Perfect Shelter Cat--But Neutered "Late"?

[Friend's Friend]

Hello, friends!

I hope this post finds everyone well. It's been a while.

It's been two years since Friend passed, and I've slowly (and very pickily, for better or worse) been looking for another companion. Yesterday I met the perfect cat at the shelter--a real snuggle-bug who just wants to cuddle and wants the pets to keep coming forever. He even retreated to humans for assurance when he was scared by strange noises. He's a year old, and has just been neutered a week ago. He stayed with a foster-family after his neuter--plus he had fleas, mites, a scratch from another cat, and an ear infection. His foster family said that he did have one accident outside the litterbox, and that because he'd just been neutered, his urine is still tomcat-pungent.

This was a bit of a red flag for me, because I rent a small (studio) apartment (with carpet, no less) and am just about to get a new landlord. I don't know how well products like Nature's Miracle work on that super-strong tom wee.

I'm hoping to call my vet on Tuesday to get her general feedback, but in the meantime I wanted to ask you good folks what your thoughts are.

Should I be concerned at all about how late he was neutered or his strong once-was-a-tom wee? Will the scent get better as his hormones keep shifting post-snippysnip? The foster family didn't say that he sprayed at all, although that's also a worry.

His foster family and the shelter staff also think his accident may have just been because he was feeling like crap, and I can see why! But that does have me concerned a bit. Any ideas there? Am I worrying too much? (Haha--a distinct possibility.)

Any thoughts would be deeply appreciated! Thank you all!

 

[di and bob]

I think he will be fine. It takes up to 6 weeks for all the hormones to leave his body completely, his pee will definitely get less strong as time passes, I have never seen it different. Many vets will not neuter until a kitten is older, mine included, he wants 8 months for their urethra to completely develop. I had both of my boys done at a year old and have had no difficulties. If the accident happened the same day as his surgery the stress and anesthesia can be to blame. As for Nature's Miracle, it is the best I have found. I have sprayed it on chair fabric a couple of times and it took the smell right out. when we moved to our new house, the basement had been used as a kennel for big dogs, and the urine smell actually burned your eyes. After scrubbing the floors 3 times the smell is GONE! I thought we would have to seal the floors somehow. The upstairs bedroom had caged rats, and it also stunk terribly. I sprayed and then mopped up Nature's Miracle on the wood floors and the smell is gone.

 

[Friend's Friend]

di and bob --thanks so much for the speedy input, friend! I really appreciate it!

I hadn't even thought about the possibility of his accident being the day of surgery, although I'm not sure the shelter sends their kitties to foster the day-of. (They don't adopt-out the day a cat's been spayed / neutered, either.)

I adopted Friend after being told he'd peed on his previous owners' expected baby's crib, and was willing to take the chance because I'm a gay gent who doesn't want kiddos. And lo and behold, apart from poop getting stuck to his butt (because he was a Maine Coon), I never had any issues with him. (And the poop wasn't a big deal. Easy to clean up!)

So what my anxious little brain is trying to sort out is--it was one accident. The shelter hasn't noticed anything, either, since he's been back. Maybe it was just a fluke.

Anyway! Thank you for reassuring me about the timeline for his wee as well. I don't mind that, as long as it's in the box. (I scooped Friend's twice a day, so either way it shouldn't be too bad.) And thanks for vouching for Nature's Miracle, too!!

 

[di and bob]

If it wasn't a day of neutering it could still have been stress due to being new, but I bet he went to a foster family right after his neutering so they could watch him. If he was only neutered a week ago, he wasn't there long! Ear infection and him most likely being on antibiotics may have contributed too. It may be a good idea to confine him to one room for a few days though, unless you can watch him, to see how he does with the litter box.

 

[misty8723]

We adopted a cat who was neutered "late" (Swanie) and we never had a problem with him.

We adopted Austin even though he was brought back to the rescue for peeing outside the box. Turned out he had a UTI. We were interested, but when the second test to see if the UTI was cleared learned he had crystals, we were nervous. We talked to our vet and she told us that it likely wouldn't be a problem and that he may not have even had the crystals. He also had an ear infection he was being treated for. We've had him now for a couple years and have had no problem with him at all.

We did have a girl cat, Cindy, who got a mast cell tumor on her colon that was discovered when we took her to the vet after she pee'd on our bed (very unlike her). She had successful surgery to remove it, but also had other issues. For the two additional years we were blessed with her, she had numerious accidents (both pee and poop), and I can also vouche that Nature's Miracle is indeed a miracle.

 

[Friend's Friend]

Hey again, di and bob !

Yes, setting him up in a room by himself for a day or two is definitely the plan! I did the same with Friend-o, just to make sure he knew where the litterbox was, haha. The good news with this guy is he doesn't seem stressed by much of anything. I met him in an exam room and while he'd stand up like a bunny with his ears perked at strange noises, he didn't seem outright terrified. (Friend hid in a corner of the room when I met him, haha, but then he refused to leave my lap.)

misty8723 --thank you so much for chiming in as well, friend! I deeply appreciate it! It's interesting you bring up urinary crystals--whenever I adopt again, I'm probably just going to put them on the same urinary food Friend was on as a preventative. (He got crystals and my vet said he should eat that food to help prevent them from recurring. I don't want another cat to go through that painful nonsense!)

Bless your heart for taking such good care of Cindy (and all your kitties)! I'm sure she knew how much she was loved.

Anyway, thank you both for sharing stories of boys who've had the snippysnip "late", as well as vouching for Nature's Miracle!

 

[vince]

Both my guys were neutered later in life and have not sprayed. The urine smell should abate in a couple weeks, although regarding his behavior, he may be hormone-driven for a couple more. After that, your boy should settle down for a nice, quiet life.

One seemingly accidental urination outside the box shouldn't be an indication of future behavior. He's probably a mess, what with the life upheavals he's had recently. Just make sure he knows where the boxes are, keep them clean and you shouldn't have any problems.

 

[Friend's Friend]

Thank you so much for your input, V vince ! I appreciate it, friend! It's very reassuring to hear all these stories of male cats neutered "late" (or, you know, beyond my local shelter's bog-standard 2 months for the wee ones) and being just fine.

As for this dude's litterbox mishap--that's very true as well! His whole world got turned upside down--not just the new foster-home but the shelter and his marbles and being sick. (Same logic applies to Friend's issues before I adopted him, come to think of it--what a stress! His family's only "baby" for his whole life and then suddenly here comes another little hew-mon . . . )

 

[misty8723]

Hey again, di and bob !

Yes, setting him up in a room by himself for a day or two is definitely the plan! I did the same with Friend-o, just to make sure he knew where the litterbox was, haha. The good news with this guy is he doesn't seem stressed by much of anything. I met him in an exam room and while he'd stand up like a bunny with his ears perked at strange noises, he didn't seem outright terrified. (Friend hid in a corner of the room when I met him, haha, but then he refused to leave my lap.)

misty8723 --thank you so much for chiming in as well, friend! I deeply appreciate it! It's interesting you bring up urinary crystals--whenever I adopt again, I'm probably just going to put them on the same urinary food Friend was on as a preventative. (He got crystals and my vet said he should eat that food to help prevent them from recurring. I don't want another cat to go through that painful nonsense!)

Bless your heart for taking such good care of Cindy (and all your kitties)! I'm sure she knew how much she was loved.

Anyway, thank you both for sharing stories of boys who've had the snippysnip "late", as well as vouching for Nature's Miracle!

My cats both eat Royal Canin SO, and also two other Royal Canin gastrointestinal dry food that the vet said had the same SO contect. Austin eats the Urinary SO morsels in gravy but won't touch the pate anymore. Cricket recently had a UTI, but it cleared up with the antibiotics and did not get crystals. I don't know if that was because of the SO food or just lucky. For what it's worth, my vet says to never feed Blue Buffalo because she sees more cats with crystals who eat that food than any other. She also said it was perfectly fine to feed fancy feast classics and that wet food is always better than dry. I knew that, but getting said cats to eat canned is not always easy. I added another water fountain after Cricket's episode, so I now have 3 fountains and one regular bowl.

And I agree with you about the trauma these poor cats go through, from place to place. Especially the babies who only know one home and then get stuck in the shelter and lots of new people around, new homes to get used to, not seeing their friends again. I've often thought about that. I volunteer at a resuce, cat care shift, and most of them seem to handle it really well. Some of the older ones, you can see they are sad. My Austin went from a kill shelter, to a rescue foster home, to the rescue shelter, to being adopted with his brother. His brother was brought back to the shelter, and he was as well later. And then we adopted him. So that was a lot of changes in his little life. I think he's pretty happy to be here with us now though, and thoroughly spoiled.

I think you'll get along fine with your new baby.

 

[Kflowers]

Once he settles in from this, if he has another accident weeks, months, years from now, consider it a "I need help" note as it often means a UTI. Also keep in mind that some medications make it where they don't get enough warning to make it to the litter box in time. This can be stressful in itself. Just telling you this so it will be imprinted with your happy/stress/worry and come to the surface of your memories when you need it.

You've got a good friend there in Friend. Any cat whose seen what's out there is open to appreciating what's not out there in the big dangerous world.

 

[Friend's Friend]

Hello, friends!

I just wanted to give you all a quick update: the perfect new kitty, Michu, was scooped up and adopted from the shelter before I could get there after work yesterday. But thank you all so much for your kindness, anecdotes, and support!

Take care,
Friend's Friend / Dyl.