The large neutered tomcat has large fangs and long claws.

Yes, his gonads are gone but he's still a male beast.

Morning: I get up and make the bed, he jumps into the middle of the bed and I grab a corner of the comforter and throw it over him. He's buried and goes nuts and I jump over the covers to rub him up. He crawls out and makes cat noises. I remake the bed. I walk around the bed and grab another corner and fling it over him. He goes nuts again.

I catch no claws or fangs but the tomcat goes nuts with the play. He's just thrilled to be in the lashup at my house with his sister and his mother.

For a checkup earlier this week Dr. Wallach told me that the tomcat Trouble would either be dead or the father of a lot of feral kittens in the neighborhood and probably be carrying some nasty injuries while fighting for females. The cat has the size, the strength, the camouflage and the heart to be an Alpha cat.

But he's got no balls thanks to me and my wife. But he's a sweet cat:

When that right front paw in the photo spreads out and the razor claws come out you will never say "kitty cat" again if you live to be a hundred.

Trouble has "giant" paws too.

As a kid we had a pedigree, male Siamese cat named Pywacket. In my family, cats were allowed outside to roam around the yard. Too much traffic to keep the cats from escaping out doors anyway.

Well, Pywacket the male Siamese moved out on his own becasue he could not get along with the family dog, Major, a mixed sheppard/something.

Pywacket became the "terror or the neighborhood" Fighting with all cats for females. He would come home after a particularly nasty fight...why I don't know...with bite marks in various places. He moved into a neighbor's old fashioned wood/stucco garage's second floor and fought all comers for "fair maidens" by the looks of him.

He ended up with half an ear, pieces of his face/other ear gouged and one eye, semi-closed. And he "walked" with a perpetual crouch. Not a nice life for a cat.

Years ago on Crescent Street in Astoria, Queens the Marine Corps League had a meeting place and saloon. It was way up north at 21-80 Crescent betond the El.

There was a huge busted up tomcat that patrolled the neighborhood at night. The old Marines fed him and he was OK with us as a feral tom but we called him "Half Head" for obvious reasons.

Jesus H. Christ on a Crutch! - that cat was torn to pieces but he was huge and still brawling for dances with the girls. We knew he couldn't last on the street much longer but Mom Nature would decide that.

Here, the huge neutered Trouble jumps into bed with my wife, announces his presence with some strange cat noises, and then he flops and goes to sleep as she rubs his neck and shoulders.

That cat truly loves the abuse she dishes out to him.

Just caught the tomcat snoozing on the Castro upstairs. He's got a nice head and it's all in one piece since he's not fighting for a quickie mate. He rarely sleeps near his sister or mother anymore unless one or both of them jumps into his nap place to be near him. Then it's Love In Bloom and lots of snuggles.

Cats will make you do a lot of wondering if you follow their behavior.

I just acquired one that looks just like him...this guy is a muscular beast...we clipped his claws but not his nuts...he started coming to my son's off campus apt in NJ looking for food...he started to feed him and he wouldnt leave. So we brought him back to LI. He wont go outside anymore...think he's afraid of not being allowed back in and being out on the street again!

He started the hissing crap at my golden retriever and an occasional swipe at him. My dog doesn't even go near him anymore.

But this cat looks like he's never had a friend before cause as soon as I get home from work he is waiting for me to start the nightly petting-scratching. And he follows me all over the house.

Cats will latch onto you and since I'm home all day the three here come see me when they want something. But they know the wife is easy with special treats so when she gets home from work they leave me like fleas leaving a dead dog to go bug her with love.

Cats are only out for cats and know how to play the people they own.