Castration of a male cat. Types of surgery, duration, indications.

What is castration?

Castration is an operation in which there is a complete loss of the ability to reproduce as a result of removal of the reproductive system.

Purposes of castration of cats and female cats:

control over the reproduction and reproduction of domestic and street animals;
behavior correction (during the hunting season in cats);
maintaining hygiene (when pets begin to leave marks throughout the home).

In some cases, surgery is performed according to indications for the treatment of diseases:

in cats: orchitis, prostatitis, neoplasms of the testes, perineal hernia;
in cats - pyometra, cystic ovarian formations, uterine bleeding, neoplasia, false pregnancy, radical cesarean section.

Castration of a cat before puberty (before the first heat) is the only measure to prevent neoplastic processes in the mammary gland in the future. The operation performed after the 3rd heat no longer guarantees that the pet will not have malignant neoplasms. It has been proven that safe castration of a male cat is possible from the age of four months.

Methods used:

surgical (the animal is given anesthesia and surgery is performed);
medicinal (during sexual heat the pet is given hormonal drugs).

Why do you need to castrate cats?

When choosing between who to take into the house - a “boy” or a “girl”, many prefer male kittens. But by six months the cute kitten begins to show sexual activity. The result affects the furniture, carpets, and shoes of the owners. A cat living at home instinctively leaves odorous marks that cannot be eliminated.

Often, a cat’s natural instincts lead to tragedy. An animal can jump out of a window or from a balcony, or slip out of a slightly open door. If a cat has never been outside, he will not be able to withstand a fight with tailed street fighters. And the cat is unlikely to find his way home. Another "lost" one. Even if the cat was found and returned home, it is not a fact that he did not manage to become infected with the infection from street animals.

The other “side of the coin”: castration will help reduce the population of animals born on the streets. If a cat is free-range, he will definitely find a “girlfriend”. Weak and non-viable kittens are doomed to death or even more sickly offspring.

Castration of a cat changes not only its sexual habits, but also its character. The animal stops marking its territory and calmly treats the females living in the house. Owners note the gentler and calmer disposition of a neutered cat - he does not show aggression towards people or “rivals”.

How is a cat castrated?

Before the operation, the pet undergoes a full clinical examination, which includes determining general health, palpation of the abdominal wall, temperature measurement, and auscultation. The planned procedure is performed only on healthy animals. In other cases, additional research may be needed to assess the possible risks.

It is important to remember that each animal may have individual intolerance to the components of the substances used for anesthesia.

Methods for castrating a cat:

open - the surgeon dissects all layers in the scrotum area and through a small incision removes both testicles one by one. The spermatic cord and vessel are ligated or tied to a biological knot. The second option is considered the most reliable and cheapest way. When performing a biological knot, no suture material or technical devices are used. Such a node does not reject and does not become inflamed;
closed - rarely used in cats, at the discretion of the surgeon. The technique is similar to the open one, only the dissection does not affect the common vaginal tunic;
amputation of the scrotum and testicular sac - indications for such an operation may be purulent inflammation or a neoplastic process in the testicular area.

Cryptorchidism is a phenomenon when one or both testes do not descend into the scrotal cavity. How is castration of a cryptorchid cat carried out? In case of inguinal localization, the testis is removed through an incision in the skin. If in the abdominal cavity, then abdominal surgery is performed, as a result of which the incorrectly located organ is removed after detection.

Possible complications after castration of a cat

bleeding - occurs when a biological knot is untied or a ligature comes off;
prolapse - protrusion through the groin area of the stump of the testicular cord, abdominal organs;
local inflammation - ligature fistulas, hematomas (of scrotal tissue).

Operation description

Before surgery, you must visit a veterinarian to examine the animal. The doctor checks the pet’s condition, the presence or absence of diseases, mechanical damage, and pathologies that can make the operation dangerous. If everything is in order, then the day and time of the operation is set.

The animal should not be fed 12-14 hours before surgery . Typically, surgery is scheduled for the morning (8-9 hours), so you can feed the cat until 18 hours the day before.

In the morning you bring your pet to the clinic, the doctor begins the operation immediately:

The cat is given an injection for anesthesia, usually propofol or xylazine is used. In the first case, the narcotic state is achieved immediately, in the second it develops within 5-30 minutes.

When anesthesia is achieved, the animal is fixed on its back, its paws are also secured so that they do not interfere. Everything takes a few minutes.

The surgical field is first shaved and then treated with antiseptics. This stage also lasts no more than 5 minutes.

The surgeon makes an incision on one side of the scrotum and removes the testis along with the covering membrane and the testicular appendage. The appendage must be removed so that there is good access to the tail of the appendage, a ligature is applied to it to prevent bleeding, after which the testis is cut off along with the appendage. This stage, although simple, requires great care and can take 5-7 minutes.

The previous procedure is repeated on the second testis, which also takes 5-7 minutes.

After this, the wound is sutured, usually not by a doctor, but by an assistant. The procedure, although simple, can take 5-7 minutes, as 4-6 stitches are required. This step is often skipped because in most cases the surgical wound does not require stitches.

Castration of a cat

Unlike cats, castration of cats is a full-fledged abdominal surgery. That is, during the manipulation, the surgeon makes access through the abdominal wall and removes the female’s reproductive organs.

According to the type of surgical access, cat castration is carried out in two types:

along the white line (retro-umbilical region);
in the area of the right iliac region, along the lateral abdominal wall. This method is used less frequently, since if complications arise, it is necessary to make an incision along the entire side or a new access along the white line.

By technique:

oophorectomy - as a result of the operation, only the ovaries are removed, the horns and body of the uterus remain in the abdominal cavity. This type is rarely used, since subsequently an inflammatory process may begin in the uterine cavity;
Ovariohysterectomy - during surgery, both the ovaries and the uterus are removed from the abdominal cavity.

Possible postoperative complications

Ovarioreminant syndrome - sexual behavior persists after castration. The reason is incomplete removal of ovarian tissue. With this problem, the only way to solve it is a repeat operation.
Cultitis is an inflammation of the remaining part of the uterus.
Bleeding.

At what age is it better to castrate a cat?

Veterinarians recommend castration of kittens at the age of 6-9 months. By this age, the animal has already formed, and the removal of the genital organs - the testes - will not affect the hormonal background of the body.

If the operation is performed on an adult animal, the animal’s sexual habits are often preserved - it can still mark its territory and fight with “rivals.” Sometimes castration is prescribed for adult animals and even elderly animals with certain diseases of the genitourinary system.

How long does it take to castrate a cat?

In terms of the duration of the operation, the usual castration of a cat (without complications) lasts 15–20 minutes. Afterwards, the pet remains under anesthesia for several more hours. Awakening occurs after 1–2 hours, depending on the drugs used.

Castration of a cat takes longer, as it is a full-fledged abdominal operation. On average, an ovariohysterectomy takes 40–60 minutes.

Anesthesia

Regardless of the age and condition of the animal, anesthesia is required when castrating cats. Today, two types of anesthesia are used in veterinary practice: general and local.

General

Painless castration is often performed under general anesthesia. To euthanize the cat before castration, medications may be administered or inhalation anesthesia may be used. Gas euthanasia is more expensive, but has several important advantages: it has a minimum of side effects, the intensity of the gas supply is adjusted during the castration process, and removing the cat from anesthesia is easier and faster.

Local

Local anesthesia during castration is considered more gentle: it does not require long recovery and does not have such a negative effect on the cat’s body as general anesthesia. However, this method of pain relief is only suitable for calm cats.

Postoperative period

When can you feed a cat after castration?

You can offer food after castration a few hours later. Start with a small portion of wet food. Gradually the amount of food begins to increase.

General animal care

Recommendations for cats:

if your pet licks the area under its tail, you must wear a protective collar;
the filler is removed from the tray for 3–4 days.

For cats:

Do not remove the postoperative blanket for the entire rehabilitation period. It must be dry and clean;
Treat the seams once a day with a solution of hydrogen peroxide, then apply Levomekol in a thin layer.
if necessary, the doctor prescribes antibacterial agents;
the sutures are removed after 10–14 days (if absorbable suture material is used, there is no need to remove the sutures; the outer part of the suture disappears approximately at 10–14 days).

Castration of cats and female cats is a necessary operation that can prolong the life of a pet. Complications after the procedure are rare. Early castration of non-breeding cats is the best prevention of cancer processes.

The cat's toilet after the procedure

During the postoperative period, light-colored litter should be poured into the cat's litter box in order to notice possible bleeding in time. It is better to purchase a soft adsorbent to avoid irritation.

After castration, some owners put a small diaper on their pet, in which they have previously made a hole for the tail.

It may be that the cat does not have a toilet for a long time - neither big nor small, or the urine comes out little by little. This is quite normal.

Vaseline oil will help cope with constipation. It is poured into the animal’s mouth in a small amount; if after 20 minutes no negative reaction is observed, another 15-20 grams are given. After 3 hours, the animal's intestines should gently empty.

Postoperative care for castrated animals

If the preparation was carried out in good faith, then the operation itself should take place without consequences for the animal. After its completion, the veterinarian examines the cat again, listens to his heart and gives it to you. Now your task is to facilitate post-operative recovery:

While the cat is unconscious, shift him from side to side every half hour. All this time the animal must be warm.
Immediately after recovering from general anesthesia, the cat cannot control its body, so to avoid injury, do not let it jump or climb on high objects.
For 6 hours after the operation, do not feed your pet (he won’t even want to), there should always be water, but in a saucer or shallow bowl so that the animal does not choke.
Place the litter box close to where the cat lies. There should be no filler in the tray.
Monitor the condition of the postoperative wound by treating it with antiseptics and wound-healing compounds.

If preparation for castration is carried out according to all the rules, and immediately after surgery the animal receives the necessary care, then after 2-3 days the cat will completely return to normal.

Preparation for the procedure

Responsible owners should take care of vaccination before such an important procedure.
It should be remembered that it is better to carry out sterilization for cats that are older than 7 months. The optimal age is 10-12 m. During this period, the cat’s body is fully formed and the operation will not harm its health. Before surgery, all vaccinations should be completed and your pet should be dewormed. You should not give your cat food within 12 hours. 20 minutes before the procedure, the doctor gives the pet tablets that slow down its movements and prepare it for anesthesia. If the cat is over 5 years old, then before castration she needs to undergo additional examinations:

blood chemistry;
electrocardiography;
consultation with a cardiologist.

Advantages of sterilization

This operation has practically no disadvantages, as it is useful for both owners and pets:

Sterilized animals do not shed or cry in the spring;
They do not suffer from inflammation, including pyometra, a common disease in unsterilized animals;
Their mammary glands almost never swell;
Pregnant animals need to be cared for, and this care often requires a visit to the veterinarian. In addition, the kittens that are born will have to be placed somewhere.

As you can see, this operation has a lot of advantages; it has almost no negative sides.