[CatManDo]

Hey everyone,

The last couple of nights my cat has been acting very strangely. He's an "intact" tom, and oddly enough he hardly ever wanders much further than the courtyard in front of the house. He usually just goes out for an hour or so, comes back in and goes to sleep.
Since Friday night, though, he's been a right pain in the arse, demanding to be let out, staying out for a long time and then demanding to be let out again. He usually meows only rarely, but these last few nights he simply will not shut the heck up. He sits by the door meowing loudly on average once every two seconds and threatening to pee all over the place if he is not released at once. I'm reluctantly letting him have his way, but I noticed him wandering quite a way up the road, much further than he usually patrols.

I'm guessing that there's some horny female cat on heat in the area, but I dislike letting him out to have his way, both because of the risk he is putting himself at and the issue of unwanted kittens for some unsuspecting family. Unfortunately I simply cannot keep him in without him keeping me up all night with his mewling and making the house smell like a urinal with his spray.

I know that neutering is undoubtedly the best answer, and I suppose he should have been "fixed" when we first got him - it's just something we meant to do but never got round to doing, and since he was usually so well-behaved we eventually decided just to grant him the luxury of inact testicles.

Given his current state I am rapidly reconsidering this philosophy and may well have him done within the next month.
Anyway, my question is this: Is there any way to make him shut up for the time being? I've tried food, catnip, playing with him, and just about everything short of a tranquiliser dart. I don't like him being out for so long (he dosen't usually wander very far) and am getting quite worried for his safety. How long do female cats stay on heat for, anyway? Is there anything I can do? I bloody well hope he's not like this for too long.

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[queen of the nile]

Please get your cat neutered, for all you know he may already have created dozens of unwanted kittens. I know that you would not want the burden of their deaths on your hands, when they cannot all be adopted out. I remember a really sad poster in a small S.P.C.A. that showed a basket full of 8 beautiful kittens. It read, "Pick one and kiss the rest goodbye." It is unfortunate, but it is a reality that so many cats remain without homes and have to be put down.

About the spraying and urinating in the house, since this is a recent occurence, you should take him to the vet. Any behavioural change such as this requires a professional to assess what is going on. As for when the female comes out of heat - as soon as your cat gets her pregnant! I hate to pester you about this but I hope that you realize how irresponsible not neutering your cat is. Please get a hold of your vet ASAP, this will hopefully solve the behavioural problems and the unwanted kitten problem at the same time.

 

[Aonir]

I know that neutering is undoubtedly the best answer, and I suppose he should have been "fixed" when we first got him - it's just something we meant to do but never got round to doing, and since he was usually so well-behaved we eventually decided just to grant him the luxury of inact testicles.

Given his current state I am rapidly reconsidering this philosophy and may well have him done within the next month.

OOkk... Big NO-NO right there. I don't want you to double think about neutering your cat. You know that it should be done, and you also should know that the female cat is more than likely already pregnant. There isn't anything you can do to stop your male cats raging horomones.. There is some products you can spray over the 'marked' areas, but I can't think of any names right now.

Also, I highly suggest that your cat goes out on a harness, it's very dangerous for any animal/pet to be let loose without supervision. Having lost lots of pets from being hit by a car (and note, I lived in the country), and had 2 cats come home badly injured. One had to have his leg amputated, the other came home without her tail. There is lots of sad 'tails' out there and I hope you bring them to heart.. Not to mention that your kitty hanging out with 'strange' cats can give him a disease.

Am I to paranoid? lol

Anyway, I'm expecting to here a neutering date from you..!

 

[CatManDo]

Yeah I know, but like I say he's usually so well-behaved - he's never done anything like this before in all the five years we have had him (most people comment that he is more well-behaved than their neutered cats). He hardly ever wandered futher than the front yard, never once got into any fights, rarely stayed out for over an hour and hardly ever soiled the house, even as a kitten. There just didn't seem much need to have him "done", until now (looks like he's discovered his "wild side", eh?)
I'll be taking him in soon, but until then does anyone have any tips?
Cheers

 

[Zalensia]

it may be posible this behavour has only started because there was either no female cats in your area (unlikely) or that the ones which were had been spayed, now there is either a un-spayed stray, or someone's unspayed cat. either way it is likely your cat is mating them, and as said above it is going to mean more kittens, who may not have a home, end up being put down etc etc.

Get him done please

 

[Cooie]

Either that or in the last five years all the other in-heat females lived close enough to be serviced in the hour that he stayed away from home.

By the way, he is spraying and peeing because he is an unneutered tom. Unfortunately for you, this behavior almost NEVER goes away once it's started when the reason for the behavior is solely because of hormones (as opposed to stress or territorial marking). Once it has started, even neutering usually doesn't stop it.

It is absolutely impossible that your cat, or rather YOU, has not been responsible for several litters of unwanted and subsequently killed or euthanized cats.

So, sorry, no tips here. You don't really want to hear my "tip" and it may get me thrown off the board.

 

[Jeanie]

Those who have posted are absolutely right--with no question about it. Sadly, they're right about the kittens. How tragic. We've all made mistakes, but please have him neutrered right away. You can't bring back all the kittens that have been wandered or put to sleep, but you can certainly prevent it from happening again!