Tutored Tiger & Tuffy

Yesterday morning we took the boys in for their procedure (what a sidestepping way to say it) and left them in the capable hands of Dr. Winston. They were still smiling when we left them, but when we picked them up at 3:00, the smiles were sort of frozen. They were still a little groggy from the anesthetic so we let them sleep. But by bedtime, they were pretty much back to their old selves. Well, not quite, and their purring was up in pitch, about an octave. I can’t quite understand why this “procedure” (okay, I’ve been calling it a “tutoring” but we all know we had them castrated) is necessary for male cats who never go outside. It isn’t as though they were going to be fighting amongst themselves to see who would be the alpha cat. It goes without saying that Charlie's the big dog since he weighs about twice what the boys now weigh. And they wouldn’t be getting any lady cats pregnant since they would never see any lady cats (Oh, poor boys). Still, nearly all involved with pets and pet medicine recommend it. And since the Net is such a trove of information, I went there and found this:

“Neutering a male cat is an excellent step to help your young man grow into a loving, well adapted household citizen. The main reason to neuter a male cat is to reduce the incidence of objectionable behaviors that are normal in the feline world but unacceptable in the human world.
Roaming: More than 90% will reduce this behavior with neutering. Approximately 60% reduce this behavior right away
Fighting: More than 90% will reduce this behavior with neutering Approximately 60% reduce this behavior right away
Urine marking: More than 90% will reduce this behavior with neutering. Approximately 80% reduce this behavior right away.
Another reason to neuter a male cat has to do with the physical appearance. Cats neutered prior to puberty (most cats are neutered at approximately age 6 months) do not develop secondary sex characteristics. These include a more muscular body, thickenings around the face called shields, and spines on the penis.”

Okay, now I know—no more roaming (but they had only our house for such roaming so that’s no big deal), no more fighting (but they still engage in playful fighting), and no more urine marking (thank you, Mr. Neuter). And now, also thankfully, neither we nor they will ever have to worry about spines on their penises (whatever that is).

I also looked up cartoons about such a procedure and thought I’d share some of them with you.