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Is it possible for a neutering to be unsuccessful?

I had a 3-year-old stray neutered about 3 weeks ago and brought him inside. I let him go outside yesterday while I watched him from inside. I turned away for a minute, and when I looked back he was mounting a stray female. I was able to catch him and brought him back in the house and he howled for hours trying to get back out to the girl cat.

Later last night I realized he had urinated on my couch. He has been very good for the past 3 weeks about using his box, so I'm wondering if he was "spraying."

He is also very aggressive with the other cats I have (although I'm introducing him slowly and hope he gets over this eventually.)

Also when I look at him from behind, he still looks like he's half, um, "intact" shall we say. My other neutered cats both look pretty androgenous.

I left a message for the vet who did the neutering, but I haven't heard back. And I'm sort of embarrassed to question his workmanship.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!

>>Is it possible for a neutering to be unsuccessful?

Not as a rule. But it can take a few weeks for the hormones to calm down and work out of the cat's system. Neutered males will still sometimes try to mount females, they just can't make kittens. In fact, some breeders will keep a neutered male to use with their breeding females when they don't want them to produce a litter.

The wet spot on your couch may have been more of an editorial comment about you spoiling his fun than that of a male spraying.

I agree with Aby about the editorial comment part. I am sure he was saying "Well...I never!! Take that Daddy" As for looking like a male...sort of. My Vet told me that they now do the surgery more "cosmetically". Not exactly sure that this makes the cat any happier but whatever!! Now the little night out with the girl friend episode.. let me tell you about my male cat. The very day that he came home from being neutered, he mounted my 60 dog and went at it. Now...really...in his heyday he could not have handled that. She just turned her head and looked at him and then looked at me as if to say "Say what?...Do you see what this fool is doing...I am spayed and a DOG...he really has a problem". So I imagine the surgery was fine, he just has a few hormones and some memories to keep him going.
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PHWildCat
Cat Board Monitor and Chat Host
Pet Hobbyist
A house without cats is like a garden without flowers

My neutered cat was rather a casanova around the neighborhood even years after his neuter. In fact, I had to remind my stepfather *who was a jerk, but that's irrelevant* that he was fixed after he threatened to take Ben to the pound if he 'knocked up that calico next door'.

My Dad just recently got a young female cat from the Humane Society. He already has an older cat that was neutered when he was a kitten. Well, of course, as soon as the little girl was in the house, Dad was cracking up at old Tigger. The big boy'd pin her down and hold her by the neck, and then he'd get this puzzled look on his face..."Okay, I know I'm supposed to be doing SOMETHING here...but what?"

Riot

Just to put your mind at ease... I have a 8yr. old male that has been neutered at 7 months. About 2 years ago I aquired an "active" un-spayed female that quickly went into heat. She made her attempts to lure him into her paws and at first he wanted nothing to do with her. After a while, he must have realized that he was supposed to mount her, and did.(Sometimes getting the wrong area, but he tried!) They will always have the instinct, but they will not necessarily act upon them. And if they do...you can almost guarantee that nothing will happen.

My old dog cassidy was a spayed female and she would hump anything... My old roomates son would have to run from her....
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-- Kelly & The LiL Monsters
(Wicked,Diesel)