A neutered cat wants a cat: reasons
If a cat was castrated at a young age before he had sexual experience, he does not walk on the street and there are no females in the apartment, then in most males the sexual desire disappears after sterilization. But when surgery occurs after the male cat has been bred, the habits can last a lifetime.
For some time, testosterone produced by the testes circulates in the blood, and if a month after the operation the cat smells a leaking female, he becomes excited. Even in most adult males, the desire to cover cats disappears after several months and sometimes years.
The essence of castration
It is recommended to resort to the operation for the owner of a cat who stylishly asks for a female, hisses, and mounts other pets, but at the same time lives in the house and does not have access to the street. In addition to the fact that the animal wants a cat, it begins to yell loudly and mark its territory. To make the cat calmer and eliminate the sexual instinct, a castration procedure is performed. During this process, the veterinarian removes the testes, after applying anesthesia. After the manipulation, cats no longer pester females, get along calmly with other pets, and stop attacking owners and asking to go for walks.
Surgery can be performed at any age, but veterinarians recommend performing the operation before the pet goes on a spree. If he has already started having sex, it is possible that sexual attraction will remain. The manipulation should not be carried out if the cat is old or very young. The optimal age is 12-14 months. If the procedure is performed when the animal is less than six months old, problems with the growth and development of the kitten may occur. In addition, the possibility of urolithiasis cannot be excluded.
What to do if a cat wants a cat after castration
The situation arises when several animals of the opposite sex live in the same room. If the owner does not like that the castrato is trying to cage and there are several rooms allocated for the needs of cats, the animals are seated. If a male who has recently been castrated shows interest, hormonal contraception is used. A veterinarian will help you choose the right remedy. If the layout of the apartment allows, animals of different sexes are seated during estrus.
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Despite the fact that the pet’s behavior does not suit the owner, the pet cannot be punished. Otherwise, a stressful situation will arise in which the animal becomes aggressive.
To distract the animal from acquired habits, it is occupied in the following ways:
- Expansion of vertical territory. The cat wants to have safe places for rest and entertainment. Beds are placed on the window, shelves are attached to the walls, as well as hammocks. The cat climbs on a hill and feels comfortable.
- Using a scratching post will protect upholstered furniture, allow the cat to relax and relieve stress.
- Interactive toys increase physical activity and distract from other activities.
- If there are several cats in the apartment, you need to place a feeder and tray for each in different places.
In some situations, the owners themselves provoke the cat into inappropriate behavior. Stroking and squeezing the animal affects the erogenous zones, and the pet becomes excited. At such moments you should stop communicating.
Do mother cats mate with their offspring?
Once female cats become sexually active, they enter the estrus cycle in order to be receptive to mating. Unlike females, male cats are always ready to mate. Their readiness for this does not depend on hormonal cycles.
Females, as a rule, are more picky in their choice of mates. Therefore, mother cats can mate with their offspring, but it is difficult to say whether the mother will do so. It is not always possible to guarantee that they are attracted to each other, even if they are both sexually mature and intact. However, there are certain factors that increase the chances of this happening. These include:
Parting
According to Scientific American, when animals grow up together, they are less likely to mate with each other. This is true even if they are not closely related.
Growing up together triggers the so-called “kinship radar.” This allows the animal to understand who is related and who is not. If mother and son were separated at an early age, they are much more likely to mate. Their sibling radar does not recognize the other as a sibling.
Older female cats are less picky in choosing a partner. Female cats do not go through menopause and can reproduce as long as they live. Of course, the older a female gets, the less fertile she becomes, and the likelihood of her offspring surviving decreases.
Aging makes a female cat more desperate to mate. She knows her window for successful reproduction is getting shorter. Even if a mother cat ignored her son while she was young, she may change her mind when she gets older.
Mating availability
Cats experience a need to reproduce that is beyond their control. Even if the choice of partners is inadequate, cats will breed with those who are available to them. If the son is the only mature male nearby, the mother is more likely to mate with the son.
Why do they do this?
Why do cats need to be neutered? The population of stray animals is declining; they are everywhere dying under the wheels of cars, dying of hunger, and freezing on the sidewalks.
Every person who owns an animal must be responsible for their uncontrolled reproduction. Castrating a cat means ridding yourself of worries about unwanted feline offspring.
Castrated cats live longer than their uncastrated relatives by an average of 1.5 - 2.5 years. Moreover, their quality of life is noticeably different for the better.
A castrated pet is protected from many diseases of the genitourinary system to which uncastrated animals are susceptible. His behavior becomes much softer and calmer, uncontrolled aggression and anxiety disappear, giving way to imposingness and affection.
If you feel sorry for castrating your pet, then think about the fact that after castration the pet stops marking the apartment with stinking urine, the smell of which is not so easy to remove from the floor and furniture. The old smell of acrid urine can appear even after several wet cleanings, which causes many problems for the owners.
Along with the reproductive instinct, the animal loses the desire to mark its territory, scaring off other males and attracting females.
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Female cats choose who they mate with. With so many options available, female cats will be most receptive to strong, healthy male cats. One way to identify suitable cats is by the smell of their urine.
When cats have a high-quality protein diet, they produce 2 amino acids that form feline. It is this substance that gives cat urine its pungent odor. The stronger the smell of urine, the more feline it contains. More feline in a cat's urine means she is frequently consuming high-quality protein. This implies that the cat is a good hunter, making him a desirable candidate for females in heat.
Of course, the son can be an indoor cat and have a good diet with plenty of protein. In this case, the mother would theoretically be more likely to mate with him than with any poorly nourished street kitten. However, no formal study has been conducted to determine whether there is a correlation between a male cat's weight and his breeding success.
Domestic cats tend to be overweight and less physically active. Since no research has been done on this issue, it is difficult to say whether a female cat prefers an active, battle-hardened outdoor cat over a well-fed indoor cat. This is true even if the latter has more feline in its urine.
General information
To understand why the castrato does not stop his love affairs, you need to imagine the meaning and essence of castration. Contrary to popular belief, it does not in all cases involve the physical removal of the testes (testicles).
The following types of castration exist:
- Surgical castration. The simplest, cheapest, and therefore the most common method. It involves surgical excision of the testes, i.e. complete removal of the gonads.
- Chemical sterilization. This method is not very popular in our country, but has a number of important advantages. In particular, these include the absence of the need for general anesthesia and the low traumatic nature of the operation. In fact, the whole procedure boils down to the introduction of sclerotizing agents into the thickness of the testes. These are substances due to which the testicle is completely replaced by connective tissue.
- Radiation castration. The name is scary, but there is no need to worry: the testes are irradiated with a directed beam of gamma radiation, after which their tissue completely dies. Fast, reliable, the likelihood of side effects is reduced to the minimum possible. No anesthesia is required, the cat only needs to be restrained. But the fixation must be reliable: if the radiation beam “processes” the insides of the cat, the consequences will be extremely sad. The method, however, cannot be considered cheap.
- Drug-induced infertility. One of the most controversial methods. In this case, an implant is sewn under the animal’s skin, releasing medications (usually hormonal in origin) that suppress the pet’s libido. The testicles also remain intact. Moreover, after removal of the implant or due to the depletion of the supply of medications in it, after some time the cat’s sexual function is completely restored. The problem is that the constant effect of hormonal drugs on an animal’s body is extremely risky. Today, veterinarians believe that the risk of cancer and diseases of the endocrine glands increases significantly.
There is also a vasectomy. This procedure is a cross between full castration and medical infertility. The essence of the method is to ligate the vas deferens, as a result of which sperm is not released during ejaculation, but all other features of the cat’s sexual behavior remain. That is, the animal will run after cats, fight with its relatives, etc. Let us immediately note that in this case you should not be surprised by the characteristic “stomping”: in front of you is an absolutely “normal” cat, with fully preserved instincts and a set of sex hormones in the blood.
Physiological problems during mating
If the mating is not successful, the cat will need to be examined by a veterinarian
An endless number of diseases can serve as a barrier to fertilization: inflammation of the ovaries, tubal obstruction, infectious diseases, taking sedatives during previous estrus, changes in hormonal levels, lack of progesterone and many others. It often turns out that basic obesity or lack of weight becomes an obstacle to the reproduction of offspring.
Only a doctor can determine the exact cause by conducting the necessary examinations. Self-medication can lead to the death of your pet.
Behavior problems
When cats ask for a date with a cat, household members have a hard time. The constant screaming makes it impossible to sleep at night. Some people can’t stand it and lock their pets in one of the rooms. Others wet the animal’s fur with water in the evenings. This allows you to gain an hour of silence while the cat licks its fur coat. But as soon as she dries up, she starts asking for the cat again. This behavior is exhausting and forces you to try different ways.
Is it possible to calm a cat at home?
Simply petting and calming a cat that asks for a cat is unlikely to work. You will have to be patient and wait until the heat ends.
Numerous “folk” tips on how to calm a pet usually turn out to be ineffective:
- Pet your pet more often. Showing attention will only increase arousal.
- Give sedatives. They will not help because the animal is not stressed. They are driven by the instinct of reproduction. Such medications only slightly dull the desire to mate.
- Feed the cat with products containing pheromones like Feliway. During sexual hunting they are completely useless. Such drugs help to quickly adapt to a new place and to endure the trip more calmly, but they do not pacify natural instincts.
Calming medications for cats
Sometimes veterinarians recommend taking sedatives. Such medications help to dull arousal a little, but their main purpose is to achieve mental lability, eliminate aggression and anxiety.
List of drugs and method of use:
- Cat Baiyun. A medicine based on herbs with a sedative effect - valerian roots, oregano, sweet clover, mint, motherwort, hop cones and others. As soon as the cat begins to ask for a cat, she is given 2 ml of medicine three times a day for 5-7 days.
- Fitex drops. A sedative with herbal components – valerian, motherwort, hop extract. The medicine normalizes the functioning of the central nervous system, muffles the feeling of fear and aggression. If a cat wants a cat, or vice versa, then the pet is given 3-5 drops of the product in the morning, lunch and evening for several days.
- Drops for cats Stop stress. The drug is available in the form of drops and tablets. The medicine contains aminophenylbutyric acid and extracts of valerian, catnip, hops and motherwort. This remedy helps reduce agitation and correct the animal's behavior in stressful situations. Directions for use: 1 drop per 1 kg of weight twice a day.
Artificial ovulation
Sometimes the safest and most effective way to calm a cat so that she does not ask for a cat is to artificially induce ovulation. This method is suitable if the pet cannot be given for mating right now for some reason. For example, if she is in her first heat or a worthy candidate for mating has not yet been found.
In some cases, veterinarians show owners how to simulate sexual intercourse at home, which will cause ovulation. To do this, you will need a small phallic-shaped object about 4-5 mm thick and 1.5-2 cm long. A cotton swab wrapped in a fingertip or something similar will do. The cat is held by the withers. When she is in the mating position, the object is gently inserted into her vagina.
It is recommended to repeat this procedure 3-4 times within 12 hours. After this, the pet should ovulate, which will provoke a false pregnancy.
The heat will stop, the cat will calm down, stop asking for the cat and will prepare for the appearance of kittens. Some females begin to arrange a place for birth. During a false pregnancy, hormonal changes occur, so milk may be released from the mammary glands.
What not to do
Some actions of owners can harm the cat. For example, you cannot lock an animal in a cellar or bathroom. Being alone will have a negative impact on your mental health.
It is also undesirable to let your cat outside unattended, because it could get hit by a car, contract a virus, or become a victim of aggressive dogs. In addition, uncontrolled walking during estrus can lead to mating with an outdoor cat.
You should not punish her, yell at her, or hit her. This will not help solve the problem, because the animal is at the mercy of instincts. The pet will still continue to scream and roll on the floor.
