Owners, when deciding to sterilize a cat, worry that their pet’s behavior will change. She will be withdrawn, unaffectionate, gain weight, and become lazy. However, there is not a single scientific study that would prove that a cat’s behavior changes in a negative direction after sterilization. On the contrary, castration reduces or completely stops irritability caused by hormonal surges during estrus, aggression in the struggle for “male” attention.
What effect does sexual behavior have on a cat?
Any cat, having reached a certain age, strives to procreate. Characteristic sexual behavior is an integral part of a cat's life. And it is impossible to influence sexual heat or estrus without medication or surgical intervention.
Some owners associate their pet's behavior during heat with her character. And then the animal is credited with such traits as a tendency to wander, aggressiveness, and vindictiveness, because it pees anywhere.
There is an explanation for everything:
- Cats allowed to go outside are accused of straying. But they leave for several days to have offspring. Animals are guided by instinct.
- The screams that irritate owners so much are not a bad character, but an attempt to call for a male, because the cat herself cannot leave the apartment.
- Hormonal surges make the cat aggressive. In nature, aggression is a useful mechanism by which a female increases her chances of mating compared to competitors. But while in an apartment, a cat is capable of unexpectedly showing aggression towards any object that provokes it - a person, another animal.
- Puddles of urine in the most unpredictable places are not revenge or “to spite” the owner. These are marks by the smell of which the male will quickly find the female.
Therefore, most often “bad” behavior is not the result of habits, but the implementation of the cat’s instinct to reproduce. She "should" do this. This is how nature intended it.
Doctors, when talking about the best age for sterilization, promote the operation more before the first heat. Because in this way you can avoid characteristic behavior during sexual hunting. The female will not scream or mark because she has no interest in the opposite sex. Accordingly, the behavior and character of the cat will not change after castration.
Does a cat's personality change after sterilization?
Owners of cats who have already outgrown their first heat, have become adults, and may have already given birth, are primarily concerned about how the character of their pets changes after sterilization. Do they become less affectionate? Experts say the animal’s character will not change.
When a cat is in a state of heat, its behavior is largely controlled by the main “love” hormone – estrogen.
A cat can be especially affectionate. After the operation, the hormonal levels are stable, there are no surges, so the animal behaves calmer and more restrained.
Will sterilization help cope with animal aggression?
In some cases, owners bring their cat for surgery, finding themselves in a seemingly hopeless situation: they believe that sterilization will help “calm down” their overly aggressive pet. Does this theory have objective evidence?
Until relatively recently, even among veterinarians there was a belief that sterilization, by removing sex hormones from the body, actually helps make animals more manageable.
But cats are natural predators, and therefore aggression is inherent in their behavior from the very beginning. And nothing can be done about it. In any case, reducing the level of sex hormones will definitely not give much effect.
Important! If the operation is performed at about six months of age, the cat may actually become somewhat calmer. Or it may not be - it all depends on the character of the particular animal.
Sterilization is practically useless in calming initially aggressive animals. AND! Moreover, cats are often “out of their mind” and become even more aggressive when sterilized. The problem is that before the operation, some of the animal’s negative emotions manifested themselves in the form of sexual instincts, but after the operation the cat has nowhere to put its energy.
The conclusion is simple. You should not sterilize an animal if it behaves somewhat inappropriately. It is better to immediately explain the problem to the veterinarian. In many cases, a high-quality medical examination helps to identify the root cause of what is happening to the cat.
Perhaps the pet is in pain, something is bothering her (a tumor, for example), and therefore she rushes at people and shows her aggression in other ways. In addition, it is important to conduct a complete blood test. Often this behavior is caused by severe hormonal disorders. If they are identified in time and treatment is started, the animal will quickly become quite adequate.
How sterilization methods affect behavior
It is widely believed that the term "castration" refers to the operation on males, and "sterilization" on females. This is wrong. Because castration, regardless of gender, means the complete removal of reproductive organs. And sterilization in the case of cats is a tubal ligation (vasectomy). But more often the term “sterilization” has become established in everyday life, although this means castration.
With tubal ligation, the animal will not become pregnant, but sexual behavior during the period of estrus remains. Such an operation is now rarely performed. However, if a vasectomy was performed, then the owner should not be surprised that after sterilization the cat became aggressive or exhibits increased excitability, or began to dominate other animals in the family, and is more often exposed to stress. Thus, this sterilization method does not solve behavioral problems.
In addition, after a vasectomy, the risk of diseases of the genitourinary system and cancer is high.
In veterinary medicine, castration is considered the safest, which is carried out in 2 ways:
- Ovariectomy – removal of the ovaries. It is practiced less and less due to the high risk of complications.
- Ovariohysterectomy - removal of both the uterus and ovaries through an incision or using laparoscopy.
After ovariohysterectomy, the cat completely loses interest in the opposite sex, due to which it becomes calmer and more balanced.
But you should understand that changes in hormonal levels do not happen overnight, it takes time. Some animals require up to a month, others more.
At what age should surgery be performed?
Veterinarians are against early sterilization. The reproductive system is involved in the formation of the body as a whole - the skeletal, muscular system, and psyche. This is why it is better for the cat to mature physically.
Cats become sexually mature at about 7-8 months. Cases of manifestation of early adulthood - 4-5 months - are very rare. If you decide to have your cat neutered, have your cat examined by a qualified veterinarian. The animal must be healthy and of sufficient weight.
If it is not possible to visit a doctor regularly, it is recommended to wait until the first signs of sexual heat. You need to endure a period of “exacerbation” and then take your pet to the doctor for tests and planning the procedure. According to the age criterion, the operation is performed throughout the cat’s life.
Exceptions include older individuals over 12 years of age, when anesthesia is contraindicated due to weakness of the heart muscle.
At 5-7 years old, cats are still strong enough to undergo surgery without harm to their health and with a short rehabilitation period.
A cat after sterilization asks for a cat
The biggest surprise for owners after sterilization is the sudden onset of signs of heat in their pet. How is that possible, since that’s why the operation was performed?! There are several reasons for going into heat after castration:
- A “poorly performed” operation. If during the operation the ovary, even part of it, was left behind, it continues to produce hormones that put the female in a state of heat. This phenomenon is called “reminent ovarian syndrome.” Unfortunately, the situation can only be corrected through surgery. For this purpose, abdominal surgery is performed. Laparoscopy (penetration through a puncture) is not effective in this case.
- Castration in heat. In some cats, heat is prolonged or does not stop at all. This condition is an indication for sterilization during heat. In such animals, the hormonal levels do not stabilize immediately after surgery. Therefore, signs of estrus persist for some time.
- Hormonal duplication. Quite rarely, however, it happens that after removal of the ovaries, another endocrine gland (adrenal glands, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, thyroid gland) takes over their functions. Moreover, this condition can develop in both sterilized and unsterilized animals and is most often observed at the age of 5-8 years.
- Diseases of the endocrine glands should not be discounted. First of all, various tumors that can seriously affect hormonal levels and sexual activity.
In any case, if signs of estrus are observed after sterilization, it is necessary to undergo examination at the clinic (ultrasound, blood tests for hormones).
Long-term consequences
Some owners express fears that after the operation their pets will become much less affectionate and, in addition, will quickly gain excess weight. This is nothing more than idle fiction! Your cat will definitely not become less affectionate; Rather, she will simply settle down due to the general stabilization of hormonal levels. As for laziness and gaining excess weight, strictly speaking, in theory this is possible. But exclusively against the background of a sharp decrease in physical activity (you know why) with a simultaneous increase in the amount of food eaten! Therefore, the schedule of games and activities for your furry pet needs to be seriously adjusted, and the problem of excess weight will not arise. A lot of food plus little activity - this happens to people too, right?
Take care of your cat's proper, balanced diet. Try to purchase products from manufacturers that have proven themselves in the market. It is better to select specialized food and avoid excessively high-calorie and fatty foods.
In other words, the motto for the future healthy and long life of a family pet should be: “Proper nutrition plus physical activity.” Let’s add on our own: plus your care, affection and attention!
Original post: Cat Behavior After Spaying. Author: Sandy Chebat Source and photo:
Will he stop marking and shitting?
Urine markings (marks) are left by both males and females. And, as a rule, in most cases, sterilization solves this problem.
However, in a small percentage of cases, both spayed female and neutered male cats continue to mark.
Reasons why a cat marks:
- Little time has passed since the operation. This applies primarily to animals that have undergone castration as adults. And who have formed habits and certain “behavior scenarios.”
- Residual ovary syndrome. Estrus after sterilization is manifested, among other things, by leaving marks.
- The cat is stressed. To calm down, she marks her territory. Your smell relieves anxiety. Anything can put you into a state of stress - the appearance of another animal, a new family member. Therefore, before scolding an animal, you need to analyze the situation in the house and make every effort to make your pet feel safe.
The best option is to visit a veterinarian. It is important to make sure that the castration operation was completed without complications and to exclude diseases of the genitourinary system.
Further postoperative period
Over the next three days, the animal’s behavior may be as follows:
- The animal tends to lick the area near the incision,
- Tries to bite if someone wants to touch her,
- Have problems with bowel movements and urination, may urinate more often than usual,
- Increased response to extraneous noises
- Temperature rise above 390C,
- Lack of appetite.
If any of these symptoms persist for more than three days, the animal should be taken to a veterinarian.
On the first day after the operation, it is very important to provide the animal with constant access to clean water ; it should not be force-fed; it is considered normal if the animal sleeps the next day after the operation.
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After the operation, the animal should wear a special blanket collar for another 7-10 days so that the cat does not lick the stitches, as this can lead to inflammation of the wound; usually after a couple of days the pet gets used to the device and does not experience discomfort. She will also need painkillers for at least 36-48 hours after surgery.
A postoperative scar usually heals quickly; the main thing is to ensure that there is no swelling, redness, or fluid leaking from the wound - these are signs of infection.
After two to three weeks, slight swelling may remain on the scar; this is normal, the main thing is that liquid does not ooze from it.
