Male indoor cat: neutering or not?

Many cat owners automatically think that they should neuter their male cat regardless of whether the cat will be spending time outdoors or living exclusively indoors. Let me be very clear in saying that if you plan to leave your male cat outdoors, you will be doing a great service to the pet population by neutering your cat. A single male cat can, for a decade or more, be responsible for hundreds of kittens being born. Your offspring could increase that number exponentially.

There are actually only a couple of possible negative side effects of neutering your cat: he may have a bad reaction to anesthesia, or he may develop an infection after the operation. The vet can run tests to see if the cat is allergic to the anesthetic. Other than that, the procedure is as simple and common as it can be.

So who is to blame for this widely held view that all male cats, including those that will never be outdoors, should be neutered? Well … frankly … the answer is probably Bob Barker! No, this is not an attempt at humor. If you were old enough to watch TV in the ’80s and’ 90s, you’ve probably seen The Price is Right at some point. Mr. Barker’s signature for years and years was “to help control the pet population, spay or neuter your pet.”

Bob Barker is one of the most famous animal rights activists in the world. He even donated a boat named after him to help combat Japanese whaling in Antarctica. You have to admire a man for putting his money where his mouth is and believing in his causes. You are most likely more responsible for helping control the pet population in North America than any other individual, so God bless you for that.

However, the fact of the matter is that a male cat who will never leave the confines of his home does not necessarily need to be neutered. Just as we are all individuals, so are our pets and if you are an experienced pet owner, you will know it. What is good for one animal may not be good for the other, even if the animals are siblings.

Here is the definitive example. I adopted 2 male cats from the same litter many years ago. None of the cats ever went outside. They kept company, played with each other and practically did everything together, even eating next to each other, without a problem. It wasn’t until the age of 4 that things started to change. I woke up one night to the acrid smell of urine. I assumed that one of the 2 had not covered his urine properly in the litter box. I was wrong! One or both of them had sprayed something in the basement to mark their territory.

With a little patience and a lot peeking around the corners, I figured out which of the 2 was spraying. He went to the vet and the problem was solved. The second cat never sprayed.

The moral of the story, of course, is that each cat is an individual and a general solution is not appropriate. In the same vein, some males may begin spraying at one year of age and others much, much later. Where you live can also have an impact. Living on the ground floor of a crowded condo complex where there are a lot of cats roaming in the open air could affect your male cat. If you catch their scent, you might be asked to start marking their territory. If you are on the 16th floor of a tall building, you will not have that problem, of course.

If money is not an issue and you feel more confident neutering your male indoor cat, there is no reason to hesitate. If, on the other hand, you prefer to avoid a surgical procedure that may in fact be totally unnecessary, wait to see what happens.

The worst case scenario is that you will have to clean up some urine and make a vet appointment at some point in the future. The best case scenario is for your cat to live a happy life without any surgery.