It is not for nothing that sterilization of cats is considered one of the most typical operations: it is relatively simple and well studied, the likelihood of unpleasant “surprises” is minimal. However, in practice anything can happen. It happens that a cat screams like crazy after sterilization, driving its owner into panic. What does this indicate and how dangerous is this phenomenon?
What operation was performed?
To find out why a cat screams after sterilization, you need to figure out what kind of operation was performed at the veterinary clinic. There are two types of procedures: castration and sterilization. These two procedures are different from each other. In the first case, the ovaries are ligated or the uterus is removed, but the ovaries are not touched. With this operation, estrus continues, but there cannot be kittens . The animal's hormonal levels subsequently become unstable and even in rare cases pregnancy is possible.
Castration involves the removal of both the uterus and ovaries. In this case, estrus stops and the hormonal background after such an operation is more stable, since the adrenal glands are responsible for the production of hormones.
Should a cat stop marking?
The female stops marking after sterilization if she has not yet reached sexual maturity at the time of the operation. Otherwise, such sexual behavior has already been established, and the lack of hormones may not affect it.
In addition, this behavior completely depends on the character of the cat. She may not like such a small thing as the location of the tray, unknown and unpleasant odors, or simply the surrounding environment, but she can express her dissatisfaction in one of the few ways - by leaving marks.
The owner can deal with this problem in several ways.
- Ensure good ventilation in the house, eliminating unpleasant odors.
- Make sure the cat is not bothered by anything. In case of anxiety, you can rub flower infusions into the inside of the ear. They can also be added to the water that the animal drinks - no more than 1-2 drops.
- Special preparations sold in pet stores can eliminate the odors of existing marks. Their use is quite lengthy: most often, the areas marked by the cat must be treated every day for a month.
Consequences of sterilization
If the first operation was performed on the furry purr, then it is clear why the sterilized cat screams. The instincts remain the same. In general, the sterilization procedure is regarded by many veterinarians as abuse of animals. After all, with such an operation, the owner dooms the pet to lifelong torment. The sexual instinct will manifest itself every time, but the maternal instinct will never be satisfied . This will only cause the animal to suffer. In this case, the pet will experience hormonal explosions throughout its life, and concerts at home are inevitable.
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Stress factor
Wait. Let's try to understand the problem. Remember, was there a situation at home that could affect the cat? Maybe friends with a dog came to visit? Or did little guests come to the children who wanted to meet the beautiful purr? Or did your pet’s food suddenly change?
It would seem that these are very minor factors. This is real stress for you and me, but for the cat. Imagine, she lies there, not bothering anyone. And then a dog’s face came out of nowhere. And he smiles from the top of his dog’s mouth. Naturally, the cat’s eyes will widen, as they say, and it will start looking for the fifth corner in the apartment, just to escape from the monster. And then the body “discharges” in such a non-standard way as marking the territory. Because he was stressed.
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Complications during castration
If a castration operation was performed, and the cat screams at night, then, most likely, the procedure was accompanied by complications. Let's consider all the options:
- It is possible that the operation was performed during estrus. Then for some time after sterilization of the cat, instinctive behavior will be observed, as with sexual desire. She will meow and ask for the cat. It is necessary to wait for the restoration of hormonal levels (this period is about 3-4 months) and observe the behavior of the animal.
- If the operation was carried out before the first heat, and the sterilized cat periodically screams, then, for sure, it was performed poorly. Perhaps some of the ovaries remained unremoved. This affects hormonal levels. Therefore, the sexual instinct continues to work. This option is easy to check. If the furry purr is helped by drops and pills, such as “Sex Barrier,” then the operation was poorly done. You should contact a veterinary clinic, be sure to do an ultrasound of the ovaries and, subsequently, sterilize again.
- There is an option that the operation was performed efficiently, but late (at the age of 3-5 years). In this case, the animal’s behavior does not change, and the cat yells for no reason at night out of habit. In this case, she does not have hormonal surges, and her behavior imitates pre-operative behavior.
- It happens that such behavior can be a signal for the owner about problems in the health of the furry pet. In particular, a cat may yell periodically if its adrenal glands are bothering it.
Disease
The cat marks as if to spite its owner. They did everything to her: they scolded her, spanked her, and poked her nose. No, he doesn't understand. Runs away from the crime scene on half-bent legs, with blocked ears. But he continues to do his job.
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Do not rush to scold your favorite. Perhaps the whole point is that the animal simply does not always have time to reach the tray. If a cat has cystitis or urolithiasis, punishment will not help. The animal must be treated; this is impossible to do at home. Therefore, you will have to take your pet, put it in a carrier and rush to the veterinarian. The faster, the better for everyone. Because only a specialist can determine the presence of diseases associated with the bladder.
What measures to take?
What to do in such a situation? And should you pay attention to your pet’s behavior? The answer is clear - it is necessary. If you let the situation take its course, then the sterilized pet’s cycle may be restored and such behavior will be regular. If the problem is not the quality of the operation, then veterinarians recommend medical intervention - it is necessary to inject the cat with a hormonal vaccine, such as Covinan or depot-gestone. This may need to be done twice. In any case, it is advisable to do this only after the recommendation of a veterinarian.
Time cures
This is some consolation for owners who are tired of dealing with a similar problem. Not immediately, after a certain time, but castration of the cat should still bring a positive result. Reviews from doctors indicate that hormonal changes in adult animals take quite a lot of time. Therefore, for several months the body will work in its usual mode, slowly moving onto new tracks.
No, he will not be oppressed and tormented by the thought that he will no longer be able to have offspring. In animals this issue is much easier to solve. Since there is no longer a need, the individual does not experience any worries about this. By the way, if you ask a veterinarian about why to castrate a cat, he will answer you that way. So that he lives in peace and gives to you.
Health
Regardless of your cat's age, howling at night can be a sign that something is wrong and your pet is not feeling well.
If it is not clear what exactly is the reason for this behavior, you should immediately take your pet to a veterinarian. If the issue is health, then the problem should be quickly detected and corrected by a specialist. Note that howling most often indicates problems with the thyroid gland, hypertension, etc. The doctor will take blood and urine tests, which will allow you to accurately determine the problem and prescribe appropriate treatment.
Based on materials from: pets.thenest.com
Veterinarian advice
Some veterinarians consider it inappropriate to sterilize a cat, which involves tying the fallopian tubes. After the operation, the animal continues to lead its usual lifestyle, so there is still a possibility of developing other health problems characteristic of pets who have not undergone surgery:
- inflammation of the uterus and appendages;
- cystic endometrial hyperplasia;
- infections transmitted through sexual contact;
- benign and malignant neoplasms, etc.
Estrus in sterilized cats may last longer than in unoperated cats, because fertilization does not occur. The possibility of a false pregnancy cannot be ruled out. This process is caused by a violation of the animal’s neuropsychic state. If a false pregnancy occurs, the cat's life is at risk if treatment is not started in a timely manner. The animal begins to produce milk, which is dangerous for the development of mastitis. False pregnancy can occur repeatedly.
Before getting a female pet, you need to think in advance about all possible problems and difficulties that may arise in the future, including deciding on sterilization. If in doubt, it is best to consult a veterinarian.
Reasons for screaming at night
If a cat only screams at night, then the reasons for this may be:
The most common and obvious reason is the period of sexual activity, the cat needs a sexual partner for mating. Most often, a cat yells for this reason only at night. And he will scream persistently and for a long time until he satisfies his desire. There are four options:
- Let the cat out and find your own partner.
- Organize a romantic meeting (it is worth remembering that everything should happen on the territory of the cat, not the cat).
- Give a hormonal drug for temporary loss of sexual function;
- Castration.
Daily routine is disrupted
More precisely, it is not impaired, but quite normal for cats. They are nocturnal animals; in nature, their relatives hunt at night. At night they see perfectly and move silently, which gives them a huge head start in hunting. Physiologically, they are very active at night, and during the day they are lethargic and sleepy. But having tried to really accustom them to the human regime. To do this, you need to play fun and active games with them more often during the day. And if the owner was at work all day, then the cat probably got a good night’s sleep and will throw a concert at night. The main thing is not to indulge his desires to play at night, otherwise he will take this as a green light for night games and will demand them even more persistently.
Lack of attention
Needs attention, is bored and wants to play a little and be cuddled. And during the day he didn’t get enough of it. Cats are living beings with emotions and a need for affection, and people are responsible for those they have trained. And if you plan to keep the cat exclusively in the apartment, then he should receive his share of affection and games with the owner. Cats love to run after something and love toys on a string.
The cat is spoiled
He's either used to everything revolving around him, or he just has a similar personality. You should start raising him, perhaps with the help of animal psychologists. If the above problems are not solved, then the screaming may begin during the day.
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What to do when your pet meows or screams all the time?
Most likely, the owner will not be able to cope on his own. So what to do in this case? It is necessary to take your cat to the veterinarian as soon as possible. A high-quality and complete medical examination of the animal will certainly help to find out what the problem is.
And only after that you can begin to take action:
If the problem is the usual post-operative problems, that is, pain and discomfort, then the animal should be prescribed sedatives to alleviate the cat's condition.
In addition, you need to provide your pet with warm bedding, and ideally, place it in a separate room, away from other pets and small children. There is absolutely no need for the cat to worry at all at this time.
If the veterinarian suspects that the cat is experiencing inflammation, then loading doses of broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed.
When a strange and even inadequate state of a pet is caused by the action of hormones still remaining in its body, mild sedatives and... patience will help. Alas, nothing else can be done in such a situation.
In cases where the animal’s anxiety is due to the development of a postoperative hernia, sedatives and painkillers are also prescribed. The fact is that a cat can only be cured of a hernia with the help of another surgical operation, and it cannot be done until the pet has recovered from sterilization... All that remains is to wait and stabilize the animal’s condition with medications.
Features of animal behavior
Sexual heat is accompanied by a change in the character of the pet. If a cat asks for a male after sterilization, her need for mating manifests itself as follows:
- The animal begins to meow loudly and hoarsely.
- The female suddenly becomes restless.
- She's marking her territory.
Sometimes this behavior persists in the pet for the rest of its life, despite surgical intervention. Fortunately, the discharge of sterilized animals does not have a pronounced odor.
exploratory surgery, cat withdrawal after anesthesia and aggression-fear-surprise of the cat
- Participants
- 2 messages
1) When the cat was lying under a drip after the operation to quickly come to his senses, he went on a rampage, now he is a rag (sometimes something comes to his mind and he tries to walk, it’s difficult, but he’s already gone twice to where he usually stood food (now it’s not worth it, since he can’t), once he went towards the tray, but to my horror he crawled under the bathroom, where he couldn’t get it. He got out. But basically there’s absolutely nothing there. At the same time, he described everything. This is normal or panic?
2) The first thing he did when I let him out of the carrier was lie down and then take off the blanket. He described her in the car. While he was lying down, I washed the blanket, which had been ruined in the clinic, the cat walked like that for half an hour, then the blanket dried and I put it on him. I thought it worked. But when the cat tried to take off the blanket I was wearing, I almost lost the cat.
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He doesn’t lick the stitches now, he has no time for them. Do you think he can survive until the morning without such suture protection? There is not a hint of sterility in my apartment. The second question, the answer to which I will look for tomorrow morning, is where you can buy blankets in North-Eastern Administrative Okrug without these strings, like stockings with slits for paws, but if anyone knows, please tell me.
3) Cat. When the cat and I arrived after his surgery, he was still sitting in the carrier, she sniffed him and everything was ok. When he jumped onto the bed the second time, too. but when he stood on unsteady paws and, falling on his side, tried to walk from the room to the kitchen to the bowl, the cat first got scared and jumped back a little, and then began to furiously hiss and attack him. I stopped it.
But she just didn't understand what it was. Now the cat is in a state that something is wrong, there is someone strange and weak and incomprehensible in the house - it seems to me something like this, judging by her behavior. She is trying to understand what it is. But the cat attacked the cat - maybe she’s trying to get back. On the other hand, she is very responsive to me.
4) Well, rhetorical. Do you think this diagnostic operation could have been avoided? When they told me about contrast x-rays, out of horror of the situation, I asked: maybe we’ll just do an operation (a regular x-ray showed that there was something in the intestines)? Of course, I would never agree to operate on a cat without checking all possible options, but it turned out that we were all wrong, there was no need to cut his stomach (And the x-ray showed that it was necessary.
Hormones
Sterilization does not disrupt hormone production. For this reason, the cat may go into sexual heat. The instinct to reproduce does not disappear, so the animal may go into heat. It is accompanied by changes in the behavior of the pet.
A cat can be in heat even after spaying, because... The ability to produce the necessary hormones is retained by the adrenal glands and the pituitary gland. For this reason, the operation is recommended to be performed at 6 months, i.e. before the onset of the first sexual heat.
To normalize the state of health, the cat is prescribed hormonal medications.
Persistence of other behavioral traits that should have gone away
Each owner, when sending a cat for sterilization, pursues a specific goal. Such a goal could be:
- cessation of estrus;
- the cat stops yelling all day long;
- The cat stops marking its territory.
In some cases, this behavior may continue to manifest itself in pets.
For example, immediately after surgery, an animal may scream for a couple of months, since there are still “wandering” hormones in the body.
They can cause continued estrus for a short period of time after removal of the ovaries.
If the cat continues to scream, the type of surgery performed should be considered. For example, after the fallopian tubes are pulled, the female loses the opportunity to become pregnant, but the ovaries continue to produce hormones, and accordingly, the cat continues to scream. It is also worth making sure that the operation was successful.
Attention!
You just need to wait out the two-month period after sterilization - no need to give your cat pills that suppress estrus or panic. If the cat asks for a cat after 2 months after surgery, contact your veterinarian.
Heredity
A similar pathology forms in an animal even when it is in the womb.
Scientists call it ectopic ovarian tissue syndrome.
The problem is that during the formation of the ovaries, some tissue cells end up in another part of the animal’s body, and it is simply impossible to identify them in the formed and strengthened cat’s body.
Reference!
Such a hereditary predisposition is very rare.
