Can neutering an older cat stop roaming, fighting, and marking?

It's likely that getting him neutered would help - "spraying" or urinating on objects in the house and wanting to roam outside are both very normal behaviors for intact males, so this is definitely the first thing I would suggest. These two things are the main reasons that almost all indoor male cats in the US are neutered :) Since he's almost two years old, there is a chance that neutering may not resolve these issues completely - behaviors like this can become a learned habit if they go on for long enough, so I would recommend having the neuter done as soon as possible.

It certainly might. Urine marking is a normal and expected behavior for intact males, so neutering is one of the first things we recommend if your cat is doing this. The earlier it's done, the better - this is because the longer this behavior continues, the more it will become a habit that may not resolve after the neuter. It's important to realize that urine marking can also be related to stress or anxiety, so if this is the case, these issues would also need to be addressed in order to resolve the behavior.

Great question! It depends on why Sammy is urinating outside of the box. If it is for behavioral reasons, like marking, yes neutering him could help. If it is for behavioral reasons like stress, no. If he has a urinary tract infection, then neutering won't help. I recommend having a vet examine him first and rule out an infection. If that is normal, I would recommend neutering him for marking reasons. Lastly, I would recommend cleaning the urine with an odor neutralizer because even if you can't smell it, Sammy still can. Good luck and kisses to Sammy!

Unfortunately it is extremely difficult if not impossible to train a male cat to ignore the natural instincts, such as urine marking, which make them difficult to keep indoor. Male cat urine has an extremely strong odor, and is quite unpleasant, and it's their natural tendency to "mark" areas that they consider to be theirs, which in your case will likely be all around the inside of your house. He will also be very interested in leaving your house to roam in search of females, and to fight other males that he considers to be a threat. Clearly, these are dangerous behaviors. While you may be concerned about the safety of neutering, since it requires general anesthesia, I can tell you that it is a well-understood procedure that is nearly painless, and takes no more than 5 minutes if performed by a trained veterinarian. Once DoReMi is neutered, he will no longer have the "urges" that drive the behaviors listed above, and will be quite content. I strongly advise you to have him neutered, and soon, as he's getting very close to starting to become sexually mature.

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

It will help with the calling constantly and wanting to run outside, but it may not completely cure the spraying. With some cats it does, so fingers crossed it will in this case. Definitely have RJ neutered, it sounds like you are dealing with some extremely annoying behaviors!

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.