# how did neutering change your cat?



## vicereine (Jul 1, 2012)

I lost my cat at the beginning of the month, we still haven't found him and I've wanted to fill that void by adopting a second one. Well my dad bought me a cat last week, he loves bengals and he loves to breed his pets so when he saw an ad for an unneutered bengal he just HAD to get it and talked me into trying it out (I didn't want to get it, I was set on some cats I'd seen at the shelter the day before :/ ). So this cat meows constantly, and sometimes yowels like he's dying and it's very annoying...we've had to lock him in the bathroom at night to get some sleep. We found out from the previous owners (the ones before the guy we bought him from) that he was used for breeding, so I guess he is calling for females. Also while he does like to be pet, he won't stick around for more than 5 seconds, and he doesn't play. The cat I had before was a cuddle bug, he was almost always beside you and he played with toys...this cat is not what I want as a replacement 

One of the cats at the shelter I was interested in wasn't neutered yet and he was cuddly and playful, so I'm wondering how much neutering this one is really going to change him? I know what I want in a cat, which is why I prefer to adopt adult cats that are already fixed and everything. I don't know if I want to pay a load of money to have him neutered to find out we still don't want him...I know my boyfriend doesn't want to. By the way he is almost 2 years old.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

It may not matter, most shelters won't let the cat leave unless it is fixed. At the very least they will make you sign something promising that you will neuter it.

Also, if you don't neuter a male cat it IS going to start spraying in your house and he WILL try to escape to tom cat around. 

It won't make the kitten less friendly, and it's the responsible thing to do as a pet owner.


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## vicereine (Jul 1, 2012)

Yeah that cat was scheduled for surgery last monday, I didn't want it until it was neutered anyway...I'm just saying he was cuddly and playful at 2 years old, while still intact, so getting this cat here fixed, will it make him more of what we want or is his personality ingrained? I'd rather my dad takes him back if his personality isn't going to change, so I'm looking for other people's experiences.


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## Jacq (May 17, 2012)

If he's really a Bengal, I would return him and give the $1000 to the shelter 

But cheekiness aside, I think if he's 2 years old his personality's pretty concrete. I've never noticed a drastic change after s/n in any of my pets. He may mellow out a bit, but I doubt you'd make a cuddle bug of him (Bengels are not know for that, anyways).


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## kty78 (Mar 18, 2012)

I doubt if his personality will change, but I would definitely, absolutely, get him fixed. For sure. You or your dad don't want him spraying in the house and other unwanted behaviors that come with an unaltered cat. Male or female, they make much better house pets if they are fixed. I personally would get him fixed and if you decide you don't want him, give him back to your dad.... rather than leaving him intact and giving him back so he can breed. 

We had ours fixed at 6 months old. That's the earliest our vet would do it and I had the appointment lined up the week he turned 6 mos. I didn't want him spraying and running out the door to find females.


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## faithless (Dec 4, 2009)

bengals are beautiful, smart, talkative and lively cats. Unneutured is always going to be a disaster in a home, but perhaps this lil fellah is not what you need. But I would state emphatically that one needs to remember that he's a little guy with - literally - feelings, fears, pleasures, etc, and needs to be treated respectfully.


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## OSCARSMOM (Jul 6, 2012)

My first cat, Smokey, was about one year old when he chose me. (Long story, but he belonged to our neighbors who kept him in the basement until he started spraying and they just put him outside. He must have been terrified because he climbed a tree and was up there for three days. I stood at the bottom of the tree and talked to him every day and he finally came down for me. My neighbors gave him to me at that point.) So, not knowing anything about cats, I didn't get him neutered for a few months and he was marking in our house (only the basement even though he had access to the entire house.) After we had him neutered, the yowling stopped, the marking stopped AND he became more affectionate. He used to grab my hands and hug them to his head! So, in his case, the neutering did change his personality.

Hope this helps.


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## spotty cats (Sep 23, 2011)

First of all, not all males spray. There are plenty of breeding boys around who don't, nor do they try to escape the house (same with females in heat).

Obviously since you're not registered breeders you'll want to neuter this boy, most vets here give the retired studs a shot of 'girly hormones' to help curb any stud behaviours though it really doesn't sound like this boy has any issues.

Some Bengals are not cuddly, and this one may have been raised fairly hands off. The calling is very normal for an entire boy, and Bengal boys are pretty vocal. He may also be meowing as he's still settling in.

Sounds like the poor boy has been passed around to several homes, I hope you neuter him and have him as a loved pet in his forever home.


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## hal1 (Jul 16, 2011)

First off, these are only generalizations about Bengals. Though I sometimes think Bengal is broken...

They are know for being very vocal - mine is not.
They can be very strongly bonded to their person which may (but not necessarily) make re-homing difficult.

They are lot lap cats, though still like being around their person. Mine will only come to sit in my lap maybe twice a week, and only for about 3 minutes. He never sleeps with me but will sleep in the same room. He loves play, lets me pick him up, and even when I pester him he still hangs around since he loves the attention.

Mine came from a breeder and is absolutely wonderful, follows me around, and like a black Lab he is always ready to play anytime I want - but he is still just one year old.

It's one thing if you want to save him. But if you're looking for a loving pet for you I would definitely pass on this one. I can't see him changing much.


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