Behaviour Change after Castration

[ellacopter]

Hi all - this is my first post so apologies if I overshare/don't give enough info! 
 

First, a little background.

Myself and my partner rescued a cat that had been living among our little "village" of high-rise buildings in the city. Despite being a little concerned to turn an outdoor cat (albeit one who had been abandoned and was getting noticeably more skinny and skittish) into a house cat (we live on the 3rd floor), due to a tinnnny bit of emotional blackmail from my partner (!) we adopted our very first little ginger tom. This was in the beginning of November.

After letting him settle in for a few weeks we wanted to get him fully vaccinated and castrated so we did just that in the beginning of January. I expected there to be some slow changes in behaviour as his hormones settled but there was quite an immediate change in behaviour. 

He's suddenly very hungry ALL the time. We currently feed him Hi-Life Tempt Me (x3 85g pouches a day as well as some dry food in the evening - and is about 4.7kg when we last checked) and about 1 to 2 hours after being fed he's making a lot of noise for more food. He's always been very food orientated but this is a whole new level! As I said, this is our first cat and as much as I've read up on cats I really need some more personal advice. 

As well as that he's suddenly a lot more active. He wants to climb everywhere and cause as much trouble as possible! We bought him a cat tree which he seems to love for both climbing, playing and sleeping and both my partner and I interact with him as much as possible (I'm at home most of the day due to a health condition) but I'm worried he's not getting enough stimulation. He's also grooming more which I'm worried is a sign of boredom as he's flea/parasite free. He seems to have two patches of fur on him which aren't quite as dense as they used to be.

So basically;

- Am i just worrying over nothing?! 

- Are we feeding him enough/the right food? And is a sudden change in hunger normal after castration? 

- Are there any suggestion for keeping him more entertained?

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer! 
 

Ella x

 

[moorspede]

You don't say how old your vet estimated the age of your cat is. I would suggest you get him checked out by the vet first to see if the hunger isn't a symptom of a medical problem.

Slight weight gain in neutered cats is normal only because they are no longer slaves to their hormones, ie they are no longer tom catting around. Increased hunger isn't.

When a cat is newly adopted it sometimes takes awhile for it to become comfortable enough to act out, also. 

Here's an article on how to deal with a bored cat. It talks about cat runs, window shelves so that they can look out, cat toys and puzzles etc. 

[Article] Beating Boredom - What Indoor  Cat Owners Need to Know

Because you haven't mentioned how experienced you are with cats, here's an article on playing with a cats. 

[Article] Playing  with Your Cat: 10 Things You Need To  Know

 

[hexiesfriend]

It sound like to me he's just a lot happier!!! He doesn't have to think about mating all the time and he never has to worry about where his next meal is coming from. That is cause for celebration! A cat tree and toys are always good to keep him busy. I'd get the hair patches looked at by the vet if they really look bald or if you're worried, still have the vet look at him but nothing sounds strange to me.

 

[ellacopter]

Thank you both!

The vet estimated he was about 6 months when we adopted him so he's coming up to about 9 months now. So teenager time?

I think my gut is telling me that it's not a medical problem but obviously I just want the best for little Jack (and to be honest I've always been an overprotective pet parent!).

The problem we have we taking him to the vet is unless he's given a sedative he won't let anyone examine him so obviously to minimise stress for him (as well as risks associated with sedation) we don't really want to put him through a vet visit if at all possible.

I think my plan of of action will be to monitor him for another week and assess his eating/behaviour then. No other signs that something might be medically wrong so we'll see. And in the mean time I'll up my game on keeping him entertained!

Little tyke!

 

[hexiesfriend]

Sounds like a very good plan!!!

 

[moorspede]

The vet estimated he was about 6 months when we adopted him so he's coming up to about 9 months now. So teenager time?

I think my gut is telling me that it's not a medical problem but obviously I just want the best for little Jack (and to be honest I've always been an overprotective pet parent!).

The problem we have we taking him to the vet is unless he's given a sedative he won't let anyone examine him so obviously to minimise stress for him (as well as risks associated with sedation) we don't really want to put him through a vet visit if at all possible.

I think my plan of of action will be to monitor him for another week and assess his eating/behaviour then. No other signs that something might be medically wrong so we'll see. And in the mean time I'll up my game on keeping him entertained!

Little tyke!

If that is him in your profile pic, he's gorgeous.

I tend to agree with you. Much older cats can suffer from hypothyroidism which is very serious but since he's a teenager, I agree with hexiesfriend, he's feeling more confident to be himself now.

Kittens go through stages just like human infants do and now that he's so energetic he needs a lot of food. Free feeding kittens is considered to be ok. When you look down at him you should see a narrowing from his hips to his stomach, see this image.  But if you feel more comfortable, considering he's food orientated, to feed him meals please be aware that kittens require double the amount of food that adult cats require because they grow so fast.  

 

[ellacopter]

 
If that is him in your profile pic, he's gorgeous.

I tend to agree with you. Much older cats can suffer from hypothyroidism which is very serious but since he's a teenager, I agree with hexiesfriend, he's feeling more confident to be himself now.

Kittens go through stages just like human infants do and now that he's so energetic he needs a lot of food. Free feeding kittens is considered to be ok. When you look down at him you should see a narrowing from his hips to his stomach, see this image.  But if you feel more comfortable, considering he's food orientated, to feed him meals please be aware that kittens require double the amount of food that adult cats require because they grow so fast.  

Thanks - we certainly think so! 

His weight seems to be on track - he's certainly not putting on or losing any weight. 

A lot more play time yesterday and he's seems more content today. Having said that, he's currently meowing for his lunch! 

Thanks for everyones help!