ties are not to his home but to his hormones, and he will follow them as far as they will take him. 

As I mentioned I really would like to understand your rationale, not so that we can judge you, but so that we can best try and quell any fears or concerns that you may have. You mentioned you had made efforts to avoid having him neutered- may I ask what those were? I think taking the time to actually write down your reasons would also be beneficial for you as it will help you organize your thoughts and really analyze them on paper on what is in Booker's, and your families, best interest.   

If someone doesn't want to neuter their cat, that's all fine and dandy. . .as long as they aren't letting him run around getting other cats pregnant. But if that's what you choose, you need to be willing to accept everything that keeping an intact male cat entails. Some toms are perfectly agreeable housepets, but not a large percentage at all. Most intact male cats will spray (marking their territory plus trying to attract females with their scent), howl, try to escape, and take out their sexual frustration on people. It's just a fact of life; it's how cats attract each other for mating purposes. If these are behaviors you aren't willing to live with, you probably will have to rethink your stance on neutering. I suppose you could get a vet to give him female hormones to reduce male sexual behaviors, but that's even less natural than castration, really :/.

Everything about keeping pets is unnatural.

HarlemZombie said:

I have a kitty who's name is Booker Baghera DeWitt, and he's about 9 or 10 months old. He is NOT neutered. For comparison, you should know he's usually pretty social. He's definitely very shy and a big scaredy cat, but still pretty social for a cat. He also is usually very loving, and until recently, we've never had an issue with him and his bathroom habits. Up until now, he's been very good at always using his litter box.

Lately, he's been peeing, as far as we can tell, everywhere. On the mattress, on the blankets, on the couch is his favorite, and no mmatter what we do, he continues.

Well today, we discovered he peed on the couch again and when I went to pick him up he freaked out, started hissing, and attacked the crap out of my hand and arm. Badly. He bit me twice and clawed the crap out of my arm.
After I cleaned up the blood, he took off and hid under the couch.

This is not like him at all, we have never had this problem before. And If it can be avoided, I don't want to neuter him, though I have heard of the peeing situation being somehow caused by not being neutered.

Help?

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It is irresponsible not to neuter your cat, entire toms as they are known usually fight with other cats and can have the FIV virus which they then spread to other cats and this illness is deadly.  One of the reasons he is behaving the way he is is probably because he is not neutered.  One of my mum's cats whose occasionally used to have the odd skirmish with other cats caught this FIV virus from an unneutered cat and eventually had to be put to sleep.  It is not fair on your cat and it is not fair on other cats.

I hope you will get him neutered, its called responsible pet ownership.

It would really be kinder on you and your cat especially to get him neutered. Otherwise this behaviour is not just going to continue, it's going to escalate, he's going to become very difficult to live with, and if he gets out (and he will try like his life depends on it) he's going to start mating and fighting and he's going to get hurt and/or sick. You might think he won't escape, but all it will take is one moment of inattention from you or someone else and he will be gone. Because all of his thoughts will be about escaping. He won't let down his guard ever and he'll never stop trying to escape from you to get to the females he wants. The only real solution is to have him neutered. If you're not willing to do that, well, that's your choice. Because you're the one who's going to have to clean up the urine when he sprays to ward off males and attract females; you're the one who'll have to patch up the furniture and your own skin when he scratches and bites out of natural aggression and frustration; you're the one who's going to be stressing when he inevitably escapes and doesn't come back for days; you're the one who's going to have to pay for the vet bills when he is injured or diseased from fighting other unfixed toms or when he's hit by a car while roving for females. But like I said, it's up to you.