Cats grow quite quickly and reach sexual maturity at the age of 6–8 months. Already at this moment we should expect sexual activity from them. Naturally, the rare owner will be happy about this, since he will have to deal with the aggressive behavior of his pet if he has a cat living in his apartment. If he keeps a cat at home, it will make high-pitched sounds to attract a partner. And she will do this regardless of whether the cat is next to her or not.
Types of medications for cats
For cats, pregnancy can be very harmful if it occurs frequently enough. Therefore, there is no need to follow the lead of your favorite and try to find a partner for her. Even those who breed a certain breed of cats need to remember this. A solution in such a situation may be contraception for animals. This option can be considered if the owner does not accept the method of castration or sterilization.
Depending on the composition and principle of action, medications for cats can be classified into two types:
- Medicines containing natural herbs. They have a weaker effect compared to drugs of the second group. However, they have the advantage of causing less harm to the animal’s body.
- Hormonal products containing chemical components. Their use can be harmful to the cat's health, especially if given to her for a long time. Very often, taking these medications causes complications related to the endocrine system. In addition, various erosions or even cancer are possible.
Precautionary measures
It has been proven that chemical sterilization can cause the development of pathologies.
It is advisable to abandon this method if the cat is not of breeding value. Repeated procedures almost always cause the development of diseases of the uterus, ovaries and mammary glands. Pathologies of third-party organs appear less frequently. Their occurrence is associated with hormonal fluctuations. Progesterone regulates the functioning of many internal systems. When additional doses are administered, the independent synthesis of hormones is inhibited. Chemical castration of a cat should not be carried out in the presence of diseases such as pyometra, neoplasms of the testes and ovarian cysts. The introduction of hormonal drugs can cause a deterioration in the pet’s condition. Before using the products, it is necessary to eliminate the underlying pathology and residual effects. Additionally, it is not recommended to give injections during estrus. This increases the risk of hormonal imbalance.
The first injection should be given at the clinic. Later, you can administer the hormonal drug yourself after consultation, but it is recommended to undergo a routine examination before each injection. On the first day after sterilization, the cat may behave in the same way as during estrus. This is due to a sharp change in hormonal levels. After a few days the condition stabilizes. If estrus is prolonged or other side effects occur, you should contact your veterinarian.
Drops
Most often, such products are used in the form of drops. They are also divided into two types - plant and hormonal. They can be used with equal success not only for cats, but also for dogs. In pharmacies, this medicine is offered in the form of a yellowish oily liquid. Sometimes, during long-term storage, a small sediment appears in it. You can purchase antisex drops for cats in the form of pipette tubes or glass vials with a pipette included.
These drops belong to the group of hormonal drugs . As a result of their use, the secretion of hormones in cats is suppressed, and this, in turn, makes it possible to remove their sexual desire. The advantage of these drops for cats is their rapid absorption. In addition, it does not take much time to remove them from the body - this takes approximately 15 days from the moment the medication is completely stopped.
Instructions for use
Before giving the medicine to your cat, you need to shake it thoroughly to mix the sediment with the main part of the drug . Next, take a pipette that needs to be placed on the root of the cat’s tongue, or the drug can be added to a small amount of food a few hours before the main meal. For effective treatment, it is recommended to adhere to the following dosages:
- To delay estrus, the animal is given 3 drops once a day for a week. However, you need to be careful not to give the animal medicine for more than 18 months without a break.
- To interrupt estrus, the cat is given 3 drops every day until all signs of the pre-pregnancy state have completely passed. But it is necessary to begin a course of treatment no later than three days from the moment they begin. No more than two intensive courses of taking the drug are allowed per year.
If cats are supposed to be treated, then they are given the medicine when the first signs of sexual desire appear in the amount of 3 drops every day for the first three days. Subsequently, the dosage is reduced to 1 drop, the duration of this stage should be 14 days. You especially need to be careful with cats that have diseases of the genitourinary system, cancer, as well as those who are at the stage of pregnancy, feeding, and those who have not yet reached the stage of puberty. In all these conditions, giving them drops is contraindicated.
Side effects
Despite the relatively high effectiveness of antisex drops for cats, they have certain side effects:
- Increased body weight;
- Increased appetite;
- Behavior change;
- Enlargement of the mammary glands.
highly not recommended to give antisex drops to cats for a long time , since in this case there is a risk of developing serious diseases - diabetes, atrophy of the adrenal cortex. In some cases, it can lead to the development of severe forms of diseases of the genitourinary and endocrine systems. In pharmacies, drops are offered at a price of 25–40 rubles. per package of 1.5 ml.
When are they needed?
Hormonal medications for cats are mainly used to prevent unwanted litter. And sometimes contraceptives are prescribed for pets to stabilize hormonal levels. Indications for the use of such drugs are the following changes in the behavior of the female:
An animal needs such products if it rolls on the floor.
- manifestation of aggression, including towards the owner;
- constant anxiety;
- loud meowing;
- marking the territory and the appearance of puddles in the wrong places;
- the appearance of clear discharge from the cat’s genitals;
- rolling on the floor and shaking the whole body excitedly.
Pills
You can also suppress sexual desire in cats using antisex tablets. They act in the same way as drops . Each tablet contains 7 mg of megestrol acetate. In pharmacies, this drug is offered in the form of strips of different sizes - from 3 to 24 tablets. They have a similar effect as other similar drugs - the mechanism of hormone production is blocked, an anti-estrogenic effect occurs, which subsequently causes suppression of sexual desire. The tablets are quickly eliminated from the animal’s body - usually this occurs 15 days after the last dose of the drug.
According to the instructions, it is not recommended to give this medicine for longer than 18 months in a row. To avoid complications, it is advisable to take a break of at least one full cycle of estrus or heat. This will allow hormones to recover. Then you can continue treatment.
The treatment regimen with antisex tablets for cats is as follows:
- To delay estrus, the animal is given one tablet for one week;
- To stop estrus, the cat should eat one tablet daily until all signs completely disappear.
Cats are treated somewhat differently: they are given one tablet every day from the moment signs of sexual desire appear for one week. Subsequently, the dosage is reduced to half a tablet, which is given for two weeks.
For absorption, the medicine is placed on the root of the cat’s tongue or added to the food 2-3 hours before the main feeding. In pharmacies the drug is offered at different prices. It all depends on the number of tablets in the package. For example, a strip containing 8 tablets costs about 20–30 rubles.
Chemical composition of the drug
The composition of the drug includes:
- mepregenol acetate;
- ethinyl estradiol.
The essence of the effect is the inhibition of the hypothalamic-physeal region of the brain, which is responsible for controlling the production of gonadotropic hormones in the animal’s body. Thus, antiovulatory and antiestrogenic effects are achieved, which helps eliminate sexual desire. The main active ingredient is absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, and then processed in the liver and breaks down into free steroids and conjugates.
Did you know? The cat's maximum speed is 50 km/h.
In this form, it is excreted naturally along with urine and feces. At the end of the course of administration, 90% of the substance is excreted with waste products within 15 days.
Injections
Although sexual desire in cats can be reduced with the help of injections , this is not recommended, since this method of treatment poses the greatest danger to their health.
If the veterinarian has approved such a method of treatment, then you need to be extremely careful: at first you need to take a break of three to four months, then injections need to be done at intervals of at least 6 months. Subsequently, the break is increased to a year or more. However, according to veterinarians , it is worth resorting to injections only in emergency cases. Otherwise, there is a risk of the animal developing serious diseases, which can cause much more harm than taking tablets or drops.
Most breeders and doctors agree that it is best to refrain from treating cats that ask for a cat with an antisex drug. Safer and easier to carry out is castration or sterilization. Therefore, before deciding to take such a step, you need to consult a veterinarian.
Contraindications and possible side effects
Both dosage forms of Contrasex are prohibited from use in the following cases:
- allergy to components;
- too early age of animals (up to 8–10 months), before reaching sexual maturity;
- diseases of the urinary or reproductive systems;
- diabetes;
- mammary tumors (in cats);
- pregnancy and lactation period.
Contrasex is classified as a low-hazard drug (hazard class 4). This means that it does not cause negative reactions if the dosage and other rules of administration are followed. The instructions indicate that the medicine does not cause adverse reactions. There is also no information about the symptoms of overdose with drops or tablets.
If you are allergic to the components of Contrasex, stop taking it and show the animal to a veterinarian. He will draw up a symptomatic treatment regimen with antihistamines.
Regarding the combination of Contrasex with other medications, you should also consult a doctor.
Important! It is necessary to follow the schedule for taking Contrasex to avoid a decrease in its therapeutic effect. If a dose of medication is missed, it is used as soon as possible, then according to the schedule. The dosage must not be exceeded.
Consequences of taking hormones
When using steroid hormones, an inflammatory process first occurs in the testes and prostate.
At the same time, one tablet is sometimes enough to activate the inflammatory process. Later, the glands increase in size and cysts and follicles filled with pus appear in them.
Then the tissues degenerate with the formation of cancerous tumors. The animal's appetite worsens, behavior changes towards increased or decreased excitability. When a follicle ruptures and pus is absorbed into the blood, the temperature rises sharply, thirst increases, convulsions, loss of coordination, vomiting and other signs of acute intoxication are possible.
The only treatment in this case is castration. However, it does not always help, since cancer cells can metastasize to other organs and tissues. In this case, the animal is doomed to a long and painful death. But sometimes the operation is successful and the pet is able to return to health.
Mechanism of action
First, you need to understand the mechanism that leads to the development of complications. The secretion of the gonads is regulated by the pituitary gland. At a certain period, he gives a command that the concentration of testosterone in the blood should be increased. By taking hormonal medications, it is possible to reduce the amount of testosterone produced by the testes.
However, when taking hormonal contraceptives, the pituitary gland does not stop its activity, but, on the contrary, increasingly insistently demands from the testes to increase the level of sex hormones (after all, there are no more of them due to chemistry). The testes, in response to this, increase their activity, as a result of which the tissues hypertrophy (increase in size), and later degenerate with the formation of cancer cells.
Deception in the instructions
If the packaging or instructions say: “There are no side effects,” then you can safely throw away the drug. There are always unpleasant side effects from taking hormonal drugs. Even human steroids have a lot of negative consequences, so doctors prescribe them only in extreme cases.
As for veterinary drugs, they are much cheaper and more dangerous than human drugs. Typically, steroids use megestrol, an extremely dangerous hormone that is banned in many countries around the world. Moreover, some companies producing hormonal pills do not have certification and registration in Russia.
Indian experiment
In 2011, Indian veterinarians made an amazing discovery. While solving the problem of limiting the number of stray animals, they discovered a “miracle” remedy that has a contraceptive effect. It turned out to be calcium chloride, previously actively used in medicine and veterinary medicine for other purposes.
This substance began to be injected into the testes of animals. The ideal dosage was 0.25 calcium chloride at a concentration of 10%. Five minutes after the administration of the substance, the animals showed minor signs of discomfort; in some, the testes swelled. But after a while all the unwanted reactions stopped.
As a result, sperm production in animals decreased, thus reducing the number of stray cats. However, the method requires further study.
