Quote Originally Posted by Biciclista View Post
I grew up with un-neutered cats, leaving them entire seriously shortens their lives. They are so driven by sex and territory that they don't take enough time to hunt and eat. But Indy, I hear what you're saying, if you're having to pay for it!
The cat ladies around here take anything that will crawl into a trap.
I want to make it clear that I didn't seriously consider not fixing him. It was really just a passing thought. My adult male disappeared for three weeks the very day that I took the other two to the vet. He showed up again last week. Part of me was relieved that he was alive; another part of me was sort of frustrated. I had gotten into a routine with the adult female and her kitten, and I could predict when they would come around for food. Now the male tends to eat all the food, so it's making our breakfast and dinner routines more time consuming and costly. They at least all get along. In fact, I think the female acts more comfortable around us when the male is present. I'm sure I'll get used to taking care of three of them, but I'm not going to lie. In my limited experience, I have to say that it takes a fair bit of work to care for ferals. Some days I'd really rather not deal with it, as much as I have grown to care for them.

That said, I know I've done the right thing by him and other cats in getting him neutered.