Ah well the deed is done but the vet won his battle because when I returned one hour after his appointment to collect him they had awakened him chemically. He came home hyperventilating and in a very distressed state which was what I was hoping to avoid.

Right now he is wobbly, hissing and spitting and it looks as though he has reverted to the wild state because I can't get within 2 metres of him.

I need to go out and get dirt for a dirt box but there will be no dry soil to dig up because we have had very heavy rain. I guess he won't mind but I intend to keep him in the rest of this day in spite of his protests. Even before this operation he got stressed if he found himself shut inside so we will have a rough day ahead of us.

I must say though that the price for neutering was only $51.10 so I was really surprised because I was expecting something around the $100 mark.

I'm glad it's over.

Oh dear. I was waiting for a message from you as you said 6th was THE DAY. I think it weird the Vet woke him up chemically. Surely that negates all you were trying to achieve and would also be especially stressful for the cat as the "wounds" would be very fresh. Poor wee fellow. Best of luck for tomorrow.
It may be a difficult day for both of you, but I hope it all turns out successfully in the end. Please let me know how it goes.

He was scratching at his locked pet door in the garage at 4pm and I forgot that he was there. Opened the front door to chuck out the lunch that he wouldn't eat for the birds and out he ran.

It is pouring down with rain, freezing cold and I can't find him to bring him home. He has gone runabout and is again a wild cat I think.

Hopefully he will have better sense and come home through the night and find food and warmth.

If not, all my work may have been in vain.

Yes, I was a bit frustrated with the vet for not letting me bring him home asleep but there you are. What is done, is done.

All's well. He came back in his own time late last night and ate a small dinner. This morning he is eating, running around, playing with his teddy and the other cat.

I think he will settle now and grow into a friendly happy cat now that being a tom is not on his mind anymore. What a relief!

Thats great C-shell. Well done. Thanks for the updates. So glad it is a happy ending.

...I'm getting too old for all this...

....No you're not ...we soft buggers that love animals NEVER give up. You would probably do it all again . . . . and I know I would !! Could not help myself. Way to go !!!!

C-Shell love over rules anything else but just watch that it's not just cupboard love. They know which side their bread is buttered on in other words. Hope he fulfills your dream. One cat lover to another.

Justme, hi there
Kidd sticks around after his meals and follows me if I settle, say at the computer and stays nearby. When I move off, he takes himself to his favourite chair in the garage.

Since the operation I have not been able to pick him up. He seems to remember that last time I did that he was tossed into a carry box and given a nasty experience. Patience will get us there eventually.

Thank you all for your interest and shared experiences; it's been a nice discussion.

Kidd is turning out to be a personality. He greets me with an Anglicised version of "hello" that I understand immediately and he can ask for "biscuits". His "hello" to the other cat sounds entirely different. He has silky soft fur and is the most gentle energetic kitten that I have ever inherited. He follows the old cat Scott around like a shadow and the two of them are never more than a few metres apart. They fun fight, chase, explore together and through the day snooze in the same areas. Kidd rids the property of unwanted intruders, leaving old Scott to watch on.

At daybreak , sometime way before my eyes should be open, he starts playing games around the house to make sure that I get up. My TV remotes land on the floor, watches, pens etc, are knocked off small tables and if I ignore him he goes outside and catches a bird, leaving it on the kitchen floor half eaten.....not the perfect cat but he is pretty much near it.

His old habits die hard. There are nests made out of pillows, blankets, bathroom mats and the pea straw in the garage that he sleeps in at different times of the night but sleeps inside somewhere and appears if I get up.

Occasionally he gets scared of unexpected movement, spits and hisses but it is all noise and he has never scratched me once and loves to be picked up now for a cuddle and to have his neck massaged. His life is pretty good for an ex-wild boy.