Will neutering my cat stop him from hunting and killing small animals?

Neutering male cats is one of the most effective ways of limiting inter-cat aggression. There are no guarantees, but castration is definitely the first and best thing worth trying. If you are worried about the two cats hurting one another, I would keep them separated for the time being. Even after the castration there will still be some residual hormones left in the body for a short while. I would consider keeping the two separated for at least a week or two post-operatively before reintroduction. Hope this makes sense.

Neutering will keep him from roaming as much although if he continues to go outside he may still fight with other cats. The urine marking in the house may stop but there is no guarantee as he is already older. If they are neutered young (like less than 6 months of age) then that behaviour is virtually non-existent. So, to answer your question......maybe some of the bad behaviours will stop but there is no guarantee. Regardless, it is better to have him neutered and I highly recommend it.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm sorry to hear Vanilla has been having issues with another cat. While neutering may help improve the problem, it may not resolve it completely, especially if the other cat is neutered. As you mentioned, ideally Vanilla would be an indoor only cat to ensure that he doesn't get into any fights, and his desire to roam may lessen with neutering as well. I would recommend he be neutered, and you try your best to keep him inside as much as you can to eliminate the possibility of a fight. Good luck!

Neutering will help him from running off and fighting. It will unlikely stop him from fighting to protect where he lives and his food. He should be tested for feline leukemia and aids though as this can be a fatal disease and he may continue to spread it if he keeps fighting. The other cat likely will need to be caught, neutered and released to minimize the behaviour

Thank you for your questions about Casper. Having him castrated (spaying is term for female animal but I know what you mean), is generally considered a safe and routine procedure although any procedure carries risks. Castrating a male cat will decrease the tendency to roam, fight and spray his urine. By decreasing these behaviors, there is a decrease in these castrated cats to get abscesses, Feline Leukemia viral infections, Feline Immunodeficiency viral infections and they are less likely to be hit by cars or attacked by other animals as they are staying closer to home. The males typically stop spraying which most pet owners appreciate. Most males will also stop having sex but some may still exhibit the behavior. I recommend to speak with your veterinarian about risks with the procedure. I hope this answers your questions. Please feel free to post any additional questions!

Hi, sorry to hear of this problem. Yes, neutering will definitely help with unwanted behavior. The best thing way to get him to stop scratching is by getting scratching posts and encouraging the cat to use them. To make friends with the car, sit on the floor with your hand extended and treats in your hand. move slowly and speak softly. It will also be best if you are the one to feed the cat. This will help him gain your trust. When he is near you and responding well, you can pet him gently, scratching his head of behind his ears. Keep it short, do this multiple times a day and the cat should come around. Don't yell at him or make sudden movements. Yelling will not help him scratching things. You can remove him from the furniture and place him on the scratching post to direct his scratching there. Good luck I hope this helps!

I think that if he is doing well on his current food (the Hill's or the Natural Balance) then they are fine to continue. It is unlikely changing his diet will change his habit of killing birds/rabbits/rodents. It in not likely due to hunger it is likely something he enjoys (as awful as that may sound to us!) and is a natural behavior for him. I don't normally recommend raw diets as there are risks when handling raw meat to the animal and to the owner (such as salmonella and e. coli). I think if you want him to stop killing you will have to either keep him inside, let him out in an enclosure, or you can try putting a bell on his collar in an attempt to warn off small critters (just be sure that it is a quick-release collar so he doesn't get himself hung on something and choke).