mroddy@enmasse.UUCP (Mark Roddy) (04/09/85)
[unneccessary but very net-hip bug feeder] > Neutering should help, though not immediately. The old behaviors > hang on for a bit. Uh, I don't think so. Once your tom starts marking his territory, he will do this no matter how many of his balls you cut off. It is rumored that if you clip the poor critter before he starts doing his thing, he never will. I get the feeling that the neuter first ask questions later folks don't understand that some people might actually want to breed their pets. -- Mark Roddy Net working, Just reading the news. (harvard!talcott!panda!enmasse!mroddy)
bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron Howes) (04/10/85)
In article <389@enmasse.UUCP> mroddy@enmasse.UUCP (Mark Roddy) writes: >[unneccessary but very net-hip bug feeder] > >> Neutering should help, though not immediately. The old behaviors >> hang on for a bit. > >Uh, I don't think so. Once your tom starts marking his territory, he >will do this no matter how many of his balls you cut off. It is rumored >that if you clip the poor critter before he starts doing his thing, he >never will. That simply isn't correct. The spraying behavior hangs on for a bit, as I said, but it does eventually go away. I have had more than one tom neutered and have had many friends with neutered toms. Unless the litter box is unclean (mea culpa on occasion) there is seldom a problem with random urination if the cat is healthy. Even immediately after neutering, the spraying is considerably less noxious because of the reduced pherome content. >I get the feeling that the neuter first ask questions later folks don't >understand that some people might actually want to breed their pets. What does this have to do with unwanted urination? I have some very definite ideas on breeding cats. First, the cat should either be of a known breed or if trying for a transient breed (like Himalaya) have been chosen of good breeding stock. Second, cats for breeding should not be allowed to run loose. Good breeders have kennels and runs so that their stock doesn't get out and mate with the neighborhood alleys. It is up to every cat owner, whether they want to breed their animals or not, to keep the current overpopulation of kittens down as much as possible. -- Byron C. Howes ...!{decvax,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!bch
wb@hou4a.UUCP (W.Baumgartner) (04/11/85)
In reading some of the replys to the "spraying problem" article, it sounds like there is some confusion about the difference between a male cat marking his territory by spraying and "random" urination. It has always been my understanding that the two events are not the same thing. 1. Urination in strange places (bed, rug, outside litter box) is a signal that something is bothering him either emotionally or physically. This can happen if he is altered or not. 2. "Spraying" is accompolished by the use of special glands located on either side of the anus which secrete a foul (to us) smelling fluid. These glands have nothing to do with the urinary tract. They are related to hormone levels and spraying is greatly decreased if he is altered. - Please correct me if I am wrong about this. Werner B. at hou4a!wb
bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron Howes) (04/13/85)
In article <1031@hou4a.UUCP> wb@hou4a.UUCP (W.Baumgartner) writes: > >In reading some of the replys to the "spraying problem" article, it >sounds like there is some confusion about the difference between >a male cat marking his territory by spraying and "random" urination. >It has always been my understanding that the two events are not the >same thing. > > 1. Urination in strange places (bed, rug, outside litter box) > is a signal that something is bothering him either emotionally > or physically. > This can happen if he is altered or not. > > 2. "Spraying" is accompolished by the use of special glands > located on either side of the anus which secrete a foul (to us) > smelling fluid. These glands have nothing to do with the > urinary tract. > They are related to hormone levels and spraying is greatly > decreased if he is altered. Absolutely correct. I'm sorry if that wasn't clear. In context with the original problem, we were discussing a cat who seemed to be engaging in territorial marking (roomates bedsheets specifically and only) without other signs of ill-health. Cats are very much creatures of habit and any sudden change in well-worn habits is cause for concern. The original question seemed to suggest a long-term problem. -- Byron C. Howes ...!{decvax,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!bch