Thor, a pedigree Maine Coon, is 7 months now. Some say I should have neutered him soon after we adopted him in March 2025. Others say to wait as long as 10 months or even a year because the breed develops more slowly than other cats.

At 7 months, Thor is a hefty 13.7 pounds. His two Maine Coon 4-year-old sisters, Freya and Siggy, weigh 9 pounds each. Siggy is the alpha and keeps Thor in check. But he wrestles Freya every day, and she doesn’t like it. He doesn’t mean to be aggressive; he is just playing. But this is the sign that his neutering surgery should go forward soon. (He is scheduled mid month August 2025.)

For perspective on his size, here are Thor, Freya and Siggy. Thor is the dark silver tabby, Freya the brown tabby and Siggy the cream.

Because Thor was sold to us as a pet and not breeding stock, neutering is required by contract with Jinxy’s Maine Coon Cattery, which we highly recommend.

What are benefits of neutering?

Obviously, the operation prevents unwanted pregnancies, as male cats are fertile at four months. The procedure also prevents unwanted behaviors, such as spraying, attempting to escape to mate, caterwauling and aggression.

There are risks with early neutering, say, at 5-7 weeks, including socialization issues, smaller size, urinary obstruction later in life and even possible growth plate injuries.

Like many cat daddies, I am apprehensive about the surgery. Thor is my baby, literally. Freya and Siggy were spayed, and that operation is more complex with longer recovery times. I called my vet who assured me that the operation is fairly simple. She also will keep him overnight to make sure there are no complications.

Here is a video showing the neutering operation. (Warning: you might be uncomfortable watching the procedure.)

My vet said male cats heal very quickly. She recommends monitoring Thor and keeping playtime at a minimal until he is healed, which usually takes 7-14 days.

Thor is an athletic cat, so this is going to be difficult.

Here’s a video of him jumping higher than 5 feet!

Neutered cats often gain weight. My breeder says to expect Thor gaining 5 pounds in the months after the operation. In Thor’s case, that means he probably will be 20+ pounds by January 2026 with several more years of muscle growth for the next four.

Finally, in preparation for the operation, it occurred to me that Freya and Siggy’s cat carriers already are too small for Thor. So I purchased a Maine Coon adult carrier, shown below.

Watch for a product review in the coming month.

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