neutered cats

[annibale16]

Does neutering an adult cat stop him from spraying? I have just adopted a male cat and it seems he has been spraying everywhere. I have given him baths to get rid of the smell but I am still having problems with him. I have a female as well and an old male comes around ( more or less lives with us) they all live outside. I am afraid I am allergic to this new male cat, but I am not allergic to the female. It must be the spraying. has anyone ever heard what makes people allergic to cats? Help, I love this cat!!

[Troy]

Spencer,

I have noticed several people talking about cleaning spray zones with ammonia based cleaners to confuse it with a "marking".

This confuses me.

Ammonia and cat spray have similar smells to a cat - because of this I have always used an ammonia free cleaner. This stops the cat from spraying over freshly cleaned areas.

...am I thinking correctly about this?

Annibale16, the length of a cats coat is also an important factor of allergic reactions. Remember that allergies are for the most part a black art and it is very difficult to identify exact causes in many cases. Some peoples allergic reactions to cats will dissapate within days of permanent exposure to the culprit, others will never get used to them. The typical allergic reaction to pets has the symptons of puffy eyes and itchy nose, the reaction will also be very soon after exposure. Many people have mild reactions to animals and don't even make the connection. I have a mild allergy to cats but have decided it is worth the discomfort

[Vi Co Bi]

Troy, I'm with you. Urine and ammonia are too closely related for either to do more than enhance the scent of the other. In fact, I don't believe there is anything that can truly mask the scent of cat spray well enough to hide it from the ultra-sensitive nose of a cat. You can put more unpleasant scents on top to dissuade them, or try a cleaner that uses a biological agent to dilute the scent to an acceptable level. What I've learned is if you can still see the urine stain under a black light (it will glow), then there's more than enough of the urine left for the cat to smell.

With all the cats I've fostered, I was lucky to never have a cat that spaying/neutering didn't stop their spraying, but I understand how extremely lucky I have been. Spaying/neutering helps in the majority of cases, but it depends on the age of the pet when it is altered and how active they were (sexually) before they were altered. Sometimes it doesn't stop the spraying.

I've heard of people who are allergic to cat that rinse their cats with club soda or quinine water or something like that (I don't remember which it was... maybe a combo of both??) but never knew anyone who actually tried it. Because of the dander from grooming, long haired cats are suppose to be much worse for people who have allergies (which is another reason why the hairless cats became popular in this area for a while - thanks to Austin Powers for the interest), but then again, everyone I know who is allergic thinks, "my allergy, my problem," so they treat themselves and don't put their pets through anything extra.

[Vi Co Bi]

Spencer, I used ammonia for years until someone showed me the black light trick and I saw how a "nature's miracle" type cleaner really helped get rid of the glow (after quite a bit of cleaning though).

It's still a lot of work and NEVER any fun no matter what you use to clean it up with.

[Troy]

The Devon Rex is also a cat that is superb for allergy sufferers. It has "wool" much like a poodle, although don't let this put you off, its coat is still beautiful. Due to the nature of wool it doesn't shed much Dandra at all and it's hair doesn't shed to nearly the same degree as a normal "furred" cat.

[4 feline house]

I hate to destroy a few well-worn myths, but most people allergic to cats are allergic to the epithelium (skin, saliva, mucus), not the hair, so the length, or even absence, of hair may make no difference to an allergy sufferer. Many people think they are allergic to cats, when in fact they are sensitive to the dust mites and pollens trapped in the fur. Or they are allergic to cats and the junk in their fur. They get a shorter-haired, or no-haired, cat, and notice their allergies are diminished, not realizing that it is only because their new cat carries fewer allergens. And it is possible to be allergic to a new cat, but not your old one. Actually, you are allergic to your old one, you just don't notice it anymore, because you have built up a tolerance. This is called desensitization, and is the theory behind allergy shots. You will eventually build up a tolerance to the new cat too, although if you have a severe allergy it may never completely disappear. And immunology is in no sense a "black art", and a simple skin test will identify any allergen that a person is sensitive to, as well as eliminate any that they aren't. I think the "black art" attitude stems from the fact that alot of people think any type of physical reaction is an "allergy" when in fact they are not. An allergy is simply, and strictly, an improper immune response to an otherwise harmless protein. In other words, my body has somehow gotten the idea that the proteins in cat epithelia are nasty disease causing organisms, so it sends out an immunizing attack. So things like "sun" allergies are misnomers. There may well be some reaction or sensitivity, even severe, but it is not of an allergic nature. And this is where alot of the "black art" comes in, too, because these type reactions are alot harder to pin down.

Anyway, I'll get off my soapbox now...

[annibale16]

Thanks to all who replied, I am having the boy neutered tommorrow. And, as far as any allergies, I agree with the fact that you do become immune after awhile. I still have itchy eyes but it could also be caused from any number of different things including pollen from pine trees. I have found that bathing the cat regularly has helped.

[Troy]

4 feline house,

I'm sorry I seem to have hit a nerve on the immunology thing. By "black art" I purely meant it takes a very specialised and experienced practitioner to understand the science - I did not mean it as the art of a witch doctor.

I occasionally suffer from serious allergic attacks that I have to go on heavy medication to control. I have had many skin tests, both here and in Germany and the immunologists have failed to identify the allergen I am sensitive to. Stress or viral infections can cause the onset of urticarian reactions (allergy) yet they can not be identified by a simple skin test.

[4 feline house]

Troy-

Oh, no, you didn't hit a nerve at all. It's hard to tell on these boards what kind of attitude someone is "speaking" with since there is no voice to give cues. I guess if we used the smileys more it would help, but I don't always think about it, even if it did occur to me that someone might misread my attitude. Actually, I think we might agree - there is alot of quackery out there masquerading as science and medicine, and that's how the "black magic" gets pulled into the mix! But even if we didn't agree, it wouldn't hurt my feelings. Of course, I think everyone should think the same way I do - - but I realize they don't, and I like that in this forum we are all free to express our opinions without fear of being flamed.

Oh, and your are right, I made it sound like all allergens can be identified. In fact, you have to already suspect what it might be to be tested for it. So, no, you don't always find the culprit. And hives can happen for various reasons. An allergic reaction is caused when the offended cells release histamine (which is why allergy pills are antihistamines) but many other things can cause the release, including the things you mentioned.

But, anyway, I guess this is not a medical board, so I'll let the pet talk continue now....