Spraying?

Brandi, unless you are an ethical breeder your tomcat should be neutered. Tomcats spray, whether pedigree or stray that is a given. They also tend to get aggressive as they grow up and your best bet is to get him neutered.

Originally Posted by Brandi1152005

I am trying to find out if my tom will start spraying after he is bred? He's never sprayed before so I don't want to entice him to do so...Please Help!
Brandi

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Yes..all breeders encounter this...that is why they often have stud pens. But as Hissy stated, unless this is a male that has received breeding rights...I would have him neutered. If you are interested in getting into breeding...attend some cat shows and talk to the breeders there..get a mentor and learn all you can before you start breeding.

Katie

He may or may not start to spray. It also depends on if you have any other whole males around (inside or outside). We were lucky. We had a rex tom (our breeding male) who was the only whole male in the house. Fortunently he did NOT spray, even after he bred our female. But he was a rare exception.

Why are you breeding your cat? Has he been shown? A male is probably more important to a breeding program then the females and he should be an excellant example of the breed to be using him.

Otherwise, neuter him and keep him as a happy spoiled male. If he sprays, he'll have to live his life in a cage.

Not all studs spray. Definitly not. Get him fixed then you wont have to worry!

Even if he doesn't spray- the smell of his urine will still peel the paint off your walls. (ok I'm exaggerating but it will REALLY smell!) I can always tell if there is a tomcat (or even recently neutered male in the clinic as soon as I walk in the door- it is a very potent odour!

They usually don't start spraying until 1-1.5 years old. They will either spray or not spray. Occasionally they will start spraying later in life. I don't think its related to actually breeding vs. just an increase of testosterone in the body as they get older.

Heres a related question question I've been wanting to ask: A coworker breeds Maine Coon's and recently acquired a male stud. This cat does not spray. The breeder she got him from said that if a male cat sprays you want to get him neutered because its just not worth it. Are some breeds better than others with this? I've never heard of a non-spraying bengal male. She dosen't know much about bengals but made the statement that they are more feral so maybe thats why they spray more. I know a lot of Persian males spray just by reading these boards... Does anyone know about breed related spraying?

I have to agree that it is a hormonal thing more so than a breed thing ... my boy began spraying at about 7 to 8 months old, the first time my girl came into estrus.

Oh and hey Dr. Doolittle? Stud spray ~is~ caustic believe it or not. I don't have personal experience as to whether it will actually peel paint off of walls, but when I am cleaning my boy's enclosure, I have to wear surgical gloves as it literally burns the skin on my hands if I don't protect them.

No one can tell. Some males start spraying the day they enter puberty, some start after being bred, others start after a year or two and some males never start to spray.

I have a 2 year old stud who have sired two litters and he doesn't spray. You can't smell "stud" in my home and I don't really clean my house more often than others.

It's individual. Some studs will spray, som won't.

I have 4 bengal studs. None of them spray, but they would if put into certain situations. Environment plays a big a big role. Each of our studs has his own 180 square foot room in our cattery. This is their space, their territory, they don't mark it up, other than with the scent glands on their chins. I haven't even seen them spray when they go into our outdoor enclosure for playtime.

I don't think it has anything to do with "breed" - its the individual cat. Maybe its more of if the cat feels "threatened" by another male and wants to mark his territory.

BTW unspayed females will sometimes spray too - as a calling card to males in the area that she is available.

Our rex male was kooky anyway. He'd play with all the cats (male or female) when our female was not in heat. But he knew what to do when she was

Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

I have 4 bengal studs. None of them spray, but they would if put into certain situations. Environment plays a big a big role. Each of our studs has his own 180 square foot room in our cattery. This is their space, their territory, they don't mark it up, other than with the scent glands on their chins. I haven't even seen them spray when they go into our outdoor enclosure for playtime.

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Thats great to hear! My female sprays when shes in heat as I've just found out. She just went through her first. My himalayan mix when neutered would spray outside (not inside).

Well...you learn something new everyday....I truly thought that if a male cat was not neutered, it would spray. But I think the general consensus is...some do, some don't..but there is no guarentee that once bred, this cat will not spray. So, if spraying is a concern, best to have him neutered.

Katie

My male stud cat has no stronger smelling urine then my five year old desexed boy (desexed when he was four months old) or my recently desexed 10 month old boy.