Hi,

Some advice would be really appreciated. My breeder has recommended that my bengal is neutered as late as nine months old. This is because in his experience his bengals have not started any spraying or unwanted behaviour before then.

He has told me the benefits of leaving it till then would be fuller male physical charateristics (fuller jowls, more muscular neck). Has anyone got any experience of this? Would these characteristics be retained after such a "late neutering" or would they fade with time? Many thanks.

Regards

Pete

Hi Pete
Mine were done before I got them (at 14 weeks), so no direct experience here, but I have read that Bengals tend to mature faster than regular moggies in some cases, and that those features will fade over time once neutered. Spraying, however, can become a habit and stick around. I'd neuter no later than 6 months if I were you, but some of the breeders here (with intact males) might give better advice than me.
Emma

Hi there, I found this information for you..
Deciding whether or not to have your pet neutered can be difficult for many owners. The decision should always be based on individual circumstances. This article aims to give owners some general information so that they are well equipped to make the decision which is right for them.

Both male and female cats tend to become sexually mature and capable of breeding at around six months of age.
If you do not want your cat to breed you should try to reach a decision about how to prevent this by the time your pet reaches this age.
The most reliable method of preventing your cat from breeding is to have him or her surgically neutered. This is known as castration for males and speying for females.



Castration:
Male cats may be neutered under general anaesthetic by a veterinary surgeon. The surgery is normally carried out at around six months of age, but may be performed at any time after this if necessary.

If you decide to keep your male cat entire he will develop the typical characteristics of a "tomcat". His face will develop more pronounced cheeks, his skin will become thicker (although you probably will not notice this) and he will probably grow bigger than a male who is neutered at six months of age. However the disadvantages in keeping an entire male cat include the fact that he is more likely to roam in search of females and therefore may go missing for days or even weeks at a time. He is also more in danger of getting involved in road traffic accidents due to this behaviour. He will probably get involved in fights while protecting his large territory and is more likely to need treatment at the vet's because of this. Male cats often have a distinctive strong odour about them and are more likely to urine spray around the house than neutered cats. Due to fighting and breeding, entire males are at considerable risk of diseases such as FeLV and FIV. Entire male cats can make great pets but many people opt for castration of male cats because they do tend to be easier to keep if neutered.

In the UK we usually neuter at 6 months..
it doesnt seem to make any difference in growth..
certainly many male neuters go on to win at cat shows so it can't do them any harm.

Thanks to both of you for the advice. The physical charactertistics appeal to me but not so much that they would come at the expense of either spraying or an unhappy cat wanting to roam (but unable to do so as he is a house cat although we do regularly walk him outside)

If anyone else has any more views, especially breeders with direct experience of this, re the age when these behaviours start and on whether these physical characteristics are only temporary (i.e. fade) once neutered, they would be most welcome.

Regards

Pete

I just thought I'd add my personal experience with it, although it has already been addressed.

I had my boy neutered later than he should have been, mostly because I was scared of something bad happening.

Anyways, he developed the full jowls and such, was very heavily muscled - beautiful!

My vet actually didn't WANT to neuter him, lol... but of course he had to do what I asked.

My cat definitely had the jowls and muscles fade... he is still an impressive boy, but not nearly as big.

I'm pretty happy with him either way though.

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- Dawn

http://www.nutkitty.com