Should I neuter my cat?

[Jenni]

Train a cat??

You don't train a cat. They train you.

[AndrewLewis]

Train a cat??

You can absolutely train a cat. They can be taught to do lots of things. You just need the right incentive.

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

I don't know about the urine marking which I would also not want in my house, but the aggressive behavior argument is the same one as the dog. If you exercise the animal enough and train it to behave, it will. If you had a son who was overly aggressive, you wouldn't cut his balls off to curtail that behavior. I'm not saying you shouldn't castrate your male cat. I just think the "aggressive behavior" argument is a poor one.

[stef]

the "aggressive behavior" argument is a poor one.

Especially since it doesn't work.

[Mark Rippetoe]

If your cat (or dog) is an asshole, if you chop his nuts off you have an asshole with no nuts. This bullshit about castration modifying behavior is merely wishful thinking on the part of animal rescue lesbian feminists, or more probably their projection for the human race.

[Jdcuth]

If you had a son who was overly aggressive, you wouldn't cut his balls off to curtail that behavior.

No, but it is a useful threat…..

[Stump]

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.

They all do it. No, that part is not trainable.

And they'll go off "spreading their seed" or on a "love crusade" or whatever the hell you want to call it. Then come home after they get their ass beat and otherwise shredded up and... big ol' honkin' vet bill (if you opt not to shoot it).

Farm/barn cat? Entirely different scenario. They're wild animals. As they should be. If you want to throw it a blanket in an empty stall and put some kibble out to keep it around, fine.

[SmokeyStrong]

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.

Sorry about your loss. Rest In Peace

[KeithI]

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.

Shooting feral cats was encouraged in the literature that came with your hunting license in Texas 25 or 30 years ago. Pretty sure other states also encouraged it.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Feral cats are a problem everywhere they exist. Crazy woman across the street from the gym used to feed them, which is illegal, but she thought she was doing the right thing. I used to trap them and move them out to the country west of town. Then she moved, and they disappeared, which is better.

[ColeTrain]

Train a cat??

It is possible to train a cat (at least certain breeds), it's just significantly more difficult and time consuming than training dogs. Despite common perception, cats are actually much less intelligent than dogs are