Spencer you know I agree with 100% of your posts and you and Carrie are my "cat advisors/mentors/heroes." Now with that all said, I have to put in a word about the spraying/declawing relationship. As you know, I have confessed to declawing my kitties simply because I came from a "dog" background and really didn't know any other alternative to the problem of cats ruining furniture. Also, in my defense, everyone else that I knew at the time (in my immediate "cat circle" of friends) all had their cats declawed. With that all said, I can only put in my $.02 and say that neither of my cats has EVER gone anywhere except the litterbox.

I was a little worried about introducing Andy to Trevor (when Trevor was 3 yrs. old), thinking that maybe there might be territorial issues. Well I guess I worried for nothing (thankfully). There was a gradual acceptance of the "new cat" and now the rest is history. They really are pals.

I do have to say that I am almost obsessive/compulsive about keeping their litter boxes clean. There are two litter boxes in my basement and I scoop at least once a day, and have even been known to scoop twice a day. I'm not saying that anyone that has a cat that sprays is not keeping things clean enough, but I do think that anything I can do to help discourage them from going anywhere else is worth the trouble.

I am wondering more about the neutering issue with spaying. I know some cats spray even after they have been neutered, but I was wondering if perhaps the age that the neutering took place or even, in the case of feral cats possibly, that there may have been some mating before the neutering and therefore "Mr. Kitty's" hormones still remember.

I know my Andy was a feisty little kitten (although never sprayed or went "potty" where he shouldn't) but he calmed down considerably after "the operation." The same goes for Gabe (my daughter's cat).

I am not trying to get on a soapbox here because I am definitely not the "last word" on cat behavior. Far from it, until 1993 I didn't even really like cats. I guess all I am trying to say is that there may be other reasons for spraying without assuming that it has something to do with being declawed. Maybe I am defensive because of a little guilt about the declawing too.