Can a Neutered Cat Live With an Unneutered Cat?

Yes, a neutered cat can live with an unneutered cat, since the neutered cat won’t have the same drive to mark its territory or to fight. Some unneutered cats will still be too aggressive to have housemates, though, so keep a close eye on both cats after introduction. 

 

It isn’t always possible to get a new male cat neutered before bringing them into your home. If you already have a neutered cat at home, you might wonder if the two cats will get along until the new kitty can get neutered. 

 

Chances are, your neutered male cat will be just fine with its new housemate, but the same can’t always be said for the intact cat. Unneutered cats are driven to do undesired behaviors like spraying and fighting because of their hormones. This means that even if your neutered cat is not aggressive to the new unneutered cat, the new cat may still perceive him as a threat.

 

At the end of the day, whether the two cats can live together will depend on their individual personalities. Let’s look more into whether neutered cats can live with unneutered cats. 

 

Can an Unneutered Male Cat Live With a Neutered Male Cat?

 

All vets can neuter cats, but occasionally the wait for appointments can be long, leaving you with an unneutered male cat in your house. With spayed or neutered cats, a proper introduction is usually all that’s needed for cats to live a peaceful life together. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case for unneutered cats. 

 

Whether an unneutered male cat can live with a neutered male cat depends on the personality of the two cats. An aggressive unneutered cat will be difficult to house with a more docile, neutered cat. 

 

If the unneutered cat is young, it’s more likely to live peacefully with its neutered counterpart. The neutered cat won’t have urges to protect its territory or mark anything, meaning that fights aren’t likely to break out unless the intact male is the aggressor. 

 

There are a few things you can do to limit aggression between the intact and neutered male cat:

 

• Introduce them slowly, through a door if possible, so they can learn each other’s scents.

 

• Make sure there is plenty of space for both cats to hide if they feel threatened.

 

• Feed them in separate places.

 

• Have an appointment to get your unneutered cat fixed as soon as possible. 

 

• If aggression pops up despite your best efforts, have a place where you can separate the cats until both are neutered.

 

One thing to note is that you may need to start the introduction process all over again once the veterinarian neuters the intact male since he will smell significantly different, and be feeling vulnerable from the surgery. Always provide any cat that has undergone a medical procedure to have a quiet place to heal before reintroducing them to your other pets. 

 

Will a Male Cat Try to Mate With a Spayed Cat?

 

A neutered male cat won’t try to mate with any other cats, including a spayed cat. An unneutered male cat with try to mate with a spayed cat, even though the effort will be unsuccessful.

 

Sadly for unneutered male cats, their hormones aren’t very choosy with who they try to mate with. This means even spayed female cats can become objects of their desires, long after they’ve lost the capability to bear kittens.

 

Unneutered male cats will be even more interested in the spayed cat if she has just recently been spayed. Male cats aren’t known to be gentle when trying to mate, and their attentions can stress out a newly spayed female, which is why it’s a good idea for all the cats in the house to be spayed or neutered.

 

 If that isn’t currently possible, give the spayed female a safe space to get away while she heals. 

 

This can also cause fights between the cats because the spayed female won’t put up with the unneutered cat trying to mate with her, and she will fight to make him leave her alone. Fights between cats are very stressful for them, and can even cause permanent injury, so if your male cat tries to mate with your spayed female, it’s best to separate them. 

 

Can a Neutered Male Cat Live With an Unneutered Female Cat?

 

Although it’s ideal for all cats in a household to be fixed, a neutered male living with an unneutered, also known as unspayed, female cat usually isn’t problematic.

 

Neutered male cats show little aggression or desire to mark their territories, making them acceptable housemates for unneutered female cats. 

 

The only problem that can arise is if the neutered male cat spent a significant amount of time unneutered. The hormones in his system won’t go away immediately, and behaviors that he has learned throughout his lifetime may stick around longer than if someone had neutered him at a young age. It can take up to a month for behaviors to change in a newly neutered male cat. 

 

Squabbles between a neutered male cat and an unspayed female cat can also occur when the female cat goes into heat. During heat, the female cat will become desperate for attention from any other cat, including the neutered male, and her pesky behavior can be the catalyst for fights. 

 

If your male cat has little patience for the amorous female cat, separate them until her heat is over with. 

 

Final Thoughts

 

Cats, like people, will have their own personalities and preferences on their housemates. While ideally all cats in a household will be fixed, if an intact cat must join your household, just make sure to take the proper precautions to ensure a calm living environment for all your kitties.