Expert: Norman Auspitz - 12/15/2009

Question
QUESTION: Dear Norman

I have a two year old male cat, Tommy, who I think I have written to you about before.  It is now spring in Australia and he has become increasingly aggressive towards two of my other male neutered cats.  One he has always disliked and he has now started to intimidate the gentle giant who is quite dismayed.

On Wednesday night Tommy was mating with an old sweater of mine which was on the bed and he very definitely ejaculated (I checked) - is this possible in a fully neutered cat?

Tommy has had a testosterone test at it is 0.5 (I believe), I saw the vet last night because Tommy and Jack had another altercation and both required antibiotics and the vet seemed to indicate that a normal level of testosterone for a neutered cat was under 0.5.

I have arranged for Tommy to undergo surgery on Monday to have a look in his abdomen to see if he has an undescended teste, but I am aware that the vet who is going to do the surgery thinks I am making things up about Tommy's behaviour as he is always as meek as a lamb when he is in the vets.

Tommy's urine also smells appalling when compared to the other neutered cats urine.

The only two cats out of the crew that he doesn't bother are PK - an 18 year old spayed female with a very bad attitude and Snowflake who is also two but about half the size of Tommy and the other two (Jack and Spratt).

Do you think I am mad, his behaviour is very different to the rest of my cats, he will charge a glass door if Jack walks past outside and also howls and crashes into my bedroom door at night if Jack is sitting outside the door in the corridor.

I do not know what else to do except to insist on the surgery, the vet thinks the whole problem is just psychological - can you make any other suggestions rather than surgery to find out what is going on.

I also do not want to be responsible for a litter of kittens if he is still part whole as there are other cats where I live and I do not know if they are all desexed.

regards    Gillian


ANSWER: Gillian,

It is doubtful sperm from an undescended testicle would be viable (but you never know).  However, I do not think you are mad and vets DO make mistakes.  His testosterone level is too high and, if the vet can find no sign of an undescended testicle, yopu might discuss hormone therapy with him.

Your vet has done the hormone tests and there must be a cause, even if it is not easily findable, by your vet.  Your cat's behaviors are all consistent with the hormone levels.  So, as I said before, explore a hormone therapy solution with your vet.  BTW, if your vet does the surgery and does find something, removal will, in most cases, remove the problem.  As I said before, there may be a vestigal testicle up in there that is not easily locatable, so the vet may find nothing obvious. (The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence!)

Please let me know how it goes.

Best regards... Norm.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Norm

Thank you so much for your advice, it was much appreciated.

Tommy had his operation today and my vet indicated that he had traced from his kidneys to his scrotal area and had found some material (which he thought might be scar tissue) and that this material is being sent for analysis.  Tommy has coped very well with the surgery so he should be home in about 6 days - better for him to stay with my vet while his wound heals a bit in case he and Jack come face to face in the house.

Sadly, I had to have my very old naughty tortie (18) PK put to sleep this morning as she had stopped eating and really wasn't doing well at all.  She was a terrible cat to all of the boys and I have to say with only three at home today (I didn't go to work) everyone was far more settled and hanging around in their favourite spots in the garden.

My vet said that things might actually improve without PK as she was very nasty to the other cats - no fighting due to her age, but an awful lot of hissing, growling and howling if one of them came into the room she was in.

My vet is also going to give Tommy and Jack some drug therapy to help them to get over their problems with each other.

I do hope everything improves for me as it would be so much nicer if they would all get along together rather than me having to separate Tommy, Jack and Spratt all the time.

I will let you know how it goes when I get Tommy back home before Christmas.

Again, thank you so much for your help, my mum died last year and although we've always had cats and I do know how to look after them I really don't know anything about their psychology.  Jack was my mum's cat and has always lived in this house and Tommy joined the crew as a 1 year old, so I suppose they both want to dominate each other.

regards     Gilllian

Answer
Gillian,

I am sorry to hear anout PK and your loss of your mom last year.  I agree, without the alpha females, things may be less tense.  I think the drug therapy is a good thing to do for a while.

Thank you for your update, and I do look forward to hearing more when Tommy gets back and has had some time to settle back in.  When Tommy gets back, there may be some hissing and spitting as he will not smell "right" to the other cats.  Cats know each other, mostly, by scent, and Tommy will smell more like the vets office than himself.  So, just leave it all alone and they will re-sort things out amongts themselves.

Best regards... Norm.