Castration of an adult cat: everything the owner needs to know

Castration is a surgical procedure during which a veterinarian removes the testes from a cat. However, this procedure can be performed without surgery.

To understand all the intricacies, you need to learn more about the types of procedures and methods of implementation.

Should a cat be neutered? Pros and cons of the operation

Pet owners think about the sterilization procedure after young cats begin to mark their territory. The main advantage of castration is the disappearance of the desire to mate. However, the operation has many other advantages:

1. Elimination of aggressive, restless behavior. The testes produce special hormones that force the cat to look for females and defend its territory from strangers. Even if the animal lives in an apartment and has never seen other cats, the owners may notice the pet’s constant anxiety. If two males meet in the same territory, fights will begin. Excessive testosterone production can lead to the cat attacking its owners.
2. Prevention of diseases. After castration, a cat will not develop a testicular tumor, since this organ will be completely removed.
3. Reducing the risk of the animal running away. Even if a cat is very attached to its owners, the natural instinct of reproduction can take precedence over reason. The animal will try to escape every time it smells a female. Domestic cats are poorly adapted to outdoor life. After castration, the animal is unlikely to want to leave a comfortable and safe place.
4. Elimination of unpleasant odors. Kittens' urine does not have a strong odor. During a cat's puberty, a special secretion is mixed into the urine. Hormones force the male to “mark” his territory and attract females. People find this scent very unpleasant. After castration, the cat's urine will not have a strong odor. The pet will only go to the litter box and not mark any surfaces in the house.
5. Increased life expectancy. According to worldwide statistics, neutered pets live longer. They do not experience stress from heat. This makes their nervous system calmer.

Castration, like any other surgical operation, has its drawbacks. It has been proven that castrated cats become passive. Lack of activity leads to obesity, which in turn contributes to the development of diabetes, urocystitis and urolithiasis, and also provokes joint problems.

Fortunately, most unpleasant complications can be prevented by providing the animal with proper nutrition. In any case, the benefits of castration outweigh any possible disadvantages. The main thing is to entrust the health of the animal to an experienced veterinarian.

Advantages and disadvantages

Castration has its pros and cons. The following arguments can be given in favor of the operation:

• the animal will be in a constant state of stress if the desire to mate is not satisfied;

• there is nothing good about taking birth control and hormonal pills throughout your pet’s life;

• there is a high risk of acquiring various diseases when a cat is sexually active;

• the animal will stop marking its territory after a few months;

• Fights between cats can injure, undermine health and even shorten the life of the animal. A neutered pet will not participate in fights, as it will be absolutely not interesting to him;

• such animals become very affectionate, flexible and easy to train;

When should a cat be neutered?

There are no strict deadlines for castration of cats. Most specialists do not perform surgery on kittens under four months of age. Optimal time for surgery: 6-9 months.

Castration of a cat at an early age

Veterinarians do not recommend sterilization for cats under six months of age. But if the cat shows signs of sexual activity earlier, then castration will be carried out immediately after the animal reaches five months of age.

Surgeries at an early age will not affect weight loss or skeletal underdevelopment. These features are laid down in the genotype, which determines the constitution of the pet.

Carrying out surgery at the age of 7-9 months

It has been proven that cats that have reached the age of 6-9 months tolerate castration best. The animal enters adolescence and begins to show interest in females. The cat may start meowing throughout the day. It is at this age that a pet experiences a hormonal surge, which is negatively reflected in the smell of urine.

The cat also gains sufficient body weight to tolerate anesthesia normally. Some veterinarians advise bringing your cat for surgery long before physiological changes develop.

Carrying out surgery in adulthood

Young cats under 3 years of age tolerate castration quite well. However, it is worth considering that adult males who are already accustomed to marking territory can continue to do so even after castration. It will take at least a month to level out your hormonal levels.

About 5% of animals will continue to mark territory for the rest of their lives. Also, some castrated “untied” cats may try to have sexual intercourse with a female. Veterinarians consider this behavior to be a habit: the cat is simply repeating already established patterns.

Technically, cats over 3 years old can also be neutered. However, in adult animals the risks of anesthesia increase. Such an animal must first be examined: undergo blood tests and undergo a screening ultrasound of the heart.

General information

Castration is a procedure aimed at suppressing the sexual function of an animal. Not in all cases this requires surgical removal of the cat's testes.

There are several types of sterilization when a scalpel is not required (or is required, but for other purposes):

• Medication. In this case, a special cartridge is implanted under the pet’s skin, which gradually releases substances that suppress libido. One of the most popular and effective remedies is Suprelorin.
• Chemical. Substances that suppress the growth and development of glandular tissue cells are injected directly into the testes. This type of sterilization is especially common in India, where a 10% calcium chloride solution is used for the procedure.
• Radiation. The testes are irradiated under a source of directed gamma radiation.

All three of these types are especially recommended by veterinarians to owners of older cats, since these methods are the least traumatic.

However, due to the low prevalence of some of them (chemical castration) and the high cost of others, surgical sterilization is still the most common. It is cheap, effective, and takes very little time. True, its implementation in the case of four-year-old cats and older is fraught with some difficulties.

Preparing a cat for castration

The most important rule for the owner: remain calm throughout the entire period of preparation for the operation. Pets understand human emotions very well. The pet will feel anxious and begin to hide and behave aggressively. It is necessary to maintain a fasting diet for 6-8 hours before anesthesia. Water can and even should be left available.

If castration will be carried out by a veterinarian who has not previously examined the cat, it is necessary to prepare information about vaccinations, medications and diseases that the animal has suffered. The owner will also be asked to sign a consent form for the use of anesthesia, an information sheet regarding possible complications after the operation.

Optimal age for surgery

Usually cats are castrated at about 6 months of age, but many animals have already reached sexual maturity by this time. Therefore, castration can be carried out earlier - at the age of about 4 months. Often, breeders sell already neutered animals in order to avoid unwanted use of them in breeding work.

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Anesthesia for castration of a cat

To choose the optimal method of pain relief, the veterinarian will examine the cat and take measurements of vital signs:

• temperature;
• heart rate;
• blood pressure.

The veterinarian will perform surgery only if he receives confirmation that the cat is healthy enough to recover from anesthesia.

Most often, the animal is sedated using an injection. An intravenous catheter is inserted through the shaved area of ​​the paw.

Inhalation anesthesia

Most cats are given anesthetics by injection or intravenous catheter. After falling into a light sleep, the anesthesiologist will insert an endotracheal tube through which anesthetic gas will be administered.

The animal will also be connected to equipment that monitors heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. Most veterinary clinics use an inhaled drug - isoflurane or sevoflurane.

Non-inhalational anesthesia

The most common type of sedation and analgesia is a combination of drugs. The operation to remove the testes is quite simple and takes approximately 10-15 minutes.

Most often, this manipulation uses a combination of a sedative intravenous drug and a local anesthetic, which is injected directly into the testes themselves for pain relief.

More details about the operation

There are two types of surgery performed on cats:

• Removal of testicles. The animal is put under anesthesia, after which the surgeon cuts the scrotum and ties the spermatic cord so that there is no loss of blood. Then the testis is cut off with scissors, after which the scrotum is sutured. As a result of the operation, the cat's hormonal levels change and he becomes infertile.

• Vasectomy. In this surgical procedure, the testes remain and continue to function, but the spermatic cord is cut or ligated, which prevents sperm from entering the spermatic duct. The hormonal levels do not change, the cat continues to mark corners and demand a cat, but he can no longer have children.

Methods of castration of cats

There are several options for sterilizing males. In modern veterinary clinics, testes are most often removed surgically. However, some systemic diseases may make any intervention impossible.

Nuances of classical surgery

After administering anesthesia, the surgeon will make two incisions directly on the animal's scrotum. Next, the specialist removes the testes, placing biological nodes on the blood vessels. The incisions are treated with an antiseptic solution. Sutures, as a rule, are not applied.

Medical (chemical) castration

If anesthesia or sedation is contraindicated, your veterinarian may administer medications to stop testosterone production. The advantages of this method include reversibility and low risk of complications.

Chemical castration involves inserting an implant under the cat's skin. The testes gradually atrophy, that is, decrease in size. The animal's behavior will change within 4-5 weeks after the procedure. The duration of the effect varies from 6 to 12 months.

After the end of the implant, the production of hormones is restored, which also leads to the return of the size of the testes and the manifestation of sexual desire.

Features of castration of a cryptorchid cat

If one or two testes do not descend into the scrotum, the cat is diagnosed with cryptorchidism. The shedding process must be completed before the kitten is 6 months old.

The nuances of the operation directly depend on the location of the testes. They may be located under the skin or in the abdominal cavity. If one or both sex glands remain in the abdominal cavity, then to perform the removal procedure, abdominal surgery is performed through one incision.

Contraindications

Despite the fact that the operation is not abdominal, it is still an intervention in your pet’s body, so you need to take into account the presence of some restrictions.

1. Unless there is direct evidence for this, the procedure is not recommended for older animals, 8 years and older. At this age, tissues become flabby, increasing the risk of hernias and pulmonary edema, as well as other complications.
2. Urolithiasis disease. It is generally accepted that the animal’s genitourinary system becomes more vulnerable. This is actually a misconception. Castration itself cannot cause this disease. But it leads to a decrease in the animal’s activity and increases the risk of obesity. That is, it contributes to the development of provoking factors.
3. Cardiac or pulmonary failure, regardless of the cause.
4. Kidney failure.

The last two points need to be monitored, since the operation is performed under general anesthesia. It inhibits the activity of vital organs, and death can occur right on the operating table.

Possible complications after surgery

Surgical removal of the testes is a fairly simple operation, but in rare cases complications can occur. Veterinarians usually assess the animal’s health before the procedure begins and inform the owner about the possible development of the following side effects:

• licking of incisions on the scrotum and inflammation of wounds
• deterioration of general condition

In order to prevent the development of complications, it is necessary to monitor the cat during the first 24 hours after surgery and follow the recommendations of the veterinarian.

Features of surgery

Since the genitals of an adult cat are already fully formed, it is strictly forbidden to castrate him using a closed surgical method. We are talking about a surgical technique in which the serous membrane of the scrotum is tightened with a ligature. It is almost impossible to perform this operation efficiently in an adult animal. If even a slight blood flow continues to the “tightened” organs, swelling, inflammation will develop, and gangrene and necrosis may also develop. All this is fraught with the death of the pet from sepsis.

It is not recommended to castrate “over-aged” cats at home.

Since (compared to kittens) there is a high risk of complications, it is better to do this in a clinic. We recommend that you arrange an appointment for the operation in the morning, having first taken that day off. In this case, you can take the operated cat home and quietly monitor him all day. In addition, the animal will be much less nervous, constantly seeing the owner nearby.

If for some reason the operation cannot be scheduled in the morning, it is better for the veterinarian to perform it in the evening. In this case, it is recommended to leave the cat in the clinic overnight. He will be under constant supervision of specialists and if something goes wrong, they will be able to quickly provide your pet with the necessary medical care.

How to care for a cat after castration

After the operation, the doctor will give individual recommendations based on the animal’s condition. However, the standard set of care instructions is approximately the same.

1. Provide constant supervision to your pet. If the operation is successful, full recovery of health will take only 1-2 days. It is advisable to keep an eye on the cat until complete rehabilitation. It is important to exude confidence and remember to pet and encourage your pet.
2. Place a protective collar around the cat's neck. It is very important to ensure that the cat does not lick the incision area. An Elizabethan collar will prevent the animal from licking the damaged area. Treatment of wounds is usually not required.
3. Provide the animal with water and food. You can feed him wet food after surgery, since the cat was previously on a starvation diet. To get him interested in food, it is best to give him a bag of wet food or canned food for neutered cats. This will quickly replenish the balance of micro and macroelements.

Differences between sterilization of young and adult individuals

When a female is spayed before her first heat, there is a high probability that only her ovaries will be removed during the operation. This operation is called oophorectomy. If at the time of the operation the cat was already in heat, or even pregnant and giving birth, then the uterus can be removed along with the ovaries during the operation. This procedure is called ovariohysterectomy.

According to the advice of veterinarians, it is better to remove the uterus during sterilization, because over time this organ can begin to become inflamed, which will lead to disastrous consequences. In order for the uterus to be removed along with the ovaries, it is not necessary to wait for the first heat. But before the operation, you need to consult a veterinarian and resolve this issue together.

There are cases where age does not play a role in sterilization. Most often this happens when surgery is prescribed for medical reasons. In this case, it is necessary to undergo tests to check the condition of the animal.

Preparation period

Mandatory conditions for preparing a cat for sterilization are:

• 12 hour diet. This is due to the fact that anesthesia can cause the animal to vomit if there is food in the cat’s stomach. Aspiration of vomit causes a dangerous disease - aspiration pneumonia;
• The cat should not be given water to drink within 2–3 hours;
• treatment for worms. Carried out 10 days before sterilization;
• vaccinations. If the animal is not vaccinated, there is a risk of contracting an infectious disease after surgery.

What to do if the most suitable period for castration is missed?

For an adult cat, from 1 to 7 years old, according to veterinary clinics, such an operation does not threaten anything terrible. However, having passed the extreme age of seven, the cat begins to age, and castration can result in death for him.

Taking this issue seriously, you must not miss the best moment when you can castrate a cat quite painlessly, and then the main negative consequences will not affect him.

Although there may be many reasons why the owners could not do this on time. Someone is afraid, worried about the health of their furry pet. Someone was unfamiliar with the specifics of the physiological development of cats. But when a decisive factor appears, when patience comes to an end and the whole house seems to be saturated with a pungent unpleasant odor, most loving owners are simply forced to take such radical measures.