Of course, we did everything necessary: we washed him, showed him to a veterinarian, got vaccinated. Everything was fine. After 11 months spring came. And the problems began.
Since the cat lived at home (rarely went outside - this was his desire), he also began to mark at home. Moreover, he no longer cared where to do it - on the carpet or on a chair... After two days, the smell began to appear.
They started looking for the cat and found it. They sent the cat for two days. The cat calmed down, but our cat didn’t calm down. It became clear that one would not be enough for him. But he doesn’t want to look for it himself. Songs have been added. He’ll sit on the window and start singing! And most importantly, when you want to sleep most.
We gathered a council and decided to carry out castration. And not sterilization, but castration. I learned a lot of interesting things, which I now want to share with you.
Photo: 13228026 /, pixabay.com
What is castration
Veterinarians distinguish between two types of surgical intervention:
- The sterilization operation involves ligating the seminal ducts; the procedure is considered less traumatic for the animal’s body. The recovery period takes only a couple of days. A sterilized animal is not capable of reproducing offspring, but it fully retains the habit of marking its territory and screaming loudly, demanding a cat.
- Castration by veterinarians is the operation to remove the testes. The procedure is as follows: the cat is given anesthesia, an incision is made in the scrotum, and then both testes are removed. Castration permanently rids your pet of the desire to leave marks. However, the risk of complications is quite high. Surgery is not recommended if:
- diseases of the cardiovascular system have been diagnosed, in which case anesthesia is fatal to health;
- the cat has reached an advanced age, the animal may not survive the operation;
- the animal is purebred, acquired for procreation.
Like any intervention, the procedure for complete removal of the testes has a number of positive aspects and disadvantages:
Be sure to read:
Castration of a cryptorchid cat: what is it, reasons, how to identify it, surgical technique, is it possible to remove one testicle
Advantages of castration:
- The cat stops asking to go outside, leaving marks, and screaming loudly at night.
- The character of the pet changes: aggression and anger disappear.
- The risk of contracting dangerous diseases from mating with street cats is eliminated.
- Life expectancy increases.
Flaws:
- A pet can suddenly gain excess weight, the fact is that the animal’s hormonal levels are disrupted.
- The cat becomes less active and playful.
- The risk of developing diseases of the genitourinary system increases (with incorrectly selected food).
- Inflammatory processes and bleeding from the sutures may occur.
Rehabilitation of a cat after anesthesia
In the first 3 hours after anesthesia, the cat may vomit. This is due to the fact that the body is freed from the effects of drugs in every possible way. The cat will also experience dizziness, hence anxiety, lethargy, and disorientation in space.
The owner can purchase eye drops that will eliminate dryness, since the cat's eyes remain open for some time under anesthesia and there may be discomfort. Also, if the cat was fed solid food, for the first time choose softer, easily digestible food.
Make sure your pet doesn't overeat. At first you may not feel hungry, but then you should start feeding your pet in small portions.
Postoperative suture treatment
If the cat does not have problems with regenerative processes, then the treatment of the seams will consist of disinfectants and drying agents: potassium permanganate, calendula tincture. There are also professional veterinary medications that are used immediately after surgery. It is better to check the names with your veterinarian and buy them at a veterinary pharmacy. They do not irritate, dry out, and stimulate the incision to tighten.
If the cat is castrated using a seamless method, then no further treatments are required throughout the entire rehabilitation.
Use any medications in consultation with your doctor. The main task at this stage is to prevent the cat from damaging the integrity of the seam and causing an infection. Take care of your collar. Otherwise, you will have to take a course of antibiotics.
Remember:
- Inspect the groin area once a day, especially if the pet begins to actively move. Bleeding can be drip, moderate or intense;
- If there is the slightest suspicion of deterioration or suture dehiscence, you should consult a doctor.
Don’t be afraid to raise the alarm: it’s better to be safe than to miss the moment and let the situation get out of control.
Behavior of a cat after anesthesia on the first day
Gradually, the effect of the drugs wears off and the animal begins to show activity. The cat will most likely be thirsty as the effects of the medications stimulate thirst. After 3 hours, you can put a bowl of water so that he can drink on his own as soon as possible.
The room where the cat is should be warm, it is better to place a water-based heating pad next to it and cover it with a towel.
Place the animal in a non-ventilated place, perhaps next to the heating radiator, but so as not to touch the radiator (within a meter, maybe a little further), or place the cat under a towel with a heating pad. At this moment, the pet may become hypothermic, which will then cause a cold and longer healing of the sutures.
The cat may begin to experience a period of restlessness and erratic activity. This is due to the fact that the animal is experiencing discomfort and will try to change place in the hope of eliminating the stress. Protect the kitten from colliding with objects and falling. His orientation in space is now poor, the pet is in fact half asleep and still has poor control of the muscles and vestibular apparatus.
Without care, the cat may get injured and damage the integrity of the surgical sutures.
Do not let the cat on the sofa, carpets, personal belongings or toys - the pet may wet itself due to weakened self-control.
The very next day the cat will regain control of its body, but sudden movements can still cause discomfort. The pet will eat normally and will be able to independently choose a suitable place to rest. If the cat goes into a litter tray, let it be a coking sorbent. Sawdust or low-quality absorbents may stick to the seam area, which is unacceptable.
Is it necessary to sterilize a domestic cat?
It is recommended to sterilize an animal if it:
- Lives at home constantly, never leaving the apartment for a minute.
- The male is not a purebred animal intended for procreation.
- The pet was diagnosed with congenital diseases of the genital organs.
For animals that periodically visit the street, surgery is not necessary. Males are able to satisfy their instincts on their own; castration can negatively affect health and general well-being.
Myth 4: Neutered cats are more likely to suffer from urolithiasis
Males are much more likely to suffer from urolithiasis than cats. Males are spayed much more often than cats are sterilized. If you castrate a kitten at an early age (2-3 months), there is a high probability that the urethra will not be able to develop sufficiently and will be narrower than that of an uncastrated or timely neutered cat (6-9 months). The cat's urethra is longer and narrower than that of a cat. The listed facts led to the emergence of this myth. In fact, castration does not provoke urolithiasis. This disease develops for other reasons: poor nutrition, insufficient fluid intake, hereditary predisposition, urinary tract infections, etc. Close attention was paid to feline urolithiasis back in the 1960s. Even then, the disease was widespread, and castration of domestic animals was, on the contrary, a rather rare procedure.
Optimal age for surgery
Veterinarians recommend surgery within a period of eight months to one and a half years.
The time period is the most optimal, because by this time the male:
- The skeleton and internal organs are fully formed.
- Puberty ends.
- A young body can tolerate anesthesia without problems.
- The risk of complications is minimized.
It is not worth castration earlier due to the fact that the animal’s body is intensively developing, and removal of the seminal glands will stop the development of internal organs and will negatively affect the overall development of the animal.
When to have surgery?
- There is a rule of two sevens - from 7 months to 7 years.
So, from 7 months you can already have surgery, with the exception of representatives of strange, “synthesized” breeds in which puberty is delayed.
But we, for example, still hoped not to interfere in the cat’s personal life until signs of sexual desire began to appear. Until the very end, we believed that we could cope with drops and pills that relieve anxiety. However, this did not help.
Photo: rihaij, pixabay.com
- Important! It is advisable to castrate the cat before mating .
By the way, we didn’t know this right away, and even the veterinarians didn’t warn us about it. And now our cat (everything worked out with his cat, and one kitten was the spitting image of our Mussolini) periodically has a desire, less pronounced, but it has not disappeared completely.
As it turned out, the production of male sex hormones is carried out by the pituitary gland (this was explained to us later), but no one removed it. In general, the cat remembers how it happened and wants a repeat.
What happens if the gonads are not removed?
If the animal's reproductive glands are not removed at a young age, the owner will face a not very happy future. After puberty, an adult cat will begin to mark its territory; the unbearable stench and sticky puddles will become a permanent “decoration” of the apartment.
At the beginning of spring, the owner will be forced to listen to loud cat “arias” in the evenings, as the animals search for a female for mating. The male will become aggressive, begin to attack the owners, shit in inappropriate places, and ask to go outside.
Be sure to read:
Castration of a cat: how it happens: how it is done, methods, what is removed and at what age
The pet will try to leave the apartment to go in search of its “other half,” and finding it on the street will not be so easy. A pet, accustomed to constant care from people, may die on the street.
Nuances of postoperative care
After castration, the cat needs to be properly cared for. The owner’s task includes not only treating the wound and preparing the correct diet, but also other equally important responsibilities on which the recovery process of the pet cat will depend.
Can a cat lick a wound?
The cat should not be allowed to lick the operated area. This can lead to sutures coming apart, bleeding, and wound infection. That is why it is recommended to wear a special collar, which can only be removed during meals under the watchful supervision of the owner.
Why can't you jump after castration?
In the first hours after the operation, the owner should monitor every movement of the cat, which has not yet recovered from anesthesia. The effect of anesthesia disrupts coordination of movement and disorients in space. Jumping from a height should not be allowed; the cat may not calculate the distance and trajectory of the jump, which will lead to a fall and injury to the operated area.
After surgery, if possible, the animal should be prevented from jumping from heights and active play for the entire period of rehabilitation, until the wound is completely healed.
When can you wash your pet?
Experts do not recommend bathing a cat during the first month after castration. Bath procedures should be avoided for at least 10-14 days after surgery until the wound heals. In case of urgent need, you can clean the fur from dirt using special products or wet wipes.
What else can and cannot be done after surgery
Let's consider what other rules of care should be followed in the postoperative period and what is unacceptable to do after castration of a pet.
Is surgery necessary if the cat does not go outside?
Sterilization of non-outdoor animals is mandatory in many countries. It is domestic cats that most often cause the maximum amount of trouble to their owners. The male, who periodically visits the street, marks the territory there, mates, and returns to the house to eat and sleep.
The pet is deprived of such “joys”, which means it will create all the disgrace in the apartment. Removal of the gonads is the only option for owners of adult cats.
Myth 8: Castration shortens life expectancy
Many owners are concerned about the question: “How long do castrated cats live?” Opponents of this procedure spread the opinion that castrated animals age faster, get sick more often and die much earlier than non-castrated pets. However, the conclusions of veterinarians are the opposite: castration increases life expectancy by an average of 3-5 years. Why?
- do not participate in fights for territory and “ladies”;
do not mate with stray, 100% sick cats (yard cats always have a number of sexually transmitted infections and are certainly infected with either worms or fleas, and more often with both);
are not inclined to “go on a spree” for an indefinite period of time. The risk of getting lost, dying under the wheels of a car or in the mouth of an angry dog is minimized;
do not suffer from constant hormonal “explosions”;
do not experience stress from the inability to fully satisfy their instincts;
- There is no risk of developing testicular cancer, prostate cancer, prostatitis and many other diseases that affect uncastrated cats.
Castrated animals, all other things being equal (feeding, maintenance, heredity, etc.), live longer than their uncastrated fellow tribesmen. Of course, we are not talking about breeding producers - that’s a completely different story.
Should pets be neutered in old age?
An elderly cat is neutered for medical reasons.
During an examination at a veterinary clinic, your veterinarian may recommend intervention if your pet:
- suffers from urinary incontinence;
- irreversible changes in the testes were diagnosed;
- the onset of development of prostate inflammation has been identified;
- behavior changed dramatically, becoming overly aggressive.
Cats older than 7-10 years are more often at risk of complications during anesthesia and surgery, require more thorough postoperative care, and take a long time to recover.
Myth 9: Neutered cats are bad hunters
Not true. Castrated cats catch mice no worse than their uncastrated counterparts. In general, it is strange to think that the absence of testes can in any way affect hunting instincts. After castration, the mousecat will go hunting with the same pleasure as before (and maybe with more enthusiasm, because now you don’t need to be distracted by your friends). But if the cat is fed to the limit, then yes, he will simply be too lazy to go somewhere. But here it all depends on the owner - any animal can be overfed.
Why do they do this?
When a cat reaches 9-10 months of age, his instincts begin to manifest themselves with might and main. One of them is the fight for territory. The pet constantly defecates to show that it is the boss in the apartment and this creates an unbearable environment.
Should a cat be neutered?
In an effort to gain the attention of cats, the male cat constantly makes loud cries, preventing anyone from sleeping. In this case, the owner decides whether the cat needs to be castrated, but the inconvenience factor often tips the scales in favor of the procedure.
In order to make a normal life possible with a cat in an apartment, he is castrated.
Important! If the operation is performed earlier than the recommended age, this may lead to disturbances in the development of the animal’s genitourinary system.
Advantages and disadvantages of castration
Castration has its positive and negative sides. Below they are presented in more detail.
The cat cannot eat for 12 hours before surgery
Pros of castration
As a result of the operation, there are positive aspects for the animal:
- The animal's character changes significantly. He shows more calmness and friendliness. The cat is not characterized by aggression, which can usually be seen during the period when he is looking for a female.
- Loud screams at night stop. In most cases, the habit of marking territory is a thing of the past, but this is not always the case.
- It does not contribute to the birth of kittens, which usually face a sad fate in cases where there is no possibility of placing them.
- Since they do not chase females down the street, the likelihood of genitourinary diseases is reduced.
- By limiting contact with street animals, the likelihood of infectious infection decreases.
These changes make it possible to make the cat's behavior in the apartment more acceptable. After the operation, he really becomes a harmless furry pet, without mood swings.
A castrated cat should be fed with special dietary food.
Disadvantages of castration
Sometimes surgery can lead to the following undesirable consequences:
- Neutered cats, especially British cats, are prone to obesity.
- After such changes, the previous diet will no longer be suitable - animals need special food, which is more expensive than before.
- Scottish cats and representatives of some other breeds after castration are prone to diabetes, urolithiasis and cardiac disorders.
- Due to the anesthesia during surgery, some cats may experience serious problems.
Once the operation is performed, it is impossible to return everything back. This should be kept in mind by those who plan to have it performed on a purebred animal in a private clinic.
Sterilization of a cat without castration
In order for an animal not to have offspring, it is not necessary to carry out surgical castration; it can be done without it. If you ligate the spermatic cords, this will eliminate the possibility of semen production.
Carrying out the operation
In this case, the possibility of giving birth to kittens is excluded, but the cat will not stop marking the territory and making loud screams.
Such an operation will not solve the main problem of the owners, therefore, for the desired effect, surgical castration must be performed.
Neutering a cat can cause different feelings, but it is usually the only way to keep a cat indoors. Before purchasing a pet, you need to think about the necessary surgery in advance.
