Conference misery::feline_v1

    Males don't actually go into heat.  The will mature and then start
    to exhibit sexual advances.  A female has certain periods of heat,
    they can last from a week to several weeks.  A male is interested
    anytime, night and day, all day, all week, all month, all year.
    
    It sounds to me like your male is just being his kittenish self.
    He is older than the female, stronger, and more playful right now.
    What you describe doesn't sound like sexual maturity.  Since he
    will be neutered in a few weeks, at the age of five months, you
    may never see any signs of sexual maturity in him.  Especially since
    your female is still very young, and not likely to mature completely
    before he is neutered.
    
    Some of the signs to watch for:  If he climbs up on her back, grips
    her neck skin in his teeth, and seems to be trying to get his footing.
    Also, he may spend a lot of time sniffing under her tail and then
    making the "smell face".  But, don't be overly concerned if he does
    that.  They are still getting used to each other and he may be doing
    that just to get to know her (not necessarily in the Biblical sense
    :^D)
    
    Jo

    Isn't 5 months early to fix a male cat?  I thought they should be fixed
    closer to 7-9 months, depending on their maturity.  
    
    Mary
    

    Key phrase is "depending on their maturity".  I had Westie neutered
    at 5 and 1/2 months, it was necessary.  Kalliste, my stud cat, was
    ready to breed by 5 and 1/2 months, and sired his first litter at 
    7 months.
    
    Considering that the female cat won't be spayed til 7 months, December,
    it may be necessary to neuter him that young.
    
    My vet's rule of thumb is if their weight is good (usually not a
    problem for males) and if their parts are ready (also not a problem
    with most males).
    
    Jo

    I thought that if males were altered too early, it predisposed them
    to FUS, because of the urinary tract (or whatever it's called...) not 
    having widened to its adult size.  
    

    Different vets have different opinions on that.  My current vet,
    as well as my previous vets, have said that that is no longer thought
    to be true.  They are finding that FUS is more likely to occur as
    a result of dietary problems or genetic predisposition.
    
    Jo

My doctor recommended 6 months.  Previously I let my cats go longer
    and it was a mistake.  One started sprayingk and he sprayed for
    almost 2 years AFTER he was neutered.
    
    Neutering is just excising the testicles and has nothing to do with
    stunting growth of any part of the body.  
    
    FUS is like anything else.  Some will get it and some won't.  Seems
    to be a predisposition, as Cordesbro_Jo says, and the magnesium
    portion of the ash in the food.  (according to CAT FANCY and CATS
    and my doctor)

    "Neutering is just excising the testicles and has nothing to do with
    stunting growth of any part of the body.  "
    
      I believe that is untrue.  Hormones control the development of
    the genetalia so removing the testes (source of testosterone) will
    effect the growth of the genetalia.     
    
    Whether or not this effects getting FUS is another question and
    I have NO idea on that.  I tend to agree with Jo.
    
    Dundee was done at 9 months, but 1. we have all spayed females 
    and 2. he was displaying practically NO mature male behavior so
    it was ok for us to wait.  
      Nancy DC
    

    smell face?????  I didn't know cats did that?! 
    
    

    I love "smell face", have seen this from time-to-time but never knew
    what to call it.
    
    

    RE: when to neuter a male kitten
    
    .3:
    
>    Key phrase is "depending on their maturity".
>    My vet's rule of thumb is if their weight is good (usually not a
>    problem for males) and if their parts are ready (also not a problem
>    with most males).
    
    I have a male kitten who is almost 5 months old.  How can I tell when
    he is ready to be fixed?  I have read about the spraying, and I'd like
    to catch him before he starts, if possible.  Are there any other signs
    that he'll display when he is mature?  He's an only cat, so watching
    for him to "jump" another cat won't work.
    
    Thanks,
    
    		- Valerie

    RE: .9
    
    Our horses do it from time to time and you can't help but laugh.
    I can't imagine a cat doing it.....

    
    In horses it's called the Flehman response; they stretch their
    head/neck out, and lift their upper lip and stretch that way
    out, showing their huge teeth. It's hysterical!
    
    What's it called in cats? What does it look like? I don't believe
    I've ever seen mine do it.
    
    -julie
    

    It's also called the Flehman response in cats.  It looks like they're
    grimacing -- mouth open just a bit, presumably to draw air in to make
    it smell stronger.
    
    Karen.

    It is called the Flehman response in cats too.  They do the same
    thing that horses do, it sounds like.  They lift their tongues to
    the roof of their mouths, and I think I remember that there are
    special glands or something that can help the cat analyze the odor.
    
    Ken and I like to call it the smell face because it sounds funnier,
    is descriptive, and is easier to say than Flehman response.
    
    For the noter who has the only cat and wants to know of other signs
    of budding sexual maturity... your cat may start licking his genitals
    a bit more frequently than before.  He may also do the smell face
    more often, or at least be more aware of different odors.  Kalliste
    starting breeding rolls of paper towels when he was young (nothing
    cylindrical was safe in those days, ;^D).
    
    My vet's rule of thumb, if the cat is at least 5 pounds and there
    is something there to remove.  Being that your cat is an only cat,
    it will probably mature at a slower rate than a cat that is surrounded
    by other whole cats.  I have neutered cats as early as 5 1/2 months
    with no ill effects.
    
    Jo

    
    
    Correction...Tigger is 5 months today not 4 months.  He will be fixed
    in Oct. when he's 6 months.  My mom thought that Tigger was spraying
    because there was a puddle on the cellar floor.  Tigger is VERY mature
    for his age.  He's thin but very large.  He looks like a mature cat..
    I wouldn't know if he sprayed or not.  I'm not that experienced with
    cats at all...just dogs...but i'm looking forward to it (not the 
    spraying part :*)).
    
    
    -chris

    Chris,
    
    Generally, when a male sprays you will find the evidence up against
    the wall, sofa, window, or some other vertical surface.  It will
    appear as streaks of urine that ran down the surface.  Males usually
    spray from a standing position rather than squatting.
     
    Females can spray from a standing position, but more likely they
    will mark in the squatting position, leaving little puddles in
    inappropriate places.  
    
    It is likely that one of your cats just got lazy and decided they
    couldn't make it to the litter box.  Unless you see who does it,
    there is no way of knowing who is responsible for the puddles or
    streaks of spray.            
    
    Jo