Buddy needs a medicine that will tone down his sex drive

Buddy is an 11 and 1/2 yo "intact" indoor male. The breed is Siamese-mix. (He is very talkative and pretty intelligent, typical of Siamese cats, I think.) Every so often he gets into a behavior pattern that seems to fueled by an over active sex drive. When this happens he howls through the night and sprays all the time, especially on my bed.

I am presently going through an episode of such behavior. I am making an effort to not lose my temper with him.

Having him neutered would be hard on him due to his age, I feel. Also I do not have the money.

Years ago a substance called "salt-peter" would be given to men in prisons, because it would tone down their sex drives. Also it used to be used in the Army for the same purpose. Does anyone know if this will work with a cat?

Personally I'm not aware of any meds or herbal remedies for this type of issue.  If he is still a healthy 11 year old there are many low cost spay and neuter facilities available that may in the long run be a cheaper alternative to medication.

Welcome to TCS by the way!

I'm not sure whether there is any medicine that you can give to a cat to reduce his sex drive, but 11 years old is really not too old to get him neutered. I've taken in stray cats that are at least ten, probably older, and had them fixed without  any problems.

There are probably some low cost spay and neuter clinics in your area where you could get him fixed quite cheaply.Also lots of vets will give you a discount if you let them know you are on a low income.  Check some of these out

I live in San Francisco. A couple of years ago I contacted the SPCA and inquired about this. Even though I am a low-income person, and even though I have adopted a kitten from these people, they would charge me around $200, because due to Buddy's age they would need to do blood work before they performed surgery. Actually, I think the SPCA has fallen into different hands of late. It was founded by WASPs, and charity was the basic ideal. Now the ideal seems to be to make money.  I have a tennis friend who took one of his cats to SPCA to have a procedure done on an ingrown nail. He was amazed by what they charged him. It was top-dollar and more by ordinary commercial standards. I believe the SPCA used to be different in this respect when the WASPs ruled it. Anyhow, having an older guy like Buddy given anesthesia involves a danger to him, and I would rather not do this.

The only way to solve his "problem" is to get him neutered. You have to decide which is more important to you. Here is one clinic in San Mateo that said they do s/n for $50 for males. Due to his age, they may have to do blood work to ensure he's safe for anaesthesia, but it's the best way.

I live in the East Bay area, and Marin Humane, Napa Humane, Vacaville SPCA,  Rohnert Park Humane, all have low cost neutering, and all will gladly fix him at 11, he is not too old to neuter.

I can't begin to imagine how you have NOT gotten him fixed by now, what a nightmare.

No good for him either.

You are dooming him to the rest of his life feeling frustration and being at the mercy of his hormones.

Not a kind way to feel.

Dear Catwoman,

Thanks for the info about where I can get Buddy neutered at a low cost. Unfortunately I don't have a car, so I can't get to many places. I have a regular vet in the city, Nob Hill Cat Clinic, who knows Buddy pretty well, and who thinks he's a good cat. Maybe I can work something out with this place if I decide that neutering is necessary. There are some advantages to his having testosterone. For one thing the extra muscle keeps him from getting too fat - and putting this guy on a diet is not easy!

KendraB said:

 
Dear Catwoman,

Thanks for the info about where I can get Buddy neutered at a low cost. Unfortunately I don't have a car, so I can't get to many places. I have a regular vet in the city, Nob Hill Cat Clinic, who knows Buddy pretty well, and who thinks he's a good cat. Maybe I can work something out with this place if I decide that neutering is necessary. There are some advantages to his having testosterone. For one thing the extra muscle keeps him from getting too fat - and putting this guy on a diet is not easy!

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Neutering does not make male cats more prone to weight issues. It's a myth, I'm afraid. Neutering has nothing but health benefits for your little guy, so please do discuss this with your vet.

Cats, especially those that live indoors, should be neutered for their own good. For example, his hormones are telling him he needs to go out and prowl a very large area. Confined to a small indoors area means he's frustrated all the time (obviously, letting him out in such an urban area would be far worse). You're very lucky if he doesn't  mark your home with urine.

Any drug you may find to lower his sex drive is likely to have side effects and risks, so I wouldn't try anything of this kind, definitely not at his age. 

We have a short and sweet article about spaying & neutering which has a nice FAQ too, addressing these and other questions:

Spay and Neuter Your Cats

Dear Anne,

Regarding the question whether neutering has an effect on a tendency to gain weight, I can see a good reason why it should. Namely, muscle burns energy, and testosterone causes muscle development. I think if I had Buddy castrated he would blow up like a balloon and health problems would soon follow. Controlling Buddy's food intake is not an easy matter. When he wants food he bites my ankles and bangs the cupboard doors in the kitchen - they are spring loaded; he pulls the door open with his claw, then lets it go and it goes BANG! It is impossible to read, write, or think when he is determined to have me give him food. I think Buddy likes having the muscle he has, which is considerable. He likes to sleep on top of the cupboard above the kitchen sink, and to get there he must leap from the top of the refrigerator about 6 feet at an upward 30 degree angle. My female cat, Fima, cannot do this. Furthermore, Buddy wants to be the boss cat with respect to Fima, who is quite large for a female, and is a keen spirited "tortie," and I think Fima would be able to overpower him if he lost a significant amount of muscle. I think the problem with Buddy is that some female cats who have not been neutered live upwind, and when they go into heat the scent of them makes him go wild. According to the guy who runs the pet store where I buy cat food Buddy would still go crazy when he smells these females in heat, even if I neutered him - and this guy advises that I not neuter him.  Anyhow, the female upwind is apparently getting over her period, and Buddy's behavior has improved considerably in the last day or two.

Once the hormones are out of their systems, cats really do settle down. It takes a little while after they're altered, but he will calm down considerably. He will not lose his personality, or his liveliness. Altered cats are not more prone to weight gain if they're healthy and active to begin with, and fed a good quality food. Buddy may still spray sometimes, if he's gotten into the habit of it, but most of the time the spraying is severely reduced or altogether eliminated.  Certainly you must have a friend who would drive you and Buddy to one of the places that another member of the forum mentioned. I don't drive either, and am constantly being offered rides to the veterinarian if need be. Usually I just put my cat carrier in the stroller and walk. I'm sure you can also take your cat (confined to his carrier) on public transit if need be. I've done that before and had an excellent experience. It was pouring rain, and the driver stopped right in the driveway of the clinic for me!