The Neuter Debate – Comparing Done Versus Not

We all know the benefits of having our cats neutered: lowering the feral cat population, responsible pet keeping and all that jazz. I am pro-neuter in all non-breeding-intended cats and dogs, but I understand that not everyone feels as I do.

But that doesn’t mean that I don’t get inundated with the questions: What’s the difference in the behavior when they’re neutered? What’s the difference between a male and a female? Who’s better: boys or girls? So on and so on!

So let’s take a look:

ENTIRE		NEUTERED
Males	Females	Males	Females
Spray urine to mark territories	Can spray urine to make territories, but not as often as males	Rarely spray when neutered young	Rarely spray when neutered young
Always on the hunt for females on heat	Call (and call, and call!) when they’re on heat	Never on the look for the ladies	Don’t call
Often lovely to their human family	Can be less nice than males of the species when it comes to human interaction	Often lovely to their human family – even more so when they’re neutered	Often lovely to their families, but males are generally a touch more affectionate. (Though I’ve had the opposite!)
Have nipples	Have nipples	Have nipples	Have nipples
Have testes	Will have a swollen vulva and a small amount of blood secreted when on heat	No testes	Will not come on heat at all
Can have territorial disputes if allowed outside	Can have territorial disputes if allowed outside	Can have territorial disputes if allowed outside (though often less intense than an entire cat)	Can have territorial disputes if allowed outside (though often less intense than an entire cat)
Urine is very potent	Urine has a little more smell than a neutered cat, but far less smell than an entire male	Urine has a little bit of a smell	Urine has a little bit of a smell
Burn off more energy when allowed outside as they survey their territories and mark etc	Burn off more energy when allowed outside as they survey their territories and mark etc	Less active due to a lack of hormonal drive to mark territories and seek females. Can be more prone to weight issues	Less active due to a lack of hormonal drive to mark territories. Can be more prone to weight issues
Will be larger than females	Will be smaller than males	Sometimes a fraction smaller than their entire counterparts	Sometimes a fraction smaller than their entire counterparts

In summary, boys are *generally* more affectionate, and girls are a little less needy/more aloof. Boys are usually the bigger of the two sexes, and urine usually smells less when cats are neutered. I’ve had overly affectionate male AND female cats and have experienced aloof ones of both, also. It comes down to personal preference. But in the end, any cat will do <3