# "Blacky" is getting Hyper



## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

Hello Everyone, 
My tom-kitten Blacky is about 9 months now. From the day he was brought home, he has been so calm, timid, playful, and responsive. But unfortunately, he has been changing from about one week. Recently:

1- He is becoming a bit of aggressive. He suddenly bites my fingers, bite my toes, scratches my thighs, and tear my socks.

2- He gets all fussy out of the blue for no apparent reason. He moves around himself, turns to his tail and bites it, fly from a sofa to another, springs the room in a high speed, and jumps around and in circles. It is as if he is seeing ghosts.

3- He has started to moan a little bit. From day 1, I have never heard his voice. But now e often walks around and gives a low moaning sound for a very short period of time. I check his food, water, and litter but they would be all in a good condition.

4- He is playing around with the water pots I put for him. I often return home to find them moved from their places and much much often they are turned over and the water would flood the place. 

5- He is moving his food platters as well. He scatters food on the ground in a very messy way. Although this makes me completely mad but I do not express my anger on him. I rather ignore him and clean the mess. 

6- Last but not least, and this is driving me crazzzzzzzy: he would jump in his litter and starts digging madly in it with his hands and does not rest until about quarter of the litter's content is out of the litter!!!! I am constantly cleaning after it, but it is something unbearable.

N.B. 
We live in an apartment, first floor. Blacky has no access to the outside world. He stays indoors, and he has been too comfortable since brought in. Sometimes, in my presence, I open the balcony for him, he jumps outside but then all the enthusiasm would cease out and he would sit still as if expecting visitors until he gets himself inside again. 

So, what is with my little Blacky? 
- Is he growing up? Is this bhavior normal with getting to maturity?
- Is he getting in heat? *((He is not neutered.)) *But even so, do all these aforementioned problem occur in that case?
- Is it food? I have moved it from Kitten to Adult lately, and trying Wet food after been accustomed to only dry. 
- Is it something outside? Inside? 

Please help. Thank you in advance.


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

Blacky needs to be neutered. It might not solve all these issues, but I think it will go a long way to making him a calmer cat.


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## NBrazil (May 16, 2013)

Sounds like your boy is grown up - he's feeling his hormones and it will only get worse unless or until he is neutered. At some point it becomes too late to stop the behavior as they become ingrained habits (meaning a male neutered after mating may continue to try and mate/spray, etc.).

Once you rule out any other help issues (vet), unless you LIKE these behaviors, you need to have him neutered ASAP.

If nothing else, (i.e. taking out the irresistible urge to mate), hormones will energize him, driving him to express all that energy in anyway he can. He isn't being bad, he is being a cat - a confined male just acting out as a result of changes in his body. A temporary "fix" (no pun intended), is to take out a wand toy and play HARD (i.e. to exhaustion) every day with him - 30 minutes, or likely much more).

BTW, males don't come into heat, they are always "ON."


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## NBrazil (May 16, 2013)

Urge.... too late to edit....

Once your rule out any HEALTH issues...


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## tezster (Jun 4, 2013)

I echo the recommendation to get Blacky neutered


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

Thank you friends for your answers. 

*Heather: I have been researching about the advantages and disadvantages of neutering and I am feeling it would be a big mistake to do such a thing for my cat. It may be good to me, but not to him. 

*NBrazil: Thank you for the helpful information. He is checked out and turned to be clean and normal. I did not know that male cats are always ON!! I guess this is a problem.. especially, since we live on the first floor, some cats (I do not know their gender) may visit our balcony!! 

*Tezster: Thank you for your reply... but I prefer to find a different solution.


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

I have just read in an article that Cats sometimes become edgy and twitchy when they are *BORED!* 
Is it true?!


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## cat face (Apr 4, 2013)

gurujad said:


> Is it true?!


Entirely!


BUT, I still agree with everyone else here. Get him fixed!


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## cat face (Apr 4, 2013)

I just noticed your reply above. 
First, I feel "edgy and twitchy" are a far cry from "aggressive and driven to mate"

Those cats that visit your balcony are not coming to be friends.  If they are female, they are looking to mate but that is not as likely as it is probably other males that want to work out territories. 
Your cat *will* work VERY hard to find a way outside when his hormones have driven him mad, enough.
He will also start scenting your apartment once he finds out what other male cats are going to be like around him. 
When, _not if_ but *when*, he does get outside, expect him to come back with a few battle scars, some missing fur and whatever other injuries they get, in fights. He WILL have to fight in order to be able to mate. There are always other males that want the same thing he wants.

I understand you feel it isn't going to be good for him, but I promise you, unless you are right up to date with all of his injections, he is going to be subjected to every nasty disease out there when he gets opened up with scratches, from a fight.

Just something to think about.


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## Darkaine (Feb 18, 2014)

Most of the behavior sounds pretty typical to me, our kitty drags his water all over the place still to this day at age 13 and will do the same with food from time to time. We did buy a bigger water dish with a container on the back that makes it a bit harder for him to move at least. Until Bear got sick he would periodically just run into a room let out a loud meow and attack something just to get attention and that was at age 12 to 13 so imagine what a kitten would feel like doing.

Our kitty has always been an indoor one and has no interest in going outside either so I don't think you have much to worry about. I would as others have said reconsider the neutering though. You will be dealing with messes and other things from it and while he may be uncomfortable for a little while he'll be happier in the long run. I will say with ours when he was neutered we had to put him in a cage when we got home because he was trying to play and run up and down stairs within a few hours.


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## CatMonkeys (Sep 27, 2012)

As others said, definitely get him neutered ASAP.

You didn't mention if you play with him- do you have any interactive play sessions? That can really help to burn off some of his extra kitten energy. My 2 cats are about 1.5 years old now and have calmed down a little bit, but when they were about Blacky's age, they were always zooming around the house acting crazy. I found that playing with them for 15-20 mins in the morning and evening helped. I'm not sure what you have for cat toy options in Lebanon, but my two really enjoy laser pointers, dangling fishing rod-type toys, and I just bought something called the Cat Dancer they absolutely love (it's basically a thin wire with cardboard bits on the end, but when you move it, it bounces around kind of like a bug, more randomly than me dangling a string Amazon.com: Cat Dancer 101 Cat Dancer Interactive Cat Toy: Pet Supplies).


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## zuma (Nov 5, 2009)

I second everyone else on the neutering. I do understand not wanting to get your cat snipped when he's indoor only, but please do some reading, it's not as simple as it may appear. Apart from all behaviour reasons, can you imagine feeling a very strong urge to mate and no chance of release? He will turn destructive in a small apartment and I don't think it's entirely fair to him. I understand that believe systems are different, but I strongly urge you to do some reading and inform yourself. 


Sent from Petguide.com App


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## Mandy and Ellie (Oct 22, 2013)

I see no other option but to get him neutered to resolve these behaviors before they get worse. It is MUCH more aggravating to the cat to NOT be neutered - he is feeling immense urges of hormones and wants to release them by mating, but isn't able to so it makes them get wild. And believe me - even if he is indoors only, he can smell the marks of cats outside of the home within a certain vicinity and will start marking alongside the inside of your home - which will encourage stray cats to mark along the outside. Not a pleasant smelling situation and the scents will just make him crazier. I've known of un-neutered cats who will physically harm themselves or destroy the home because they want to get out of the house to those other cats so badly.

We didn't get our male Pomeranian fixed until he was two years old because we considered having him father a litter. He had many bad behaviors - marking, going crazy after female dogs, etc. - and they ALL resolved after we got him neutered. He is perfectly behaved now. But we waited much too late and got lucky, many animals will keep the bad behaviors because they become learned.

I understand why you may not want to get him neutered. But it is such an easy and noninvasive surgery. My male Pomeranian didn't even know he had surgery, he was back to normal the second he woke up. 

Getting your kitty a quick neuter will be MUCH less painful than a life full of frustrating hormones that will make him miserable and determined to escape and mate, at the expense of the furniture and scent of your home.

There are also health conditions such as cancers that can arise later in life due to not getting animals spayed or neutered.


"If you’re under the impression that keeping your male cat intact is the kinder choice, you are dooming your cat to a life of frustration and being at the mercy of hormones. Intact male cats will spray. They will be on a mission to roam, increase their territory, find a mate and fight competitors. If your cat is an indoor kitty then that behavior will be directed at companion cats or even people. The spraying will be directed at your furniture and belongings."


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

*Cat Face: We have been hearing lately a lot of cats meowing outside. Probably it is as you have described as Defending his Territory. But he is still young and not much accustomed to go out. Yesterday, I took him out, he pushed himself down the floor of the balcony and decided not to move a pace as if he is sending me a message of refusal. I took him back in where he feels more comfortable. 
Thank you for your comment. Your advice will be taken into consideration. 

* Darkaine: Thank you for sharing your experience with your cat. He is left alone quiet a while during the day when I am at work, so probably he is playing around. I have decided to bring him more toys to sort the Boredom thing out. And about the neutering thing, I am thinking about seriously if it turns out to be the only solution avail.


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

*CatMonkeys: Frankly, I do not play with Blacky as needed. Lately, I have been working a lot and come home to cook and rest. You are right to light on this issue. I will pay attention more to dedicate some quality time with him... and now it struck me that often when I play with him much, he runs afterwards to drink and eat happily!! As if his appetite opens up ! Thank you for your advice.


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

*Zuma: Glad you shared me your advice. 
You are very right about the issue of destroying the house. It has been a recurrent issue. But hopefully all of this will stop soon.


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

*Mandy and Ellie: 
Your comment is very logical and convincing. But I have read somewhere that it is not good to neuter before age 1 as the Loss of testosterone as a result of desexing may result in delayed growth plate closure:
Animals that have been desexed early in life (before the age of 12 months) tend to exhibit delayed closure of their growth plates. Growth plates are the cartilage bands located in the ends of the animal's long bones, which are responsible for making the bones grow and elongate during juvenile bone development and formation. As a result of delayed growth plate closure, desexed animals will often be taller and longer in limb than entire male animals.Whether this increase in growth plate closure time or bone length should be considered a problem or benefit really depends on the individual owner, but some people choose not to desex animals early because of it (i.e. there is a concern that these animals may be more prone to orthopedic injuries).

Any idea about this?!


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## NBrazil (May 16, 2013)

gurujad said:


> *Mandy and Ellie:
> Your comment is very logical and convincing. But I have read somewhere that it is not good to neuter before age 1 as the Loss of testosterone as a result of desexing may result in delayed growth plate closure:
> Animals that have been desexed early in life (before the age of 12 months) tend to exhibit delayed closure of their growth plates. Growth plates are the cartilage bands located in the ends of the animal's long bones, which are responsible for making the bones grow and elongate during juvenile bone development and formation. As a result of delayed growth plate closure, desexed animals will often be taller and longer in limb than entire male animals.Whether this increase in growth plate closure time or bone length should be considered a problem or benefit really depends on the individual owner, but some people choose not to desex animals early because of it (i.e. there is a concern that these animals may be more prone to orthopedic injuries).
> 
> Any idea about this?!


Interesting, never have heard of it, but it sounds reasonable. Male kittens neutered early (or certainly by 6 months, the most recommended date) never develop the "jowels" (widened face) of those who are allowed to mature. In addition, neither do they develop spines on their penis (which is speculated exist to scrape the female's vagina on withdrawal in order to trigger ovulation). One has to wonder how THAT affects the cat (that is, being neutered after sexual maturity), if it makes them more sensitive "down there" or may be why it is harder to break the habit of spraying? Who knows? I don't.

Whether or not the bone plate changes are harmful or not may be debatable. I've never heard of this issue. Keep in mind that neutering does not eliminate testosterone entirely (the adrenal glands make some). Perhaps it just delays the closure? But there always will be some.

What is certain is that nature will have its way with him... and you've already seen that (behavior changes). Again, if you can put up with it and you are not bothered by his discomfort... well, he is your responsibility.

I do feel heartened that you seem to be saying that you DO intend to have him neutered, just after a year. But if he is "mated," he may still seek to "do it" even after neutering (and the behaviors may stay too).


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

*NBrazil:
Thank you for your elaborated answer. 
You are right with what you have written. Apparently, the early castration do not allow male cats to develop secondary sex characteristics. These include a more muscular body, thickenings around the face called “shields,” and spines on their tool..

I would prefer to wait for him to become mature.


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Jasper wasn't neutered until he was 6-10 years old (we don't know how old is actually is but those were the age estimates from the vet, waiting until that age was not our choice, that's just when we found him) and I frankly do not see a difference in him comapred to any other regular looking cat... he may have had a more "tom" like face before getting neutered (or maybe he was just chubby... *shrugs*), but that's gone now.

While there may be a few pros to waiting for neutering until later, the fact is a cat spraying is habit forming and once it starts can be hard to impossible to stop... and it is NOT something most people can live with, it destroys a home -- believe me, I lived with a cat that sprayed for almost 18 years... all the carpets were torn out, all the drywall, clothes and bedding and furniture and books and ... everything, wrecked. The smell is horrendous and you don't want anyone over to your house; you don't even want to LIVE in your house it's so bad. To potentially enable this behavior by waiting for a mature cat, when most people get the procedure done as long as the cat is 2 months old and weighs 2 pounds with no consequences, is a really risky move and in my opinion jeopardizes his place in your home.


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## dseag2 (Nov 28, 2013)

We found our Milo under a dumpster at approx. 8 weeks of age. We took him for neutering immediately, and now... at 8 years old... he has the stocky, muscular body of a tom cat. And he has been sweet-tempered and mellow since the day we brought him into our home. He has earned the title, 
"The Best Cat Ever".

Our Toby, who is now 7 months old, was neutered when he was very young before we adopted him from a shelter and he still jumps in the plants and pulls out Spanish Moss and runs all over the place. He frequently yells throughout the house if we aren't around as if he is going through separation anxiety. This is "with" being neutered. I can only imagine what he would be like had he not been neutered. 

I would never consider having an inside male cat without neutering.


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

*Carmel: You have ignited fear in me!!!!! I do not want any smells in the house!!! 
My God!! 
This would be a living terror!!!!!


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

*dseag2: Well, Blacky has started scratching things around. I have 2 giant jars filled with bare, dry branches that I have decorated with toy-like pigeons... and he has the habit of jumping high to reach the birds-like, bringing them down, and tearing them up into pieces... when the birds were done, he moved to the dry branches that soon became twigs!!! 

Although I keep an eye on what he is doing, but it happens that I am away much of the day time. He has his own free time to please himself with destruction . The best thing in him is that when he does something naughty, he knows that... so, he plays the role of a peaceful cat.. and goes to his bed slowly and quietly, giving me that look with half-closed eyes!!


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

Good, you should be afraid. If it was ideal, I'm sure more people would wait for a mature cat, but when you add up the pros and cons, most of the adult unneutered behaviors are not ideal for an animal living in a house, so to stop any and all of those behaviors before they start is MUCH more important than worrying about potential bone structure ... it isn't going to cut life expectancy or anything just because he's neutered before he's mature; but if he gets in habits like spraying that you cannot correct then your only options are to live with what you created, euthanize him, or send him onto the street. Two out of three of those are outcomes involving an early death (street life is not easy), and the other involves allowing a cat to destroy your house.


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

*Carmel... 
Ever considered writing horror tales?! 
You have the style of Edgar Allan Poe!! 
Now, I am terrorized!!!! 

By the way, your Blacky is just like my Blacky!!!!!!!!


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

The concern of growth plates closing properly is really only a concern for large breed dogs. Ones that get over $100lbs. In the case of a cat it isnt an issue, TBH.

As far as those secondary sex characteristics... one if those is spraying urine. If you have cats outside near your home he is more likely to pick up the habit as well.

I agree that having him neutered will help long term, but its in no way a quick fix or even a solution for what you're experiencing now. Developmentally he is becoming an adult, were he on his own (wild) the extra energy would help him catch more prey - or at least make sure he could try more often. It would also help him escape from predators he might not see until theyre very close due to lack of experience. Unfortunately the end result is tgat he has bucketloads of energy and nothing to do with it. That happens even if they have been neutered.

Playing with him, providing good wrestling toys, and encouraging him to burn out that energy are the best ways to reduce the problem. Age is the only thing that will calm him down permanently...but neutering will help long term and may take the edge off once the hormones have tapered off.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

gurujad said:


> By the way, your Blacky is just like my Blacky!!!!!!!!


No, I think your Blacky has something Carmel's Blacky doesn't.......anymore.

:shock:


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

*Librarychick:
So, there is no Pragmatic Solution!!! The whole package should be done... right?! 
I guess that raising a pet is not as easy as everyone thinks! 
I will try my best to do what I need to do for Blacky. 
Thank you for sharing your advice. 


*Marie72:
LOL... Well, not yet alike... but I am being convinced to do what it takes for them to become similar .


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

marie73 said:


> No, I think your Blacky has something Carmel's Blacky doesn't.......anymore.
> 
> :shock:


You know you're tired when... your brain provides the first answer to that as "teeth?" :lol: My Blacky is female, too.  And like 15+ years old.


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

Carmel said:


> You know you're tired when... your brain provides the first answer to that as "teeth?" :lol: My Blacky is female, too.  And like 15+ years old.


Oh...cute girl! 
Mine is a male and about 9 months. 
Is she a Black cat or a Bombay cat?


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

gurujad said:


> *Librarychick:
> So, there is no Pragmatic Solution!!! The whole package should be done... right?!
> I guess that raising a pet is not as easy as everyone thinks!
> I will try my best to do what I need to do for Blacky.
> ...


In this case the solution is to just get him neutered. It will help...but it won't seem like it. It's sort of a catch 22.

I'm talking about full adult males here, so 1 1/2 years and up. (That's when you start seeing the differences...IME)

An unneutered male will have a sex drive, this translates to him having about double the energy of a neutered adult male. If you try to keep him entire you'll have to do twice as much work than if he is neutered. And he'll constantly try to escape, may scratch more (scent marking) may spray urine (scent marking) and may yowl at the windows if a female in heat is nearby.
None of that sounds like fun to me, lol.

A neutered male, will have comparatively less energy than if he had been left entire...the catch being that personality still plays a part and you can still have crazy energetic neutered males. Those ones would likely have been a LOT worse had they not been neutered.

The problem is that you can never know what sort of effect neutering, or not neutering, would have on a particular cat. You HAVE to pick one. So you will never know what might have happened had you taken the other choice.

The chances of an unneutered male spraying, scratching to mark, yowling, ect are MUCH higher than an unneutered male.

Neutering doesn't magically fix any problems, it prevents problems in the future. That's what I'm trying to say.


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## gurujad (Feb 21, 2014)

*LibraryChick:
Thank you for explaining back your idea. 
It is all clear in my head. 

Funny you mentioned the issue of "escape"!!!! 
He escaped from the house and stayed out for 3 weeks! I had to search the whole block for him... investigate... question people, guards, shop owners,.... until I found him! I do not think I can bare him escape another time! A not very pleasant memory!


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## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

I bet! I would have been terrified if any of my kitties had been gone that long!

I'm glad you found him


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