Just a question to start a discussion, if I may.

[zuma-xo]

Originally Posted by LDG

Cats have claws. If we are not prepared to deal with that, we should not have a cat.

Cats breed and want to breed the majority of their lives, if we are not prepared to deal with that, we should not have a cat.


It can go both ways. You can't tell someone that they shouldn't have a cat because they do not want their entire lives revolved around curtains and whether or not you or Whiskers is going to win the fight. (I chose Whiskers as a name, it is in no way pointed towards anyone if they have a cat named Whiskers, it's my feline equlivalent for Rover haha)

I understand you are passionate about this, I am passionate about voicing the otherside of the arguement and we can probably argue until we are blue in the face and both of us have made up our minds before we came into the discussion. But we can either continue to argue over which one is better or we can agree to disagree on the matter at hand.

I think we are all getting a little heated up over this and I feared it was going to happen with this discussion

 

[jupeycat]

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

Cats breed and want to breed the majority of their lives, if we are not prepared to deal with that, we should not have a cat.

I think perhaps you should spend time at a shelter and see all the cats and kittens that are destroyed just because there are too many cats and not enough homes.

Also FIV and FeLV are very serious illnesses and shouldn't be ignored. Here is one of our FIV cats who thankfully managed to find a home: http://dewbury.cats.org.uk/index.asp?m=bsp

 

[eilcon]

All facts, statistics and articles aside, I personally don't see that there's much room for discussion. Spaying and neutering saves lives. Period. Unless there is some medical need, which is rarely the case, declawing is done simply for human convenience.

 

[carolina]

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

Cats breed and want to breed the majority of their lives, if we are not prepared to deal with that, we should not have a cat.


It can go both ways. You can't tell someone that they shouldn't have a cat because they do not want their entire lives revolved around curtains and whether or not you or Whiskers is going to win the fight. (I chose Whiskers as a name, it is in no way pointed towards anyone if they have a cat named Whiskers, it's my feline equlivalent for Rover haha)

I understand you are passionate about this, I am passionate about voicing the otherside of the arguement and we can probably argue until we are blue in the face and both of us have made up our minds before we came into the discussion. But we can either continue to argue over which one is better or we can agree to disagree on the matter at hand.

I think we are all getting a little heated up over this and I feared it was going to happen with this discussion

Wow - What about the fact that over 4 million cats are euthanized every year in the US alone because of this way of thinking?

 

[silva_unt]

Originally Posted by carolinalima

Wow - What about the fact that over 4 million cats are euthanized every year in the US alone because of this way of thinking?

Hopefully this comment will change your view!

I had a friend whose cat would attack anyone who touched him. She was against declawing. Later i learned her cat was doing much better... Her vet prescribed an anti-anxiety medication. He was a normal, loving kitty after this. Hope this helps and hope you and your kitty find a solution

 

[missmyra]

I think spaying/neutering is a kindness, it is necessary to control the population - there would be an explosion of homeless, starving, neglected cats without it (in fact, we already pretty much have this condition). Claws really only hurt furniture which has no feelings as far as I can tell. I keep my furniture covered in sheets.
HOWEVER if there is a cat that is homeless and the only person who will take it insists on declawing, I say go for it, because otherwise that cat will be euthanized. We have to be realistic - I'm pretty sure the cat would prefer a life without claws than no life at all.

 

[ldg]

You invited discussion, I am discussing.

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

Spaying and neutering is a birth control method which prevents mammary tumours in cats, something that affects 25% of unspayed female cats. After spaying, this is reduced to 3.6% over a lifetime if she is spayed before her first heat. Pyometra is prevented because of the removal of the ovaries which makes the female lack oestrogen and progesterone. As well as uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and testicular cancer which affect 1% of cats and dogs (80% of female rabbits however, which I found interesting during my research, and I have known no one to spay a rabbit for some reason and they breed like mad).

Yes? Just further argument for the health benefit of the cat. ?????

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

Like with all surgeries there is a risk of infection or complications due to the aneshetics used. The risks are indeed low, but are raised with animals with certain health issues.

Again, no one would argue this point. ?????

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

Cats are at a raised risk for obesity due to reduced metabolism, hormonal drive, and eating more due to altered eating behaviour after neutering/spaying.

Your information appears to be incorrect, actually.

Originally Posted by CDOCA.org

Obesity. Several studies have indicated an increased prevalence of obesity in neutered dogs and cats. Energy consumption appears to decrease after neutering in dogs and cats, although the degree and timing varied between studies. Some researchers attribute neutering-related obesity in cats to increased food consumption and not to altered
metabolic rate, suggesting that the weight gain can be prevented with a lower fat diet (German, 2006, Nguyen, 2004, Kanchuck, 2002). Obesity does not appear to be affected by age of neutering in cats, but among dogs, early-age neutering is associated with a lower incidence of obesity than neutering after 6 months of age (Spain, 2004). http://www.cdoca.org/downloads/files...0Dysplasia.pdf

The problem is not a lower metabolic rate, but a decreased energy need. The spaying or neutering is not the problem, but how we care for the animals afterward.

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

Both males and females have a raised risk of urinary tract infections compared to unaltered cats.

I'd be interested to see this - do you have references? I can't find any. In fact, all I'm finding is information that does not support this.

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

However, there are many tests either confirming or disproving beneficial behavioural changes. Depending on who you trust, you can pick one. Many have to do with pre-existing behavioural issues or the age at which the procedure is performed. Depending on which university to trust, the information is out there and is plenty.

You're correct, there are many studies. However, the studies I already provided were published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. One indicated 15% of cats began avoiding the litter box (on a long term basis) AFTER the declaw procedure (meaning it was not a problem before). The same study indicated that 18% of cats began having a problem biting AFTER the declaw procedure. JAVMA is the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, and it is a peer-review journal.

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

Declawing is mainly done in the united states, I will agree. Of a survey, 34% of owners reported discomfort in their cat after surgery, 78% reported primarily tenderness. Recovery time took 3 days to 2 weeks. 0.4% of the cats had difficulty walking. Increased biting was reported in 4% of cats but overall, 96% of owners were happy with the results.

Citation for that study is: http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB...00/PR00016.htm in case you'd like to check it out. I thought it was interesting, am not sure if anyone else would.

...and the rest of that same study says that 96% of cats recovered within two weeks - that means 4% did not. It also says the owners that reported increased biting were happy with the results. Opinions of the owners that declaw their cats are really not relevant to the discussion: you asked if spaying and neutering is similar to declawing in that it does not benefit the cat. So facts about how they heal and whether or not they develop medical or behavioral problems after the declaw surgery are what's relevant.

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

Although behavior problems such as house soiling (not using the litter box) and biting after declawing have been widely reported anecdotally, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has stated that there is no scientific evidence to show that declawing leads to behavioral abnormalities.

citation again: http://www.avma.org/issues/policy/an.../declawing.asp they do say that it should be used as a last resort, but if you keep reading, they do say there is no evidence shown.

Yes, the same organization that published the earlier cited studies in its own peer-review journal. Perhaps they require more studies.

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

Recovery time from spaying/neutering is 5 days to 2 weeks (pretty much the same time is declawing, the recovery time is relatively the same).

Is that 96% of cats, as in declawing? Or 100% of cats?

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

See, I am not crazy out there for saying that not every cat who gets declawed is going to be a nutbar when it gets older.

No one suggested this. Plenty of cats are declawed and have no long term problems. That is not the point, and it was not what you suggested we discuss.

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

Just like not every cat who gets a spay/neuter will have a problem with the surgery. It is the case in certain felines, yes, but just like anything, it's a surgery, there are complications and there are risks to both, just like there are benefits.

Yes, but you specifically asked to compare the two. So how do they stack up against each other?

*****************************************

Declaw Surgery

Health Benefits of Declaw Surgery
None

Health Risks of Declaw Surgery
Lameness/Arthritis
Claw regrowth
Infection

Behavior Benefits of Declaw Surgery
Cats can no longer scratch humans or damage walls, furniture or accessories

Behavior Risks of Declaw Surgery
Litter box avoidance
Increased aggression (biting)

Other Risks/Benefits of Declaw Surgery

Other benefits: None.

Other risks: It should be noted that in a study published in JAVMA (referenced before), cats subject to declaw were at increased risk for relinquishment to a shelter for behavior problems (54%) vs. non-declawed cats (29%).

Alternatives to Declawing
Training
Nail caps

******************************

Spay/Neuter Surgery

Health Benefits of Neutering
Decreased risk of tumors
Decreased risk of pyometra
Decreased risk of several types of cancer
Decreased risk of communicable diseases, including FIV, FeLV and FIP due to decrease in aggression due to lack of sex drive and territoriality
Decreased risk of wounds/wound abscesses & etc.

Health Risks of Neutering
Infection
I'd be happy to include increased incidence of UTIs if you can provide reference to a study published in a peer-review journal
Obesity although important to note the problem is not a change in metabolism, so it can be controlled by cat guardians

Behavior Benefits of Neutering
Decreased aggression
Decreased territoriality/decreased roaming (and thus most stop spraying to mark territory)
Cats stop yowling when in heat or when hormones push them to want a female

Behavior Risks of Neutering
Are there any?

Other Risks/Benefits of Neutering

Other Risks: None

Other Benefits: Inability to procreate lowers unintended breeding, resulting in lowered homeless cat population, which in turn results in lower costs of sheltering, euthanization, and animal control.

Alternative to Neutering
None

***************************************

Please feel free to add to these lists.

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

I am just saying, we are hating on something when in reality, it is a bases of what our own personal morals are. Do we believe it is nessessary? Do we believe it will benefit us?

It does not boil down to just an issue of morals, as can be seen from the lists. Spaying and neutering benefits the cat, the cat population, and the community. Other than benefiting the owner, what does declawing do?

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

Yes, removing a person's knuckles or fingers is a form of torture. But ever noticed that no doctor would perform a hysterectomy on a woman without medical reasoning? Very few are going to convince a doctor to do it because they do not want to have babies. There are too many risks involved to do that kind of surgery when there are other options available.

And humans can choose to use birth control. Cats cannot.

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

I do not agree with declawing because I believe there are other options that need to be exhausted before someone needs to do something that serious to their pet. But in the same sense, I could just as easily exhaust other options before neuter/spaying my cats and putting them through that surgery. It's how I feel and you shouldn't feel sorry for me for feeling that way because, it doesn't affect my cats. At the end of the day, neither are declawed, hopefully it will never come to the point that they need to be, and both are going to be neutered because I feel it is easier for me to put up with. I view both as equal surgeries, but my morals say one is a lot easier to sleep on than the other.

You invited the discussion and comparison. Apparently you made your decision before our input was provided in such comparison.

 

[ink]

Yes, removing a person's knuckles or fingers is a form of torture. But ever noticed that no doctor would perform a hysterectomy on a woman without medical reasoning? Very few are going to convince a doctor to do it because they do not want to have babies. There are too many risks involved to do that kind of surgery when there are other options available.

If its would be considered torture to humans then why not animals? Also, women barely put up with menstral cycles and in fact many take artificial hormones not only to prevent pregnancy but also to stop menstral cycles. You can bet that if women had to put up with heat cycles and men had to put up with a litter of babies being born everytime she had one, women would be getting hysterectomies left and right. Also, many women do opt for tubals which is a surgery and carries risks but is done so they don't have to have any more babies.

 

[northernglow]

How old is the problem scratcher kitty? How old was he when he was separated from his mother and siblings? Scratching can be territorial marking, so the neutering can help, but if it's caused by something like too early weaning, you are dealing with a mentally traumatized cat and that's not so easy to fix.

Declawing is illegal in this country because it's torturing so I can't tell any experiences from that. Spaying and neutering however are a very different kind of procedures which actually have some positive health effects. And when neutering a male, they are not anesthetised here, they are just mildly sedated.
Two of my breeder friends have had to spay a breeding queen because of a pyometra.
I would get spayed myself but unfortunately they won't do it because of my 'too young' age/I haven't had three kids yet.. (meaning that if I would have second thoughts about the procedure it wouldn't be so nice or something like that).

 

[ldg]

Originally Posted by LDG

Zuma-xo, you specifically asked to compare the two. So how do they stack up against each other?

*****************************************

Declaw Surgery

Health Benefits of Declaw Surgery
None

Health Risks of Declaw Surgery
Lameness/Arthritis
Claw regrowth
Infection

Behavior Benefits of Declaw Surgery
Cats can no longer scratch humans or damage walls, furniture or accessories

Behavior Risks of Declaw Surgery
Litter box avoidance
Increased aggression (biting)

Other Risks/Benefits of Declaw Surgery

Other benefits: None.

Other risks: It should be noted that in a study published in JAVMA (referenced before), cats subject to declaw were at increased risk for relinquishment to a shelter for behavior problems (54%) vs. non-declawed cats (29%).

Alternatives to Declawing
Training
Nail caps

******************************

Spay/Neuter Surgery

Health Benefits of Neutering
Decreased risk of tumors
Decreased risk of pyometra
Decreased risk of several types of cancer
Decreased risk of communicable diseases, including FIV, FeLV and FIP due to decrease in aggression due to lack of sex drive and territoriality
Decreased risk of wounds/wound abscesses & etc.

Health Risks of Neutering
Infection
I'd be happy to include increased incidence of UTIs if you can provide reference to a study published in a peer-review journal
Obesity although important to note the problem is not a change in metabolism, so it can be controlled by cat guardians

Behavior Benefits of Neutering
Decreased aggression
Decreased territoriality/decreased roaming (and thus most stop spraying to mark territory)
Cats stop yowling when in heat or when hormones push them to want a female

Behavior Risks of Neutering
Are there any?

Other Risks/Benefits of Neutering

Other Risks: None

Other Benefits: Inability to procreate lowers unintended breeding, resulting in lowered homeless cat population, which in turn results in lower costs of sheltering, euthanization, and animal control.

Alternative to Neutering
None

***************************************

Please feel free to add to these lists.

Forgetting about "weighing" the risks and benefits. I count

1 benefit to declawing
6 risks to declawing
2 alternatives to declawing

At least 9 benefits to spaying/neutering
2 risks (potentially 3, and one can be controlled by a caring owner) to neutering
No alternatives to neutering

The facts do not support your opinion that they are similar. Of course anyone can feel however they want. But when analyzed in basis of fact, the conclusion that spaying/neutering has benefits that far outweigh the risks is supported; the same cannot be said for declawing. It is not an issue of morals when examining the facts, feelings aside.

 

[tigerontheprowl]

I can't believe I've only found this thread now.

Anyways, when it comes to any kind of surgery I always ask myself 1 question: Will this benefit the cat? With spaying and neutering, the answer is yes. It keeps their hormones in check, reduces the risk of many types of cancer, etc. Obviously there are risks to the procedure, but then again there are risks to every procedure. There is always that chance that something will go wrong. But since spaying and neutering are such common surgeries, the vets have it down to an art. The success rate is very high.

In the case of declawing, will it benefit the cat? Only under extenuating circumstances. It will only benefit the cat if they had a botched declaw previously, or some other injury is causing their claws to hurt them. Other than that, I don't see any benefits to a declaw. It may not really affect the cats behaviour at all, or it may make it more aggressive and it may avoid the litter box. Either way, it's not an improvement.

 

[Willowy]

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

As well as uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and testicular cancer which affect 1% of cats and dogs (80% of female rabbits however, which I found interesting during my research, and I have known no one to spay a rabbit for some reason and they breed like mad).

My lady rabbits are spayed

.

But ever noticed that no doctor would perform a hysterectomy on a woman without medical reasoning? Very few are going to convince a doctor to do it because they do not want to have babies.

But, if you have a high family incidence of ovarian/uterine cancer, many doctors will do a full hysterectomy on demand. Plus, tubal ligations are fairly common.

 

[yosemite]

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

Cats breed and want to breed the majority of their lives, if we are not prepared to deal with that, we should not have a cat.


It can go both ways. You can't tell someone that they shouldn't have a cat because they do not want their entire lives revolved around curtains and whether or not you or Whiskers is going to win the fight. (I chose Whiskers as a name, it is in no way pointed towards anyone if they have a cat named Whiskers, it's my feline equlivalent for Rover haha)

I understand you are passionate about this, I am passionate about voicing the otherside of the arguement and we can probably argue until we are blue in the face and both of us have made up our minds before we came into the discussion. But we can either continue to argue over which one is better or we can agree to disagree on the matter at hand.

I think we are all getting a little heated up over this and I feared it was going to happen with this discussion

I don't really think the discussion is heated so much as it is frustration for those that are involved in rescue and shelters that watch or have to participate in euthanizing all the animals nobody wants, or see the mature cats in the no-kill shelters that nobody wants because they aren't cute little kittens anymore, or the cats that come into the shelter that have been hit by cars or worse that were living feral because some pet owner did not want to pay to neuter their pet and when it had kittens over and over, tossed them outside to fend for themselves, again without neutering so that they went on the have litters of their own, or the little 6 month old kitten that was "raped" by a tom and dies having kittens because it was too young to get pregnant in the first place - I could go on but I really doubt it would make much difference at this point.

ETA: doctors will tie ones' tubes if they do not want children and the only reason they leave the uterus in a woman is to help with menopause which cats do not go through.

 

[bunnelina]

Originally Posted by Keycube

Somewhat unfortunately, I am someone that has seen the issue from both sides. I have had 3 cats declawed, albeit for progressively (what I thought were) "better" reasons; the first time, I was just plain selfish; it was about furniture. There's not a day that goes by that I look at that cat (it was an ex-girlfriend's that moved in with me, and we're still friends) and feel like a complete ass. She's a bigger cat, and had a difficult time with the aftereffects, putting pressure on her paws and such.

The other 2 times, by then I had become a "cat person" and had done a bit of a 180, consumed with the desire to keep the existing members of my cat family safe when I would adopt a new kitty. I would hear of how I wouldn't want ot create a heirarchal situation by having some with claws and some without. My first cat was an already-declawed stray, so he set the tone for how things were going to be, according to my philosophy at the time.

But after reading more about the issue, and finding examples of mixed cat families that don't have problems, I decided that my latest, Oliver, was not going to be declawed. I was done juggling the, "Well, I think I did the right thing", with the, "But I still have a sick feeling in my stomach". He and two of my other boys, Tiko and Bayliss, wrestle like little madmen, and everyone's fine. I keep his nails clipped regularly, and watch his nail-assisted antics, like climbing up the scratching post, and up the baby gates in front of the picture window, almost to the ceiling! And then I think of how some of my others could be doing fun things like that too. And then I hate myself.

So, having been from that other side of the fence, yeah, it's a choice. I made my choices out of ignorance, and feel terrible about what I've done. But once you've been properly informed, ignorance isn't part of the equation anymore, is it.

That's my story.

Keycube, I'm sorry you, too, feel terrible for declawing your cat, but I'm kind of relieved to know I'm not the only one who feels that guilt every time I see my cat. How I wish I'd never done it, even though she is perfectly fine. She pretends to tear up the furniture, flies around the house, and dominates our other, non-declawed cats. Still, I'm going through the same stuff you are. Never again!

 

[ut0pia]

My dad reminds me each day that I am a terrible person for getting Jake neutered, that I removed his purpose in life and now he is handicapped

He also wants to put a cat door for him to go outside...
Yea, my dad is one of those "animal rights" people who believe animals, including cats and dogs- belong in the wilderness and keeping them as pets is morally wrong. He loves Jake though and is sooo gentle and kind towards him, he never fails to say hello to him, usually before he has said hello to me ....I can't change his attitude though

 

[auntie crazy]

I can only imagine how tough that is for you Utopia. Both of you loving Jake while diametrically opposed in your "what's best for Jake" opinions, with dad having a major advantage, since he's dad. *shakes head*

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy

I can only imagine how tough that is for you Utopia. Both of you loving Jake while diametrically opposed in your "what's best for Jake" opinions, with dad having a major advantage, since he's dad. *shakes head*

I agree with Auntie ...

at least to me you did the BEST thing you could do for Jake .. I am dealing with a few dog owners on this one...

 

[bunnelina]

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

... we've purchased him these Softpaws things which.. well, he chewed them off. We put more on and put a cone around his head thinking if he got used to them, he wouldn't do it anymore, he ran around the house smashing his head against the wall for an entire day...

Whoa, I just distract our cats with food and attention for 10 minutes after we apply the Soft Paws, to give the glue time to dry, and they forget to chew them off. After the glue dries, it's tougher to chew them off.

From everything you've said, that's quite the little beastie you have there.

When I regrettably decided to declaw my cat 12 years ago, my vet (and she's still my vet) gave me this reasoning, to the effect of: "If the cat is going to cause so many problems by scratching that your stress and displeasure will make the cat feel that she's always in trouble because you're correcting her, and if you perpetually regard her as a "problem," it's better to take the small risk of post-operative problems to give you and the cat better quality of life and a happier relationship."

I'm telling you this because I think you have an unusual case. If the claws are causing daily problems for everyone in your household, including the cat, and the cat attacks people, it does make sense to weigh the risks against the benefits. Most of us haven't had this extreme experience you are having.

On the other hand, this cat sounds very resourceful and, if declawed, might start biting more or packing some other type of weapon.

 

[ldg]

Originally Posted by Yosemite

I don't really think the discussion is heated so much as it is frustration .....

Linda, for me it is frustration, but not so much arising from rescue work. That is a frustration I experience sometimes when talking with someone about whether or not to spay or neuter their cat.

The frustration I am experiencing in this thread is because the OP put the topic out there "for discussion," then after being presented with a long list of pros for spaying/neutering and a list of risks that clearly outweighs the pros for declawing (indicating it should be done only in extreme circumstances if ever), the OP says

Originally Posted by Zuma-xo

...I am just saying, we are hating on something when in reality, it is a bases of what our own personal morals are. Do we believe it is nessessary? Do we believe it will benefit us?

...I do not agree with declawing because I believe there are other options that need to be exhausted before someone needs to do something that serious to their pet. But in the same sense, I could just as easily exhaust other options before neuter/spaying my cats and putting them through that surgery. It's how I feel and you shouldn't feel sorry for me for feeling that way because, it doesn't affect my cats. At the end of the day, neither are declawed, hopefully it will never come to the point that they need to be, and both are going to be neutered because I feel it is easier for me to put up with. I view both as equal surgeries, but my morals say one is a lot easier to sleep on than the other.

Obviously the facts will not change the OP's opinion, but I am incredulous that anyone - morals aside - can view them as "equal" surgeries after being informed of / discussing the risks and benefits of each.

I will agree that a cat NEEDS neither. But "equal" surgeries?

And what alternatives to spaying/neutering exist to prevent unintended breeding?

Lameness, painful organ regrowth (comparing to potential painful claw regrowth), peeing outside the box, or biting are not risks of a spay/neuter surgery.

The "pros" of spaying and neutering for the CAT are many - with almost no risk and no negative repercussions for the cat. ...not to mention that the benefits of spay/neuter surgery to the owner given the behavior affects of spay/neuter surgery on the cat are also many. On the other hand, the "pros" of declawing are basically just one, with numerous potential risks, where the benefit is ONLY to the owner.

Spaying and neutering are done for the health of the cat and the good of the community.
Declawing is done because someone cares about their furniture more than the cat.
To reduce these to "personal morals" is misguided.

My problem with this thread is not one of passion, it is one of incredulity. Yes, they are both surgeries. Neither is necessary for the cat. That is as far as I will go. To consider them "equal" is beyond my comprehension.

 

[white cat lover]

Originally Posted by Yosemite

I don't really think the discussion is heated so much as it is frustration for those that are involved in rescue and shelters that watch or have to participate in euthanizing all the animals nobody wants, or see the mature cats in the no-kill shelters that nobody wants because they aren't cute little kittens anymore, or the cats that come into the shelter that have been hit by cars or worse that were living feral because some pet owner did not want to pay to neuter their pet and when it had kittens over and over, tossed them outside to fend for themselves, again without neutering so that they went on the have litters of their own, or the little 6 month old kitten that was "raped" by a tom and dies having kittens because it was too young to get pregnant in the first place - I could go on but I really doubt it would make much difference at this point.

I sit & think of a kitty in the shelter here who has special needs, his owners didn't neuter him so he sprays all over the house - but he cannot be an outdoor cat due to his special needs. Had they neutered him, he wouldn't spray (he only just started). So now what - who will want a spraying cat?