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Personality change after neutering your cat?

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L

LuchaShaq

Banned
Me and my gf just adopted a 2 year old russian blue cat that is scheduled to be neutered next week.

Just our of curiosity do cats personalities change after neutering? Or should it have little affect since he's already 2 years old?

He's an inside only cat due to location but we wanted to get him neutered incase he ever got lost, not to mention the adoption fee at the shelter was 50% refundable if we brought him back to get neutered for free.
 
J

jdogmoney

Member
LuchaShaq said:
Me and my gf just adopted a 2 year old russian blue cat that is scheduled to be neutered next week.

Just our of curiosity do cats personalities change after neutering? Or should it have little affect since he's already 2 years old?

He's an inside only cat due to location but we wanted to get him neutered incase he ever got lost, not to mention the adoption fee at the shelter was 50% refundable if we brought him back to get neutered for free.
Click to expand...

It can happen. It depends on the cat, really.

It's a good idea to spay or neuter all your pets, regardless of whether they'll be inside or outdoorsy.
 
B

BigEvilTurtle

Banned
Some cats act a bit different afterward, but not all. It's temporary, though. It's either a side effect of medication or, perhaps, the experience was "traumatizing" for the cat.

I wouldn't worry. :) Your cat will be fine afterward.
 
W

Whiskeymatt

Member
It happens sometimes, but I've never noticed too much of a difference. This is taken from practically growing up in a vet clinic as a child.
 
K

Kammie

Member
Mine became a lot more affectionate afterwards. I couldn't even pet him before, but a month after he was relatively docile by comparison.

He has a favorite pillow he likes to hump now. I laugh about it but I feel pretty guilty whenever I see him do it... my poor boy. :(
 
P

paul187

Member
My cat moped around for a good 3 weeks. Dude just layed on the floor lifeless. I actually stepped on him once by accident coming out of the bathroom. I felt so bad :(. He went back to normal soon after, but man just looking at how he was so lifeless made me feel like shit.
 
N

Nappuccino

Member
One of our cats got super pissy and angry for awhile.

But the other 3 were all more than fine. (but I think we got them neutered much sooner than 2 years)
 
H

Hightower

Banned
LuchaShaq said:
Me and my gf just adopted a 2 year old russian blue cat that is scheduled to be neutered next week.

Just our of curiosity do cats personalities change after neutering? Or should it have little affect since he's already 2 years old?

He's an inside only cat due to location but we wanted to get him neutered incase he ever got lost, not to mention the adoption fee at the shelter was 50% refundable if we brought him back to get neutered for free.
Click to expand...

How about you have someone take your balls off... I'm sure you'd act a little different too.
 
C

CountAntonius

Member
Funny-Cat52.jpg
 
P

Parch

Member
My cat had a huge personality change, and it was for the positive. He became much more fun, affectionate, and well-bahaved. He changed from being a snotty prick that always wanted to go out to acting like a playful kitten again.

I actually wondered if it was the same cat, but it was. The personality shift was that dramatic. There was no grumpy transition period either.
 
C

CheesecakeRecipe

Stormy Grey
My old cat from when I was younger got way more energized and a little angry after we got him neutered but he eventually mellowed out somewhat. Our new cat has been very affectionate even though he was neutered before we owned him so it's really on a cat by cat basis.
 
W

water_wendi

Water is not wet!
i know its the right thing to do do but i dont line neutering animals. Its like a lobotomy at the evolutionary physical level.
 
S

suzu

Member
I wouldn't be too worried about it. It shouldn't be a big change, if any. The benefits for the kitty outweigh any "downsides".
 
Z

Zibrahim

Member
This topic makes me wonder; why isn't it called castration?

You're essentially removing testicles and that's considered mutilation for humans so why is it acceptable for pets? I've never owned a cat or dog but the idea of that practice seems harsh to me.

Also, is there a version of vasectomy for dogs/cats?
 
G

GavinGT

Banned
Zibrahim said:
This topic makes me wonder; why isn't it called castration?

You're essentially removing testicles and that's considered mutilation for humans so why is it acceptable for pets? I've never owned a cat or dog but the idea of that practice seems harsh to me.

Also, is there a version of vasectomy for dogs/cats?
Click to expand...

Why don't we call pet ownership "slavery"?
 
E

Extra Sauce

Member
Sorry to be a bummer, but my female cat was not only never the same after being neutered, but she started hissing and often attacking every stranger that entered our house. Eventually she started being aggressive toward even us. Without going into too much depressing details, it didn't end well.
 
Z

zoukka

Member
paul187 said:
My cat moped around for a good 3 weeks. Dude just layed on the floor lifeless. I actually stepped on him once by accident coming out of the bathroom. I felt so bad :(. He went back to normal soon after, but man just looking at how he was so lifeless made me feel like shit.
Click to expand...

Hey man you only cut off his balls.
 
V

victreeb3l

Member
my cat became a lot more vocal after he got neutered. before he would be very quiet all the time but since hes been neutered for about 2-3 years, he doesnt hesitate to tell us whats on his mind.
 
G

GoldenEye 007

Member
GavinGT said:
Why don't we call pet ownership "slavery"?
Click to expand...

They're not humans, of course.

Buuuut a lot of pet owners consider pets part of the family and treat them as humans and would mourn them like humans too. So.... there is some actions on part of the owners that would lead one to believe they are considering them humans too!
 
E

eucharis

Member
Wow two years that's pretty old. I think the oldest male cat we got neutered was about 1 year (we have/had two male cats). The first one I think was upset and when he came home full of drugs he kept running around all crazy when he wasn't suppose to and his balls started bleeding (it was so sad and he was so hyper...). But I don't think their moods changed at all they were a little nasty for a couple weeks but they went back to normal after they healed. We had another stray male cat neutered and he acted exactly the same afterwards. Out of three male cats that we got neutered they acted completely the same after they healed. They were all little lazy brats if that would have changed anything though.
 
Freshmaker

Freshmaker

I am Korean.
LuchaShaq said:
Me and my gf just adopted a 2 year old russian blue cat that is scheduled to be neutered next week.

Just our of curiosity do cats personalities change after neutering? Or should it have little affect since he's already 2 years old?

He's an inside only cat due to location but we wanted to get him neutered incase he ever got lost, not to mention the adoption fee at the shelter was 50% refundable if we brought him back to get neutered for free.
Click to expand...

He wont wander off and get into fights.

Also less urine sprays on your dresser etc.
 
D

Dali

Member
Zibrahim said:
This topic makes me wonder; why isn't it called castration?

You're essentially removing testicles and that's considered mutilation for humans so why is it acceptable for pets? I've never owned a cat or dog but the idea of that practice seems harsh to me.

Also, is there a version of vasectomy for dogs/cats?
Click to expand...
Hey if I could have some humans fixed I would too. I don't discriminate.
 
Y

youngwerther

Banned
Oh yeah, big time.

My cat used to be a total badass, in fact he was so wild he wasn't even really a pet. We hardly ever saw him, he would just come out the woods from time to time when we were grilling out back, get something from the grill, and leave again.
Everytime we saw him he had like, mud, patches of fur, half an ear missing, you name it.

When we got him fixed he changed into a total pussy. Afraid of everything, running away from everyone, getting beat up by all the other cats, it was night and day.

He still hunted a lot though even after he got fixed, but was totally skittish around everything else.
 
E

Eusis

Member
I think it might be important to point out ages here. We've had two cats, male and female, fixed that ultimately didn't really change much far as I could tell, but they were both about 6 months old when it happened. It does make me wonder if the older they are the more violently they react to it (and possibly if the operation had any issues).
 
shogunduk

shogunduk

Member
It happened to my rabbit. He came back with much less energy and a general air of laziness. Probably depression.
 
M

mugurumakensei

Member
Well, for a male cat or any animal really, the aggressiveness and hyperactive behavior that comes with testerone goes away. Basically, it mellows out.
 
NekoFever

NekoFever

Member
Zibrahim said:
This topic makes me wonder; why isn't it called castration?
Click to expand...
It is. But you can only castrate a male, whereas neuter is the gender-neutral term. Females are spayed.

I've had several male cats and had them all neutered. They get calmer, more friendly and less aggressive and territorial, plus it's healthier if you're not intending to breed from them - no creating unwanted kittens somewhere and one less thing to go wrong health-wise.
 
E

Eric C

Member
It depends how old the cat is?

Is it spraying or marking it's territory?

If so neutering now might only reduce that behavior not stop it. Neutering didn't stop the male cat I had when I was a child from spraying to mark it's territory after it already learned the habit.

My male cat I have now was neutered when it was still a kitten and has never sprayed. Since it was done when he was still a kitten, before I guess cat puberty, his personality didn't really change either.

Zibrahim said:
Also, is there a version of vasectomy for dogs/cats?
Click to expand...

Yes.

Vet Patty Khuly has written about it.

Tubal ligations and vasectomies for dogs?

Vasectomy instead of neuter? (for your dog)

Why Tubal Ligations and Vasectomies for Pets Can Be Like Pulling Teeth (And What YOU Can Do About It)

I've also heard stories about cat breeders that keep males with vasectomies around to satisfy the females without risking pregnancy everytime the female goes into heat.

I have no idea where you'd actually find a vet that does that procedure.

Be prepared to deal with cat spray, roaming, and fighting still.
 
RoadHazard

RoadHazard

Gold Member
My cats (one male, one female) barely changed at all. Maybe they stopped going into hyperactive play mode quite as much, but that could just be them growing up. They still go crazy every now and then, and they mostly act just like they did before.
 
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