Expert: Ali - 3/19/2009

Question
hope you can help me, i got a kitten off a friend who found it as a stray 4 days ago. He had the kitten for a couple of weeks, and it was and is being kept as a house cat (I'll take it outside on a leash when it's a little older). It is male and roughly 6 or 7 months old. I have to take him to the vets for his first vaccination in another 4 days, then make an appointment for the second, but i really want to get him neutered as soon as possible, before he is mature enough to spray his scent. I was wondering how much time you must leave after the vaccinations to have your kitten neutered?
I am also keen on getting it done quickly as he has very odd mood swings. He is mostly very quiet in the day when I'm home alone, with a few over playful moments, but when my boyfriend gets home he gets very giddy and rather nasty. He will run around non stop, attacking everything, and he only seems to calm down if I'm in the room on my own, which still takes a while. Why could this be? and will neutering help with this?
my boyfriend tried spraying him with water to teach him it's wrong but it makes him worse, and I'm worried it could lead to him becoming permanently nasty. Any advice would be wonderful,
regards, Joanne.

Answer
Joanne,

I'd recommend making an appointment with your vet immediately. It sounds as though there may be some territorial aggression happening and getting this kitty neutered ASAP is important to prevent ongoing behavioral problems. You could try giving your cat a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a blend of flower essences designed to calm and reassure. This remedy isn't going to help if the attacks are due to territorial behavior, but if this kitten has had a tough life up until now it's possible he's experienced abuse at the hands of one or more human beings which could also account for his aggression in the presence of your boyfriend if there was an unkind man in this cat's past. I'd recommend a dose of around 5-7 drops in a bowl of fresh water every morning or you could also rub 1 drop onto the relatively bald patch of skin in front of your kitten's ears. Be sure to avoid getting Rescue Remedy into the ear canal though because it can sting (the flower essences are preserved in a grape alcohol solution), especially if there are mites or your kitten scratches frequently. You can find Rescue Remedy in health food stores, naturopathic pharmacies, some mainstream pharmacies in the aisle where the vitamins and other nutritional supplements are kept and I believe you can also purchase this remedy online. The remedy won't make things any worse, but if your kitten improves slightly then backslides it may be a sign that you're on the right track. Enlisting the help of a holistic veterinarian might be good as they are trained in both conventional medicine as well as one or more alternative therapies including homeopathy, acupuncture or massage to name a few.