Often people find their male cats to be unloving, wild bundles of fur that have next to no interest in them as a loyal owner. They wander off for long periods of time and are unpredictable.
The common factor with a lot of cats who behave in this way is that they have not as yet been neutered. But does this help?
Do male cats calm down after being neutered? Male cats do generally calm down once they have been neutered because the procedure leads to a decrease in their testosterone level.
There are many good reasons to neuter a cat and which benefit both the owner and the cat. Of course, there are things to consider before you take your cat for the operation, such as what the procedure involves and how much it will cost.
There are several myths which we will happily debunk.
Tom or Gib?
If you, like many other owners, are concerned about the behavior of your ‘tom’ then don’t worry – this somewhat erratic behavior is quite normal for a cat that hasn’t been neutered.
You may not know this, but a cat that hasn’t been neutered is known as a ‘tom’ whereas a cat that has been neutered is called a ‘gib’.
When your cat becomes a gib, will their personality change and will they calm down? Should you always get your cat neutered? We’ll answer these questions in a moment.
Why should I neuter?
Before we really begin, and if you still have an unneutered cat, you may have noticed that your tom may not be that affectionate towards you, or anyone or anything come to mention it! Though this isn’t always the case it is the general rule.
I’m sure your male cat thinks the world of you but you’re just not his main focus. He would much rather find a mate. This tomcat behavior can include fighting, crying, marking of territory by urination and general restless behavior.
Perhaps I could at this point do a comparison between an un-neutered cat and a teenager, but I’m not going to go there.
Once your cat is neutered you’ll find he calms down a significant amount, and will certainly be noticeable. With their urge to mate now diminished, they will have a lot more time for you.
More often than not (by a long way), you’ll discover your fighting, urinating, noisy cat has transformed into a much more cuddly ball of fur that may even grace you with their presence more often than just food time. If you’re lucky.
Behavior
So, in summary, unneutered cats are more likely to end up injured (or catch a disease) from fighting (with associated massive vet bills).
They will travel further afield to try and find their mate, increasing the risk of getting lost and not finding their way home but also the risk of road-related accidents increases.
They will spray, marking their territory (which would attract female cats) but will make your house smell. Unneutered cats are generally more stressed as they can become frustrated or they are unable to find a mate.
Neutered cats (gibs) are less likely to roam so they have less chance of having vehicle-related accidents. You’ll find they fight a lot less, reducing the risk of injury (and financial cost).
Neutering makes a cat less likely to spray (although this may still happen, it won’t happen as much). Of course, they are unable to develop testicular tumors. They are also generally, much better pets.
Of course, though, the main reason behind neutering (medically speaking) is to stop them from reproducing.
Children
A lot of parents (we’re talking about humans now!) will buy kittens for children. An unneutered cat may not be the best pet for interacting with a child. It will not be affectionate and may be aggressive towards the child at times if the cat is feeling anxious.
An ideal cat for a young child would be one that is relaxed with humans and wants to spend a lot of time in the house, rather than a tom wandering the streets for hours.
If you want a cat that will be relaxed enough to interact with children then a neutered cat is the only way to go.
I should say that the featured image in this article is my little boy, Joe, with one of our Maine Coon, Charlie. Cats are a great pet for children but I can’t see how the child could form the same relationship with a tom.
I have an opinion about cats and children. It might not be scientifically proven or globally accepted but I don’t care, this is it. Here we go, are you ready?
Children who interact well with cats (I could go further and say pets in general) turn out to be kinder people than those that don’t. Well, maybe not a fact but I’m sure there are some facts in there somewhere.
The Procedure
So what actually happens when you make the decision to get your cat neutered? First, it will, of course, need to be carried out at your vets and will take about a day.
Your tom will need to have a general anesthetic so you should not give them any food in the hours leading up to the procedure. Your vet will provide you with all these details but if in doubt, give them a call to confirm how long.
You should remember that this is an extremely common procedure and is also very simple (err for someone trained to do it that is) and you may even be able to pick your cat up the same day.
Also, remember this – you’ll be a lot more anxious about the whole procedure than your cat will. They are very resilient, much more so than us.
Recovery time will be quick and generally the younger the cat is when you get the operation, the quicker the recovery period will be.
Have you ever seen those videos on YouTube where a cat has lost a leg or something and they just deal with it? They don’t have the mental baggage that we would have after something like that.
They just adapt where necessary and get on with things. A lot could be learned from this!
Cost
As the procedure is so common, it doesn’t take long and is relatively simple and not too expensive.
If you live in the UK and are concerned about neutering or spaying costs, contact Cats Protection for discounted services. In the US you can find out more about cheap or free services from the ASPCA.
Personally, I think when you are looking for an adult cat and then subsequently buy the cat you should factor this cost in. Ideally, the person who you bought the cat from will have already had the procedure carried out.
Actually, do you think it should be mandatory for sellers of cats to have them neutered before they sell them on? I think so but if you have an opinion then drop me a comment below please, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Facts
Just one unneutered cat can be directly responsible for about 20,000 descendants in only five years! Can you imagine have 20,000 cats in your house?
Surprisingly, I can and although it would awesome for the first five minutes, dinner time would be a logistical nightmare.
- Cat’s can have around five kittens in each litter, three times a year! Think about this, that’s a lot of kittens.
- Typically, a cat won’t be neutered until they are six months old, for safety reasons.
- If you’re thinking of waiting until the cat gets older, you should be aware that cats can breed from only about four months old!
- A cat can mate just a few weeks after giving birth and pregnancy is only nine weeks in length.
Conclusion
For so many reasons, neutering a cat is more of a moral necessity than a choice. It’s clear that your cat will calm down significantly after being neutered.
There are many reasons to do this if you happen to get hold of a cat that has not as yet been neutered.
There is no real argument here and no good reason to not get a cat neutered. Unless you’re using them for breeding, which if this the case you certainly wouldn’t be reading this article.
Most people get the process done as soon as they buy/acquire the animal and this is the best option. Has the neutered cat introduced to their new home after the procedure, not before?
Do male cats calm down after being neutered? The answer is most definitely, yes.
Here are 10 tips to instantly calm any cat that any owner will find easy to follow.