Male cat ?

[honeybee4]

I recently got a 10 week old male cat. He is going to be an in door cat because we live out in the woods and I don't want to loss him to another animal. My question is, what would the advantage be to getting him neutered? Is it necessary? I have never owned a male cat before, only a female. For health reasons should I get it done? and at what age?

Thanks

[chico2]

Honeybee...no question,male cats HAVE to be neutered,if you want a sweet cuddly indoor cat also for healthreasons like testie cancer.
If he's not neutered he'll soon start spraying your house and want outside.
It's a very easy procedure,quick recovery and usually much cheaper than spaying a female.
I have 3 males,I would not dream of not having them neutered.
Good luck with your kitty!! Males are often cuddlier and calmer than females,wonderful little guys :love:

[Luvmypit]

YES YES YES YES. Definately get him spayed. I don't know when you should get it done as I know more about dogs then cats. For dogs its 6 months. Ill wait for the cat experts to comment on this one. I know that they will surely undoubtfully say that you must spay him.

[honeybee4]

I didn't realize that male cats sprayed your house if they are kept in doors. I also did realize that it is easy for them to get testie cancer. I am definitly going to get him done.

He is a lovely cat, loves to cuddle and sleep on your pillow at night. He is always purring and pranceing around the house. so cute.

thanks for the information.

[Lucky Rescue]

He is a lovely cat, loves to cuddle and sleep on your pillow at night.

Glad you're getting him neutered! That is the only way to keep him cuddly and sweet. Intact sexually mature males cannot be kept indoors. The spraying is bad enough, but when their overwhelming urge to mate with females and fight other males kicks in, they can become very aggressive if frustrated.

[honeybee4]

I definitly do not want that to happen. I am going to talk to the vet about it tonight when I take the dog for his visit.

[Luvmypit]

Good luck Honeybee and give the pup a hug for us. Let us know how it went.

[Karin]

Neuter! Please try to wait until he is more mature...neuters are easy and lately most vet's willneuter as soon as they can find the little nuggies. This works great for dogs but with male cats the younger the Sx, the more prone to cystitis. The ureatha & urinary tract are the last to mature. (of course diet plays a roll here too)
Neutering/spaying ensures a happier, healthier pet.

And males do tend to snuggle much more than a female....

[Lucky Rescue]

This works great for dogs but with male cats the younger the Sx, the more prone to cystitis

I really believe this is true. Blockages and stones do seem to be more prevalent among males who were neutered at very young ages.

Feeding dry food also increases the risk of crystals or stones.

For the one male I got as a kitten, I neutered him at 7 months. The others were all adult strays (between 1 and 5 years old) when neutered.

I fed them all canned food and not one ever had a blockage or even crystals in the urine.

[doggy lover]

When a male cat sprays its worse than cat urine by ten times. Fixing stops this.

[chico2]

Well not always,my Rocky still sprays on occasion :sad:
I had all of my male cats neutered at 7-8months,that's what my vet prefered.

[honeybee4]

I was told not to feed my animals wet food, only dry food, because the wet food will soften their teeth and cause problems for them. Is this only true for dogs? I have been feeding Harley and the kitten dry food since I got them and made sure that they completely stayed away from wet food.

I talked the vet and I am going to wait a couple more months to get the kitten fixed. She said that he should be a little older before he gets done.

Thanks for the info.

[chico2]

Honeybee,wet food for a male cat is important(at least in my view) because of Urinary Tract Infection.My cats get canned food morning and night,but always have a bowl of good quality dry food and fresh water 24/7.The 3 of them share one small can twice a day.
Mind you,with a Rottie puppy it might be hard to keep kitten-food around all day Cats are nibblers and keep returning to their dishes,unlike dogs who swallow everything in one gulp...

[honeybee4]

I will have to start getting him some wet food, what type do you recommend? It is definitly hard to keep the cat food around with the dog around. I think he thinks that cat is leaving him treat by not eating all his food at one time. I started giving the cat just the amount that he would eat in one sitting, so the dog wouldn't get it.

[sammiec]

My male cat was three before he got fixed. Man, is there ever a difference!!! We were SOO lucky that he didn't spray, or that I could find... But the scent of his urine was SOOO strong and he got completely annoying with scratching at the door trying to get out!!! It was horrible. I must tell you that it's a whole different world when he gets fixed!!! I'm glad that you're going to do it!

[happycats]

I like Chico2 keep dry food out 24/7, and split a small can 5 ways, about a tablespoon each (the vet said that was enough) at dinner time, and they love it so much, there would be no left overs for a dog if we had one !!!!!
We found if we fed them more then 1 tablespoon each they tended to overeat and would vomit

[Lucky Rescue]

I was told not to feed my animals wet food, only dry food, because the wet food will soften their teeth and cause problems for them.

Who told you this? It is completely wrong. Cats are strict carnivores and not designed to eat cereal or dry food. Canned food is no worse for teeth than dry. Dental problems arise due to heredity and lack of care.

I truly believe that the epidemic of bladder stones, crystals and urinary blockages in neutered male cats is directly related to the dry food craze. No male cat who eats canned food only has been found to have crystals in the urine. I'm even seeing female cats with crystals, no doubt from a steady diet of low quality dry food.

Cats do not drink enough water, so combine that with eating dry food and the urine becomes very concentrated and crystals form. Canned food contains a lot of water and helps cats avoid this concentrated urine.

Honeybee your dog WILL eat all the cat food if allowed to. The high protein content of cat food is very attractive to dogs. You must find a way to keep him away from it.

[honeybee4]

Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I am going to go and get him some after work today. I always keep a bowl of water for him down 24/7 he also loves to drink out of the dogs bowl, which is bigger than him. lol. One of my coworkers told me not to feed them wet food. She is/was a dog groomer and had pets. She is supposedly knows all about animals, but apparently she doesn't. What about dogs, should they also eat wet food for health reasons?

[chico2]

Honeybee,unfortunately mine are stuck on Fancy Feast,I've tried Wellness and Nutro cans,but they snuff at it like only cats can
They get about a tbsp each twice a day,so I figure FF is ok....I've wasted a lot of money trying to get them to eat anything else.
But if you start your kitty on Nutro or something like it,he'll probably love it

[Lucky Rescue]

should they also eat wet food for health reasons?

Dogs tend to drink a lot of water, so this is the not the problem for them as it is for cats. And yes, as you've noticed cats like to drink out of large bowls and will drink more this way.

Personally, I put a few tablespoons of wet food along with a little warm water in my dog's meals. She doesn't really need the canned food, but she sure does like it!

The reason I don't feed her canned only is the cost of this for a 75lb dog would be prohibitive.

[chico2]

A loong time ago,before most of you were born,I had a beautiful Maine Coon cat,in those days the only available dry cat-food was Purina Cat-Chow,he ate wet food too,but then it was Pussn'Boots,never drank water,only milk.
But that's how much I knew then,he died at an early age from kidney problems.Today there is an unending choice of"good" foods and speciality stores,so you can do your best to keep your pets healthy.
My vet in those days,said NEVER to feed dry food to a male cat,but I believe as a secondary food and if the cat drinks a lot he should be ok,my cats all three drink a lot,out of a huge bowl