Neutered personality change

[carthorse]

My nearly 6 month old kitten was a little devil. We had him neutered last week and his suddenly lovely. Quiet and purring and cuddly.
He now wants to be stroked and sit with us. Do they usually change so much

 

[FinnishLapphund]

It happens sometimes, sometimes it is just temporary, sometimes it is a permanent change. I've had cats that has acted as if nothing changed after the surgery, cats who has gotten more cuddly (temporarily or permanent) and one cat who hid herself under a bed for three or more days and just slept. We had to crawl in and bring her out to feed her, give her water and let her use the litter box, then we tried to cuddle her a little, but as soon as the necessities was done, she just wanted to crawl back in under the bed and sleep (made us more than a little bit worried about if she had retreated to die under that bed).

About their behaviour after surgery, I've wondered about if it only has to do with the changing hormones (less hormones telling them to go around checking their territory, makes them less restless and more likely to enjoy a cuddle) or if it in some cases also can have something to do with that they've been to the veterinarians plus gone through anaesthesia and surgery, so that they feel different than usual, and reacts by either changing behaviour or doing the cat equivalent of trying to keep a stiff upper lip.

Another thought is that since they smell like they've been to the veterinarians, they want more cuddles, because that makes them smell of you instead, which can be a way to confirm that they belong to your territory.

But also, when they purr, I think they release feeling good endorphins, which could lead to that they feel less pain from the wound, so they start doing it for one reason - they feel better when you cuddle them, and then they continue to want to be cuddled more often even though the pain is gone, because they simply enjoy feeling good.

Or there is some other explanation that I haven't heard of/doesn't remember hearing.