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From: ayers@convexs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: Better mousers??
Message-ID: <23000010@convexs>
Date: Fri, 23-Aug-85 14:19:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: convexs.23000010
Posted: Fri Aug 23 14:19:00 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 26-Aug-85 01:18:45 EDT
References: <247@drutx.UUCP>
Lines: 47
Nf-ID: #R:drutx.UUCP:-24700:convexs:23000010:000:1987
Nf-From: convexs.UUCP!ayers    Aug 23 13:19:00 1985


>I am considering getting a couple of cats from the dumb friend's
>league to use as mousers. My questions are:
>	1) Which is usually a better mouser - male or female

I've lived in the country most of my life, and always used cats as 
"mouse traps" during that time.  Based on my experience, there has 
been no difference based on sex.  It has been strickly a personality 
thing.

>	2) Does the fact that a cat has been spayed or neutered
>	   effect its hunting ability/desire

As a child, I'd never heard of anyone other than "fat old ladies" 
neutering a pet, but after I got older (and wiser?) I recognized 
the importance of stabilizing population growth [i.e. I've had
both] -- again, no difference either in neutered and un-neutered, 
or at what age the animals were neutered.

>	3) If I obtain 2 animals, will I be better off obtaining
>	   one of each sex or two of the same. If two of the same
>	   sex, which sex (this question refers to compatability
>	   of the animals)

Being in the country, we often have animals "donated" to us via 
midnight express.  If the animals are neutered, they don't seem 
to care about what sex their neutered "friend" is.  Again, every-
thing I've seen has centered around personality, not sex.  
Right now we have a very "active" male kitten, and very "composed" 
female kitten.  It has often been the other way around.  

For What It's Worth Department:

As soon as the vet says "go" we'll have this batch "fixed," and we'll 
be set until another crop is dropped off.  (Being in the country is
nice, because the cats can roam around.  Unfortunately, so do every-
one else's dogs.)

BTW -- our vet says that the only time she has seen (neutered) male 
cats spray their territory has been when they were "fixed" after they 
had grown up instead of as a kitten.  She says that she has _never_
had that problem if the cat is under 12 months old when neutered.


	     ("There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact..."

				blues, II