undescended testicle in 10 mo. old ragdoll

Question
I had my ragdoll neutered when he was 6 mo. old.  The vet said that one testicle was inside and couldn't be removed with the "normal" procedure.  Everything would be fine but sometimes there would be enough hormone still produced to make Thomas a "tomcat".  Well, 4 mo. later he's beginning to mark territory, etc.  I talked to my vet, he doesn't do the surgery but can refer me to someone who does.  My question is: will he stop spraying after the surgery or is this a habit that is going to go unstopped?

Answer
Pam,

Thomas's undescended testicle could have been removed at the same time as the other testicle - the surgery takes a bit longer because the vet has to find the testicle to remove it but it's really not much more difficult than a standard neuter which is why I find it so surprising that your vet didn't remove both of Thomas's testicles while he was under anesthesia the first time. Cats are similar to human beings in that they can still produce offspring with only one testicle so for all intents and purposes Thomas is a tom cat and his behavior reflects that. There's a good chance that if you have the undescended testicle removed Thomas's hormone levels will drop down to what they should be and his territorial marking will stop. Testosterone levels tend to take a few weeks to drop after neutering so it's probably best to confine Thomas to a small, easily cleaned room until he stops spraying - the bathroom is ideal for this purpose.

I would strongly advise that you clean areas where Thomas has sprayed with an enzymatic cleaner, unlike many household cleaners which contain ingredients that mimic the scent of urine as far as cats are concerned enzymatic cleaners use beneficial bacteria to permanently remove odors and stains caused by urine, feces and vomit. I use a product called Petzyme which is available at Petsmart, I would recommend that you purchase the larger sized jug of Petzyme available in the dog section because it is cheaper on a per milliliter basis than the small spray bottle of the same product labelled for use with cat odors and stains. Petzyme even includes instructions for use in the laundry in case there is a need for bedding or other linens to be cleaned.

It's probably a good idea to consider purchasing a handheld black light to check for the presence of urine throughout your home, these lights can often be found at pet supply stores and when the room is dark except for the black light urine will fluoresce which will make it easier to clean up.