Can I tell if my cat is neutered?

[Pinceau]

Long story short, a coworker had a stray cat in her neighborhood for months and couldn't find the owners. We took him in and I'm not certain if he's neutered. It looks like he does have balls but they are small and I'm not very familiar with the process.

We will take him in to a vet when he seems calm enough, but I was wondering if anyone could tell if he's neutered or if that is something not obvious and I need a vet to check.

I heard if you feel them and they are hard they aren't neutered but I might get kitty claws if I try that.

 

[Koveshnikov]

you can find out exactly only on palpation

 

[Foundkitty]

I adopted a male stray once and I dropped him off at the local spay/ neuter clinic to be neutered. When I went back they brought him out and told me he had already been neutered. They had gone thru the process and put him to sleep and shaved him. I would have sworn he was intact! I was embarrassed.

 

[Willowy]

Give 'em a poke (he shouldn't object too much to a casual poke, I hope!). If the testicles are in there, they'll feel like gummy marbles. If not, it will be an empty fur sack.

You're right; it's hard to tell on him. I think they'd be larger if he were intact, but I also think they'd be smaller if he were neutered .

 

[fionasmom]

The new look in neutering is to leave something that appears to be testicles. Jamie came home looking as if he had not been neutered, but absolutely had, although he still appears to have all his parts, just a little smaller in size.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

You're gonna have to get your hands on those little bulges. Fortunately, cats don't have the same knee-jerk reaction to such things that humans do, and so long as you are reasonably gentle, he won't object. And BTW, W Willowy , "gummy marbles" may be the best description I've heard to date. I'll be stealing that in the future! And I'll TRY to remember who said it first.

 

[Pinceau]

Oh you guys are right! While the skin is intact there is nothing inside and he didn't mind at all. Although boy did I feel like a creep.

 

[DreamerRose]

Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Furry sacs and no balls is ideal.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Although boy did I feel like a creep.

OH, the joys of cat guardianship! Or parenthood, if you're like me.