Once neutered, either a male or a female cat can make an ideal companion animal. Some owners have a preference often based on their previous relationships with cats. Sometimes elderly people express a desire for a cat that is the opposite gender to them, to create a ‘replacement partner’.
 Adult entire (un-neutered) cats are less straighforward as house cats.
Males (toms) will:
- ‘Mark’ their territory by spraying urine, both outside and inside the house, in order to attract females.
- Be more likely to expand their territory in order to seek out a female.
Female (queens) will:
- Come into ’season’, Â ready to conceive, once or twice a year and often be extremely restless, even agitated, throughout the day and night.
- Issue long, loud caterwauling noises when in season in order to attract or maintain contact with interested male cats.
A responsible cat owner will wish to avoid unplanned pregnancies, even in other people’s cats, and will have their cat neutered when it reaches sexual maturity. Once neutered, a house cat will often become more attached to its owner and may show a reduced desire to roam great distances from the home. However, neutering does not prevent spraying or aggressive behavior in cats.
A kitten should be considered for neutering at around 6 months of age. The cost is different for males and females, since spraying a queen involves more complex surgery. If you acquire an adult cat from a rescue centre it will most likely already have been neutered. However, this is not a legal requirement so do check with the centre first.
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