After I Neutered My Stray Cat, He Changed Dramatically And Only Sleeps Now

myfamily

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I trapped a black kitten at my work place three years ago. I took him to my apartment and put in my garage and socialized him. He grew into an exceedingly large cat, and looks more like a small panther. Once he hit puberty, he was never home. He would disappear for 4 days at a time no matter the weather. I worried about him because bad things happen to cats in search of females, plus it wasn't healthy for him to not be eating for 4 days at a time. So I had him fixed. He is 3 years old now. And since getting fixed, he sleeps all day, and all night. He only gets out of bed to eat. This has been going on for a year. I know fixing him was the right thing to do to keep him safe, but
I feel that he might be depressed. What do you think? Is there anything I can do for him? By way of comparison, my own cat is 11 years old. He was neutered as a kitten. My 11 year old is constantly outside hunting in the weeds, and exploring our neighbors' patios. But not the black cat. He only sleeps. He is very healthy, I mean judging by appearance. I will attach a pic for you. Thank you.
 

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myfamily

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Thanks, no he hasn't been to the vet recently. He has been to the vet once in his life. I took him to the vet when he was still a kitten and got some tests and vacs.
 

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Hi. Very nice looking guy! Even if he is eating/drinking/using the litter box appropriately, you should still probably take him to the vet for a check up. A blood work up would be a good thing to start with just to ensure there is nothing wrong that might be attributing to his lethargy.

Rule out a potential hidden illness, and then you can better concentrate on what else you might be able to do for him.

Do you play with him, does he have toys he can play with, and/or do you have a cat tree or two to entice him to be more interactive with the world around him? Have you ever tried cat feeder toys with treats in them to encourage him to play while he attempts to get the treats?

There are other things you can look to do as well. But, still I think a vet visit is the first thing.
 

Furballsmom

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Hmmm. As mentioned just above, you might consider a vet check, there could be an underlying something going on healthwise.

Does he ever show any interest in a string dragged across his feet (without leaving that string lying around unattended) or a dangly feathery thing waved in front of his nose, or a crinkly noisy ball tossed at him... ?

Can you put his food somewhere that he has to work to get to it, such as up a couple of steps (you might want to go gently at first, he's been inactive for too long to be able to jump right into things).

I'm also thinking about training him to go for walks in a harness. Even if you have to lift him up and hold him up to get the harness on, and then to get him outside, the outdoors might be enough to spark some interest in things :)

Don't give up after the first attempt or two at any of these things - repetition will either eventually get his interest going, or irritate him to get him going LOL
 
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myfamily

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Thanks, I will see if I can fit it into my budget. Actually I don't have a budget. I will see if I have enough balance left on any of my four credit cards. I don't play with him. He has always entertained himself, mainly through chasing tail. Now I guess it's up to me to create a little zest for life in him. I still wonder if he is depressed since it happened dramatically after he got neutered.
 
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myfamily

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Hmmm. As mentioned just above, you might consider a vet check, there could be an underlying something going on healthwise.

Does he ever show any interest in a string dragged across his feet (without leaving that string lying around unattended) or a dangly feathery thing waved in front of his nose, or a crinkly noisy ball tossed at him... ?

Can you put his food somewhere that he has to work to get to it, such as up a couple of steps (you might want to go gently at first, he's been inactive for too long to be able to jump right into things).

I'm also thinking about training him to go for walks in a harness. Even if you have to lift him up and hold him up to get the harness on, and then to get him outside, the outdoors might be enough to spark some interest in things :)

Don't give up after the first attempt or two at any of these things - repetition will either eventually get his interest going, or irritate him to get him going LOL
He does like it when I got out into the field. He will go with me. I love the harness idea. Think of the response in people to see my jungle cat being walked around. Maybe I can start taking him places with me in the car. He and I have a special bond, always have from the moment I saw him as a feral kitten and began feeding him. The rest of his litter hissed. He never hissed.
 

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It's hard to say. After all, you don't know what he did when he was gone when he was a tomcat--- maybe he found the ladies, mated, and then slept the rest of the day :tongue:. So that may be his natural activity level.

Yeah, I think some interactive outdoor time might get him going. Will he follow you on a walk?
 
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myfamily

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It's hard to say. After all, you don't know what he did when he was gone when he was a tomcat--- maybe he found the ladies, mated, and then slept the rest of the day :tongue:. So that may be his natural activity level.

Yeah, I think some interactive outdoor time might get him going. Will he follow you on a walk?
Yes he does. I guess I will try to be more engaging with him to get him to get outside. Just figured he should be like my 11 year old and have his own motivation. I also trapped his sister, Yellow, at the same time. She was fixed, and is rarely home. Likes to be outside exploring, or whatever it is she does.
 
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myfamily

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House panthers are a special bunch and they know it!

If you free feed dry food try some of these DIY puzzles instead of a bowl. Homemade Puzzles - Food Puzzles for Cats
Awesome link! thanks. I took him for a ride today in the car. He hid under the seat and occasionally whined. Maybe he'll learn to like it. It could be a fun adventures if he would go with me all the time. When we got home, I too him for a walk around the pond. He stuck by me the whole time. Guess I'll have to be the catalyst that gets him more active.
 
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