I can't look at my cat :(

[catburglar]

My pet cat disappeared on Thursday. I've a microchip catflap for him and his sister so they're always coming and going. He arrived back on Saturday and he'd been neutered and ear tipped. I'm really upset. I don't know how I can cope with seeing him looking like that for the next 20 years. I don't know who did it or why. I feel like I'm being really shallow but I feel like he's been mutilated. He's perfectly happy himself at least.

And kitten season or no, cats can get pregnant at any time of the year.

No one has "interfered" - they have found an un-neutered unchipped cat and he has been neutered and marked accordingly

Interesting you say He hasn't been* terrorising the neighbourhood "for* a long time. - just a short time to then?

It has been a long time. The other cat was spayed before last April.

So at least a year.

It doesnt really matter how glossy his coat is. Whoever, took him in, saw a cat out and about (probably several times) and assumed its owner was irresponsible or that it didnt have an owner and took it to be done.

Why else would someone let their intact male cat out? It's not something responsible owners do

Also op was putting her own cat at risk. Tom cats fight really badly. Her own cat could have very very badly injured.

@OrangeLindt

Look at all the typical MNetters with their claws out! Oh so righteous aren't we hmm

Haha with your claws out pun. ..

No not self righteous, taking care of the pets you have is a basic requirement, not when you think about it. It is hugely irresponsible to allow an intact male (or female) out of the house

Self righteousness or knowledge of basic pet care? 🙄

I’d find it strange if my cat came home and he’d be nurtured by a random but on the other hand, he was done as soon as he was big enough to do so. Your cat should be your priority

I wonder if all the cats you are getting neutered are the offspring of your tom cat OP?

Why on earth are you getting others neutered when you haven’t got your own house in order?

I’d find it strange if my cat came home and he’d be nurtured by a random

Even if you go out, catch and neuter random cats?

🎵
"Another queen,
Another tom:
"I'm not neutered; let's get it on";
It's kitten season,
Another reason
For making whoopee." 🎵

So, there's a kitten season for Irish cats?
Or was I still not fully awake reading this thread?

Ah the mythical Scottish magic cat 😻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 known to journey over the water to Ireland 🇮🇪 in its wee magic canoe 🛶

Or possibly a Welsh cat in a coracle?

Or maybe these guys:

Hit post too

I've had a pain meds change and taken oramorph today so probably not making sense to anyone outside of my head. :)

It's ok AFemaleWoman, I understood what you meant too.

Anyway OP it's done now, love your cat no matter what he looks like. My beautiful Bengal is getting on a bit now and he has ripped ears, missing teeth and a wonky mouth but I still love him and he's still beautiful albeit in a more 'characterful' way 😼

Here's a photo of said mythical half blood Irish winter born kitten just in case anyone doubts me

Even if you go out, catch and neuter random cats?

Didn't OP say she only catches the females?

Which is surely the most flagrant example of internalised misogyny I've ever seen on MN.

@fivedogstofeed
The kitten does have a slightly other worlde mystical look about them....

Great thread everyone.

I have foster kittens all year round in beautiful Ireland, the last couple of years have definitely seen the end of a traditional kitten season. This is the strangest cat thread ever.
For your toms well-being he should have been neutered long ago. I have usually had toms neutered before queens because they tend to be bigger sooner and vets are more comfortable doing the procedure, it's also far easier to fix a time than spay a queen. He now has less instinct to spray, gaurd territory, fight, and a reduced cancer risk. I'm glad he's been done. It was plain irresponsible not to have done it by now. Also toms are cheaper to neuter, I just don't get why you'd do tnr and not think to take care of your own, it makes no sense

No good deed goes unpunished, I suppose

Don’t be so fucking stupid. Letting an entire Tom roam free being an absolute menace?

There's just been a huge spat on my local lost & found FB.
Someone posted that their 4 month old kitten was lost. When a few people asked what a kitten was doing outside on her own, the poster defended herself by saying the parents were strays she'd been feeding who then turned up with a litter of kittens. She had decided to keep the kittens, kids loved them, bla bla ....

Well who could have predicted that?

When people started pointing out that the mother could already be pregnant again, and that all the local vets run a Cats Protection subsidised neutering scheme ( £5) the post was deleted.

The level of ignorance around cats is incredible. To be completely honest if an unneutered cat started hanging around my house I would take him to the vets whether I thought he had an owner or not.

fivedogstofeed

He looks like his dad, OP's cat
(Only kidding, but he looks like he easily could be the offspring of OP's tom, maybe you are not far from each other ;))

OP
Even if your "priorities" make no sense to anyone, console yourself with the fact that no one will try to catch him and take him to the vet because people can clearly see he's been done already. Don't you want to post the picture of his ear?
If you are upset that he was marked like a stray, he was originally a rescue stray anyway... somebody assumed he was without an owner because they probably saw him shagging more than once and owners normally don't let sexually active entire cats out , and the chip could have been missed...

How does everyone know when OP's other cat, the tom's sister, was neutered? I can't see OP giving the details.