Should I neuter my cat?

[Brendan Korpiel]

Hey Rip,

I remember watching one of the podcasts where you said you wouldn’t neuter your dog (if you had one, and I don’t know if you do) because you are a responsible dog owner who can control your dogs actions, and see no reason to mess up their hormones.

I, on the other hand, recently adopted a male kitten. I was wondering your opinions on neutering a cat rather than a dog.

I have heard that it decreases aggressive behavior, eliminates spray or urine marking (big one). I haven’t really heard any negatives of neutering.

What are your opinions on this?

[Mark Rippetoe]

I'm not a fan of cats. Consider euthanasia instead of castration.

[anticausal]

You haven't heard any of the negatives because your cat doesn't speak English.

[skid]

I'm not a fan of cats. Consider euthanasia instead of castration.

You must not have mice. Our cat kills a mouse almost every day and leaves the gut pile on our porch to let us know he has been busy. Our dogs keep the bears and coyotes away (we live on a farm). Love them both!

[Lost and Found]

The push for neutering of male puppies promoted by shelters, pounds and the "Humane" Society in the 1990's for the sake of "population control" resulted in a veterinary industry of ACL repairs on adult male dogs. This is a secondary effect of the hormone imbalance Rip mentioned when the neutering occurs before the dog is mature. I don't know if cats have the same problems other than the marking mentioned. I've got an old neutered mouse-killing tom that has shown no side effects. The downside of any outdoor cats is their destruction of native songbirds and other wildlife.

[Jason Donaldson]

The downside of any outdoor cats is their destruction of native songbirds and other wildlife.

Here in Wisconsin several years ago, a member of the State legislature proposed legalizing the hunting of feral cats under a small game license. Said rep cited a UW study on estimates of songbird kills per annum by feral cats as support.

The author of the study got nastygrams, hostile voice mails, and even death threats, as I recall, and went to the press to point out that A) he had nothing to do with the hunting proposal, B) his study was years prior, and not commissioned for the proposal, C) he didn't support the hunting of feral cats, and D) furthermore, his study also pointed out that songbird reproduction is very responsive to predation and other pressures, hence songbird populations were essentially unaffected by the cats' hunting.

The proposal never passed. It was an amusing issue, though.

[heinz83]

Here in Wisconsin several years ago, a member of the State legislature proposed legalizing the hunting of feral cats under a small game license. Said rep cited a UW study on estimates of songbird kills per annum by feral cats as support.

The author of the study got nastygrams, hostile voice mails, and even death threats, as I recall, and went to the press to point out that A) he had nothing to do with the hunting proposal, B) his study was years prior, and not commissioned for the proposal, C) he didn't support the hunting of feral cats, and D) furthermore, his study also pointed out that songbird reproduction is very responsive to predation and other pressures, hence songbird populations were essentially unaffected by the cats' hunting.

The proposal never passed. It was an amusing issue, though.

Maybe just focus on fixing the potholes now.

[Jason Donaldson]

Maybe just focus on fixing the potholes now.

It's a toss up whether the potholes will be fixed first or the stupid politics will stop first. I suspect it'll be the potholes...but that's just a case of "never" vs. "never ever".

At least the weather is a major factor for the potholes. There's no such excuse for the politics.

[gadders]

Our male cat just died at 11. He was a good cat. Made friends with our cockerpoo pup when we brought him home. Killed lots of mice (amongst other animals). I still miss him.

He was neutered as a condition of his adoption. The big thing thing that you mentioned that would want to make me neuter a male cat is spraying. I don't know if they all do it or whether it's trainable.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I don't know if they all do it or whether it's trainable.

Train a cat??