Is it necessary to castrate a cat if he does not go outside: is it dangerous, is it worth doing it in old age?

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:

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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.

Will a neutered cat's behavior change?

For owners who love their cat, this circumstance alone should become a powerful incentive to take the cat to the veterinarian without delay. Castration of a village cat greatly increases its chances of living to a respectable age.

In a sense, the animal's behavior does change after castration. He loses sexual desire, and the cat no longer goes on a spree for several days, risking being run over by a car or in the teeth of a vicious dog.

Often, owners do not castrate a cat, fearing that it will stop catching mice and will not be able to repel strange cats that accidentally wander into its territory. In fact, such “softness” of an animal after castration is very rare. Most animals after castration remain as active and vigorous as before.

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.

Postoperative period

In principle, after castration, cats behave calmly. If such an event went without complications and the dose of anesthesia administered was not exaggerated, then after a couple of hours the kitten will begin to walk. Naturally, your coordination will be poor right away, but that’s not a big deal.

Cats that have undergone surgery usually become less aggressive. However, activity, hunting, curiosity and playfulness will remain in your pet.

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.

Post-operative care

Due to anesthesia, the cat will not be able to move for several hours. Therefore, first of all, prepare a place to rest. This should be a soft and clean bedding on the floor in a quiet room with a comfortable temperature.

Further care for the cat after castration does not require much effort.

Coming out of anesthesia. During deep, medicated sleep, which can last up to two hours, cats do not blink. To prevent the cornea from drying out, it is recommended to drop saline solution or lens liquid into the eyes every few minutes.
Nutrition. Even if the pet quickly comes to its senses and asks to eat or drink, you can give it water no earlier than 4-6 hours after the operation, and food no earlier than 24 hours later. If the cat does not express a desire to eat for more than a day or eats reluctantly, this is normal. In any case, he must have access to food and water on an ongoing basis.
Hygiene. The tray should be washed and filled with an absorbent diaper, toilet paper or napkins.
Wound healing. If the cat licks the incision, it’s okay, but if it’s too zealous, it’s better to wear a veterinary collar. Minor swelling or redness does not require immediate medical attention. For several days, you should be careful when interacting with the cat and not touch the wound.

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:

Is it possible to sterilize a cat during heat: when is it better than dangerous, after what time can it be done?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Preparing for surgery

Before subjecting your pet to surgery, it is worth preparing him for this procedure. The success of the surgical intervention, as well as the further postoperative period, will depend on this.

First of all, you should decide how many months to have the operation. At the time of castration, the cat must be at least 8 months old, but not more than a year old. At this point, the animal has completed puberty, and the animal enters into heat for the first time.

Important! If you perform surgery on a cat less than 7 months old, this may negatively affect the functioning of the genitourinary system. Undeveloped internal genitalia can damage the urethra, which can lead to problems with urination.

If this procedure is performed at an older age, then it may not give the effect that is planned. After the operation, the cat may simply become infertile, but she may still have the desire to mate with cats. It has been established that in almost 8-10% of cases, many cats behave as if this manipulation had not been performed. However, they still stop marking their territory, and the smell of urine becomes not as strong as before castration.

But for representatives of the cat family over the age of 8 years, this type of operation may be contraindicated; it’s all about the unpredictable reaction to anesthesia. Therefore, older animals must undergo a blood test before planned castration. For this reason, the optimal age for castration is considered to be 8-9 months.

Before subjecting your pet to castration, it is necessary to properly prepare him for this procedure by following a number of mandatory recommendations:

The pet must be vaccinated. Vaccination can be carried out within the prescribed period. If it was not possible to perform it earlier, then the vaccination can be done two weeks before the operation;
10 days before surgery, anthelmintic therapy is required;
The cat should not eat 12 hours before surgery. This can cause unpleasant consequences after the pet recovers from anesthesia. But you can give him drinks in unlimited quantities;
The animal must be carefully examined by a veterinarian. He must palpate the fur, skin, check the lymph nodes, mucous membranes, listen to the heart, lungs, check the stomach, and also measure the temperature;
If necessary, an ultrasound examination may be prescribed, and blood and urine tests may be prescribed.

Where to castrate a cat? This procedure can be carried out in a veterinary clinic, where doctors will be able to carry out everything quickly and without complications. But recently, castration at home by specialists from an on-call veterinary service has been in increased demand. Castration of a cat at home is less traumatic for the pet’s psyche, and is also much easier.

Find out more about the features of castration of a cat at home.

Weight in the postoperative period

Neutered kittens may gain excess weight, which can lead to obesity. Therefore, owners need to switch their pet to food for sterilized kittens. If your pet eats natural food, then you need to make sure that fatty and high-calorie foods are not included in its diet. His usual meal can be divided into even parts and given, for example, not two, but three times a day.