How Long After Desexing Will A Stud Cat Stop Spraying? 

One of the questions I was asked in my Q&A post was how long after desexing a stud cat can come into the house if he’s still spraying.

This question came from Neri, who is a member of my New Cat Breeders Club. She has Burmese, and that detail matters because breed can make a difference. Some cats are more highly charged hormonally than others, and some breeds can take a little longer to settle after desexing.

My answer is not a simple number of weeks. It really does depend on the cat.

Some boys settle very quickly after desexing. Some take months. And some boys, even once desexed, may never fully stop spraying. That’s not the answer anyone really wants, but it’s the real answer.

Why Some Desexed Stud Cats Keep Spraying

Spraying is not always just about whether a cat is entire or desexed. Hormones are a big part of it, but they’re not the only part.

A stud cat may keep spraying because he has been entire for a while and spraying has become part of his normal behaviour. He may be reacting to the smell of other cats. He may be in a house with girl cats. He may be responding to other males. He may feel like he still needs to mark his space.

That’s why I always look at the whole picture.

If a desexed stud is still spraying three months after desexing, I’d be asking what’s happening around him. Is he coming into a house where there are other cats? Are there entire girls? Are there smells from other cats? Is he being given too much space too quickly? Would he behave differently in a pet home where he’s the only cat?

Those details matter.

Breed And Individual Temperament Matter

Some cats are just more hormonal than others. That can be an individual cat thing, and it can also be influenced by breed.

Neri has Burmese, and Burmese can be a bit more intense in that way. A Burmese boy may take longer to settle than a breed that is generally less hormonal.

My own cats are not known for being wildly hormonal, but even then I’ve had boys who were much more hormonal than others. I have two boys at the moment who live together and will be desexed at the same time. I’m pretty sure Cuthbert will come around quickly and become a little house cat without too much drama. Reggie, on the other hand, may take longer because Reggie is the man cat.

Same environment. Same plan. Different cats.  That’s why you can’t apply one neat answer to every retired stud cat.

Some Retired Stud Cats Transition Easily

Some boys are very easy to transition into the house after desexing.

Herbert was like that for me. He was my big boy, and he was really easy. He didn’t actively spray in the first place. I’m not saying he didn’t smell like a stud cat, because he did, but he wasn’t a boy who went around spraying corners and marking everything.

When Herbert came into the house, he settled well. He was one of the easy ones.

I’ve also recently brought Bobby into the house. Bobby had already been desexed for a couple of years. He’d lived with his dad, then with his son, and more recently with my old cat Sid. So he had already had a few friendship changes before coming inside.

There have been a few little moments with the other cats, but he hasn’t sprayed, which is brilliant.

Those are the stories we all want. But not every boy is like that.

Some Cats May Never Fully Stop Spraying

I also have two boys in the barn at the moment. They live in a cattery pen, and they come out and spend time in the barn as well. They have a good life, but every time I start thinking that maybe they’re ready to transition into the house, one of them sprays on something.

They particularly love spraying on their beds.

I’d love to transition them fully into a house situation, but I’m not sure it’s going to be possible for them. So I give them the best life I can while still keeping them in a situation that works for them and for the house.

That’s part of breeding too. Sometimes the perfect outcome is not possible, so you do the best thing that is realistic for that cat.

How To Introduce A Desexed Stud Cat Into The House

If you’re going to try bringing a desexed stud cat into the house, I would not give him the full run of the house straight away. 

Start small.  Give him one safe area first. Let him settle there. Let him learn the smells, sounds and routine of that space before you slowly increase the area he can access. If you open the whole house to him straight away, it can be too much, especially if there are other cats around.

I’d also use a good enzyme cleaner from the beginning. In Australia, I use Trueeco. If you’re rehoming him, I’d send him with a good big bottle of it and tell the new owner how to use it properly.

The goal is not to scare the new owner. It’s to prepare them honestly so that one accident doesn’t become the end of the trial.

Be Honest With The New Owner

If you’re rehoming a retired stud cat who may still spray, you need to be honest with the new owner.

Tell them there is a possibility he may pee or spray on something while he adjusts. Tell them how you want him introduced to the home. Tell them not to give him the full run of the house on day one. Give them the cleaner. Explain that he needs time.

And make it clear that if they’re not happy or if it doesn’t work, he can come straight back to you. That’s what I do with adults I rehome. They can come straight back to me.

Adult cats are not kittens. They come with history, habits and personality. Some settle beautifully. Some take more time. Some need a different situation. The breeder needs to stay responsible for that.

Is It Worth Trying To Rehome A Retired Stud Cat?

If the cat has a genuine chance at a good pet home, I think it’s worth trying. This is for him. It’s not for you as the breeder. It’s not just for the new owner. It’s for the cat.

A retired stud deserves the chance to have a happy pet life if that’s possible for him. For some boys, that will be easy. For some boys, it will take time and careful management. For some boys, it may not be possible, and then your job is to give them the best life you can in a safe and suitable set up.  But if you have a boy who might do well in a pet home, especially as an only cat, I’d try.

How Long Should You Wait After Desexing?

There is no perfect timeline, but three months after desexing is quite a while if he’s still spraying.

At that point, I’d be looking less at the calendar and more at the behaviour and the environment. Is he spraying less than before? Is he only spraying in certain situations? Is he reacting to other cats? Does he spray in his own space, or only when he comes into the house? Would he do better in a home without other cats?

Those answers will tell you more than the number of weeks since desexing.  Some boys may be ready within weeks. Some need a few months. Some need a very slow trial. Some will always need management.

My Advice For Breeders

If you have a desexed stud cat who is still spraying and you’re hoping to bring him into the house or rehome him, my advice is to think about the individual cat, not just the desexing date.

Look at his breed, his personality, his history, his spraying habits and the environment you’re asking him to live in.

Go slowly. Start with a small space. Use a good enzyme cleaner. Be honest with the new owner. Make sure he can come back to you if it doesn’t work.

And if there’s a genuine chance for him to have a happy life as a pet, I think it’s worth trying.  This is something I have said since I started coaching cat breeders and it is still very important to me today.