I recently adopted a five year old cat. The previous owner said he has been neutered, yet he still has balls and big nipples. He masterbates 5-10x a day and his crayon comes out. He also tries to have sex with other cats And gets in fights often. My new vet said his balls are empty confirming he has been neutered yet has never heard of the aforementioned behavior in neutered males. He said in rare cases, a testicle could reside high up in the abdomen so maybe the vet who neutered him missed a testicle or he could have female parts as well that are still active!? He suggested X-rays and an ultrasound and quoted me "approx $1500" before any type of surgery! When I suggested just going in as if he were neutering he said, "why put him under the knife unnecesarily?" Since neutering is the most commen surgical procedure for male cats and I can't afford the latter, I feel he's taking me for a ride with his recommendation. He told me of a blood test he could order but it's $400! Im so annoyed by my cat's aggessive sexual behavior and afraid he could he get hurt, or hurt or kill another cat fighting as much as he does! He even attacks big dogs! Has anyone ever experienced something like this? Any advice would be appreciated.
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Could my cat be a hermaphrodite?
- Thread starter tiff
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No, I have never experienced anything like you are describing. My first step would to find another vet! Did the vet take a urine sample to see if he has any kind of bacteria or check for irritation. Not knowing the cat's previous history, or when he was neutered, makes it hard to know if the operation was complete. A good vet, at the time would have determined if the testicles had fully descended before preforming the neuter. The way cats are castrated is to cut a small opening and draw out the vas deferens, and the little balls would still look somewhat in tact. I really would go to another vet! And start with urinary issues, because I don't think cats really masturbate.
I'd get another vet opinion. But yes, there are ways hormones can be present despite the appearance of a neuter. That said, humping other cats despite being desexed is usually an issue of dominance, and this is not uncommon.
I have heard of neutered male cats engaging in some sexual behavior but yours does sound like an extreme case.
An undescended testicle could certainly explain what you are seeing and I agree that it would be helpful to get his old vet records to see if there were any irregularities with the neutering. Your vet may also want to rule out endocrine diseases that could lead to increased production of sex hormones--diseases of the adrenal glands can, in theory, cause what you are seeing.
Your vet's plan for imaging or at least bloodwork prior to surgery is sound. Neutering may be a simple procedure, but if he has an undescended testicle that requires going into the abdomen which is a more invasive surgery. I would at least go for the bloodwork because if this is due to some other endocrine disease--and that sounds like a real possibility--surgery without proper precautions could be dangerous. But as long as the cat's stable, I do agree that you might want to do some vet shopping first--in my experience $1500 is very steep for an ultrasound.
An undescended testicle could certainly explain what you are seeing and I agree that it would be helpful to get his old vet records to see if there were any irregularities with the neutering. Your vet may also want to rule out endocrine diseases that could lead to increased production of sex hormones--diseases of the adrenal glands can, in theory, cause what you are seeing.
Your vet's plan for imaging or at least bloodwork prior to surgery is sound. Neutering may be a simple procedure, but if he has an undescended testicle that requires going into the abdomen which is a more invasive surgery. I would at least go for the bloodwork because if this is due to some other endocrine disease--and that sounds like a real possibility--surgery without proper precautions could be dangerous. But as long as the cat's stable, I do agree that you might want to do some vet shopping first--in my experience $1500 is very steep for an ultrasound.
