feral cats-

Question
I have just neutered a young feral cat who has just begun fighting with other feral tomcats.  I am planning to catch the other 2 males to neuter them also but if I am unable to trap them, will they continue to fight with my neutered feral since they have already identified him as a threat to their territory? I do realize that it takes awhile for the hormones to disappear after neutering. I am very concerned about this situation because the neutered cat had to be returned to the vet 2 days after neutering when a serious abscess from a previous fight surfaced.  Thank you very much.

Answer
Bonnie,

You are absolutely correct, it does take some time for testosterone to leave a cat's system when he's been neutered, some vets suggest a few weeks. The younger you can neuter the cats the better because they never start fighting in the first place and neutered cats are healthier and happier as a result. I think that the fighting will settle down once everyone has bee neutered but it will take some time.

I wanted to say that I think you're doing something amazing here. Keep up the good work in caring for stray, feral and unwanted cats. It's nice to see people who care enough and have the time and means to institute trap, spay/neuter, vaccinate and release programs.