Neuter or not?

Im sorry ladymarissa, if I thought that were so I certainly would, but I dont understand what you mean. Can you explain why it might save his life?

Unneutered Tomcats tend to do stupid things like... (1) Roaming & darting in front of cars increasing chances of being run over. Once fixed they tend to hang close to their food & not in the way of a car. (2) Fighting other Toms in order to get to a female in heat. Once fixed it Removes the desire which removes the temptation. Hope this helps!!!

Thanks for the clarification, I am being swung toward doing it, its the car thing that worries me most.

It will have to wait a couple of weeks as, the main reason not to do it now is that it costs 50€ and I can only just afford to feed us all at the moment, not even sure where next months rent is gonna come from yet - it certainly wont be from contributing to myLot discussions. lol Thanks for your, ever sensible, input.

Thanks for your comments. I think when he lived on that wall he was catawauling, but didnt get any responses, so he gave up ha ha.

Thanks for that, he will do well, so long as he stays within the grounds of the property I live in. Unwanted kittens I may never know about is something I find totally unacceptable, I think all the arguments here have been toward going ahead. I think I just might do that.

Please do. He will be happier and healthier. It doesn't even require thought; it's the right thing to do.

I have never said it before, as I always believed it to be absolutely right to neuter, every time. But you have voiced my biggest fear in doing so. I dont want to change his character for the worst, as he has only just become friendly. Thanks for your input, I appreciate it.

I was worried about it changing his character as he has only just become a friendly cat. However, I have always been an advocate of neutering and spaying and have never kept a cat that wasn't. But in this country, things seem to be a bit different. Im not sure. Still considering it. Thanks for your input.

Well i hope it works out well for you whatever you decide! xxx

There are a lot of feral cats here in Spain, but I live in 3000sq feet of fenced in orange grove and he never wanders outside of that, and Ive never had a feral come into the grounds, although thats not to say it wont happen, and the last thing I need is a litter of unwanted kittens in the grounds, its just not acceptable to be the instigator of unwanted animals. Still undecided though. Thanks for your response.

As explained in the comment above, it will have to wait anyway. Right now he lives in my kitchen and only goes out into the walled courtyard to relieve himself, he seems really happy to just stay put for the moment. Thanks for your response.

Not sure of his age, I sort of inherited him, it seems to be normal here in Spain for cats and dogs to be passed from pillar to post. He seems fairly well established age wise, judging by his "bits" and his teeth and he doesnt spray of foul and is totally attached to the house. Still not sure, thanks for your response.

Oh he's not the first, since moving to Spain I have rescued and rehomed 40+ animals, both cats and dogs and I have always had them neutered before they get moved on - or stay with me which is eight of them now. Thanks for your response.

I'm glad you did the right thing. It doesn't matter why as long has he got snipped. You are now in the ranks of responsible pet people.

For the final conclusion to this tale, go to this discussion, I am sure you will approve. http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1883091.aspx Thanks for responding, I totally agree.

He lives in the kitchen now, eats there, sleeps there and fusses with the dogs there. But he doesnt spray, never has. Maybe he doesnt know he is a male. He gets on with the other male (although this one is neutered) and all my other animals, I think he is just a very insecure cat, hes not a feral, he came from another home. Sorry that all sounds like rambling, just thinking out loud and putting a picture together. Thanks very much for commenting.

Yes, you are right about the unwanted kittens, there are hundreds of feral cats in Spain. There is a society (Engligh and German people) who go round neutering the males to try to slow down the problem. They cut a little chunk off the end of their ears when they have done the procedure, then put them back in the wild. This is to show others that they have already been done. Thankd for your response.

Thats probably the most sensible way to handle, take it as it comes and do it when the time is right. Thanks for your response.

Thank you for the best response, it came at a perfect time as I had a really tough week last week. Best responses to me are like blue ribbons, I look at them and feel better about myself and outside problems. Thank you! I am a huge proponent of spaying and neutering. I usually don't let a dog or cat go by without getting them de-sexed. But every once in a while there is a exception to the rule, and Ralphie and Zippy are those exceptions. Dealing with reformed feral cats is always difficult. I agree totally with waiting and seeing how he does. If it comes to pass that a queen comes into the area you will need to deal with the situation. But you feel the same way I do about Ralphie. I don't want to violate his trust by thrusting him in a cage, hauling him to a strange person and having him go through the surgery. When you gain his total trust then think about it. I measure a lot of the trust by if he will let me pick him up and hold him. Right now he wouldn't trust me that far. Besides the fact that as old as Ralphie is it would be like giving a 190 year old man a vasectomy! (LOL) I realize Ralphie could still father kittens, but we haven't had the dumping problem here like we used to. The last stray (Max) was already neutered and found a family with an older couple that are a bit cantankerous but they both just adore the idiot. Max loves to ride on golf carts (the complex I live in has golf carts for transportation rather than driving on the 40 acres)and he has ridden around the area on the roof of my car. Anyhow the couple treat Max like a king and the wife goes out and brushes Max daily and the husband buys special treats for the cat. (I would love to be Max, treats include fresh salmon, trout, shredded beef, specially cooked chicken and they even made him a Thanksgiving plate of turkey, mashed potatoes-Max loves mashed 'taters- gravy and even a 1/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie filling with a huge blob of whipped cream!!!) I guess the best thing to figure is "if it ain't broke don't fix it", but if it comes to pass that there is the possibility of having a queen in the area then you will need to do the neuter thing. I had to have my Flame Point Siamese kittens neutered because they were spraying constantly and I just couldn't keep up with the cleaning. They are both more loving and calm kids...but they weren't resocialized cats. Just enjoy Zippy and believe it or not you will know when the time is right, if ever, to get him neutered.

I havent responded to this before as I felt it deserved reading through a couple of times, as you put so much effort into it. I am afraid I feel like you do, I even walk round the 3000sqft of grounds with the dogs and Zippy stays by the house, although my other neutered male walks with us. I am afraid that if I do have this done, he may make a dash for it and Ill never see him again. I am still undecided but I really appreciate what you set out to say. I think I will leave it for now, see what happens, if he gets real close and trusting, or if I start hearing females around, I will consider doing something then. Thanks for your lengthy input.

Trapping ferals is fine, and when you put them back, they can run away, but I dont want Zippy to do that. We will see. And I agree with what you are doing, it is the right thing in those circumstances, there are groups of foreigners here (English and Germans in Spain) who capture, neuter and spay ferals and return them to the wild, its a good thing. Keep up the good work and thanks very much for responding.

No, not planning on breeding him, he cute, but not THAT cute. I have always spayed and neutered, I dont know what it is about this one thats making me doubt. Thanks for your input.