My semi-feral cat fights. Should I neuter him and get a health check?

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

Yes you can take them into the vet to have them neutered if they don’t have owners. That would be lovely of you! It will cut down on fighting, but keeping them indoors all the time. will prevent any fighting. Best of luck.

How lovely of you to bring him Cactus! Even though he's not showing behavioral signs now, it doesn't mean that he won't start spraying to mark his territory and want to go outside to roam. Also intact male cats tend to be poor groomers, causing them to become matted and scruffy-looking. On the other hand, neutered male cats tend to pay more attention to themselves and keep themselves clean. I think having him neutered would be a good idea. Best of luck.

Poor guy. You need to get him to a vet right away to have these areas flushed and then get him on a short course of antibiotics to prevent infection. Animal bites are notorious for getting infected because loads of bacteria live on pets teeth, which then migrates underneath the skin during the bite. Neutering your pet during this healing process is not an ideal time to do this; although, if your vet doesn't mind doing a quick snip at the same time to save from having to do two procedures, then go for it. I have seen several vets who will do this to help the owner out with expenses, plus a cat neuter takes literally 5-10 minutes to do. A neutered pet is less likely to get into so many fights outside, so there is an advantage to doing this right away.

He needs to be seen by a vet. It sounds like he needs some antibiotics to clear up the pus/wounds. It also sounds like he may have fleas or mange if he is losing his hair. Finally, if he has not been vaccinated he could catch disease like feline AIDS or feline leukemia. He may not be showing any symptoms now but those diseases can show up later. Both of those are transmitted by bite wounds from other cats. If he is fighting with other cats he may contact these diseases. I suggest you get him to a vet for an exam, deworming, vaccinations, antibiotics and something to treat the hairloss depending on what the underlying cause is. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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!

Intact male cats can and do fight over things such as territory and females, so to answer your question, yes they can hurt each other if they get into a fight. Intact cats will also spray urine all over the house to mark their territory, which smells terrible and is very hard to get out. I would recommend having them both neutered to reduce any aggressive behavior as well as urine marking, which it sounds like you are seeing if they are fighting enough to cause a cut. Gently wash the cut with warm water and antiseptic soap. Keep the area clean and dry, and monitor for signs of infection which include redness, swelling, warmth to the touch, and pus. Should you see any of those signs, the cat will need to see the vet for antibiotics. In the meantime, I'd make an appointment to have them both neutered. Good luck, I hope this helps!