What is castration
Castration of male domestic animals is sterilization, that is, deprivation of an animal's reproductive functions through surgical intervention. There are many reasons to perform this simple medical procedure:
This small operation extends the life of your pet.
- the life expectancy of an animal at home will increase significantly;
- the cat will stop showing aggression and stop “marking” its territory, its character will significantly improve;
- the pet will no longer ask to go outside, risking contracting some kind of infection during a walk;
- if there are several cats of different sexes living at home, castration of the “men” will allow you to avoid unwanted offspring, so that you don’t have to think about how to get rid of the kitten.
However, after surgery, pets’ hormonal levels change dramatically and they can become very fat. To prevent obesity, it is necessary to change the animal’s diet, including special commercially produced food for sterilized cats. Obesity after sterilization occurs especially often in Scots and Britons.
This is interesting! It is known that cats can have sexual intercourse even with their closest relatives. Therefore, if a cat and a female cat from the same mother (“brother” and “sister”) or a mother cat with an adult son live at home, males must be neutered.
It is known that after castration, cats' disposition significantly improves.
Necessity or desire
Each owner has the right to decide the issue of castration based on his views, desires and intentions. In order for this decision to be balanced, you should know what consequences await after your pet reaches puberty:
- Taking hormonal drugs to relieve sexual desire causes significant harm to the cat's body, leading to disruption of the endocrine system and its diseases.
- During the rut, the male actively marks his territory, often in the apartment.
- Excessive activity, aggression of the cat.
- The pets try to escape in search of the cat.
Positive factors for removing reproductive organs:
- The cat becomes calmer, its character changes for the better.
- If the operation is performed at the optimal age, the animal’s health improves and life expectancy is extended. The risk of undesirable consequences in this case is negligible - no more than three tenths of a percent.
What to do before castrating a cat
Is it necessary to castrate a cat: what will happen if you don’t?
Before signing up for the procedure, the cat owner must:
- make sure that the pet is absolutely healthy, does not suffer from acute diseases, or suffers from exacerbations of chronic diseases;
- bring the animal into proper shape (especially if the cat regularly goes outside) - comb out the fur, treat it for parasites, if the fur is heavily soiled - wash it;
- If the cat suffers from increased nervousness and excitability, treat with sedatives. In this case, you can only use those medications that have been approved by your veterinarian. Not all sedatives are compatible with medications used during castration;
- issue a veterinary passport for your pet. This document will also be needed when transporting the animal, if you need to go to the clinic by train;
If the animal has any diseases, the veterinarian has the right to cancel the operation or delay it. The pet owner should treat this with understanding. Castration of a sick pet can cause serious complications that threaten the cat's life.
Sterilization and castration - what is the difference?
I would like to start by distinguishing between different operations, which many cat owners can hardly distinguish between. An erroneous understanding has taken hold that sterilization is associated with females, and castration with females. Some owners even suggest that these two words are synonymous and mean the same surgical procedure.
Sterilization requires a lot of effort from the doctor and is more expensive than castration
Fertile ground for such a misconception was created by many veterinary websites that used these concepts without detailed explanation. Meanwhile, the rub lies in the details. So why is spaying more common in the context of cats, and castration more common in the context of males?
The answer lies in the way two related operations are performed. Castration is a more radical version of sterilization and involves getting rid of all reproductive organs, without exception. Due to the peculiarities of physiology, this option is, indeed, more often practiced on males, since partial removal of the reproductive organs is useless in their regard.
Even if desired, the doctor is not always able to remove the uterus without harm to the health of the animal
Sterilization, on the contrary, leaves the reproductive “rudiment” intact, taking into account the loss of the ability to reproduce. Such a rudiment in females is the uterus, the removal of which, it would seem, is not necessary. It is enough to get rid of the ovaries, which produce sex hormones, to block the cat’s very need for a ligament. If you wish, you can castrate a cat, but most owners prefer to leave the uterus due to its “harmlessness”.
What's best for a cat?
As already mentioned, sterilization involves getting rid of the ovaries and preserving the uterus. What could be the consequences of such a medical move? The uterus is the sovereign organ in the abdominal cavity. Strictly speaking, it does not depend on the ovaries, and if they are removed surgically, the uterus will continue to exist. If its blood supply is normal, it will not atrophy and die.
Many veterinarians advise getting rid of both the ovaries and the uterus during sterilization.
However, it is worth considering that by leaving this organ, you expose the animal to all the dangers associated with this organ. Neoplasms, inflammatory processes and other malignant processes can happen to any cat, regardless of how attentive the owner was and how good the care was.
The most common ailment associated with the uterus is endometritis, which causes inflammation of its mucous membrane. This disease is very difficult to recognize. If the right moment for diagnosis and treatment is missed, the disease risks becoming acute and later chronic. Preserving the uterus can also be dangerous due to the appearance of a cyst, which in advanced cases will threaten the health of the pet.
Multiple uterine cysts in a cat
Recently there has been a tendency to abandon sterilization in its classical sense. Veterinarians do not consider it necessary to leave an organ that in the future can cause both the cat and its owner a lot of inconvenience. Therefore, the modern version of sterilization is actually close to castration and involves the removal of all organs that are in one way or another involved in the process of reproduction.
Nowadays, sterilization is as close as possible to castration in its function.
By the way! For ease of designation, many veterinary clinics continue to use these two terms, giving them different meanings. Therefore, before “sterilization”, check with your veterinarian what is included in the “kit” of this procedure.
Basic rules of preparation
Castration of a cat: features of preparation for the procedure and further care
Every owner should know how to prepare a cat for castration. As a rule, the preparatory stage includes:
- treatment against external and internal parasites;
- vaccination;
- taking tests in a clinic or at home;
- maintaining a gentle diet.
It is worth thinking about preparation at least a month before the expected date of the operation, because the cat may have any diseases that occur in a latent (hidden) form, for which local and general anesthesia is contraindicated. The older the animal, the more carefully and attentively it needs to be prepared for medical intervention, because with age, the functioning of the immune system in cats significantly deteriorates, so operations are more difficult to endure.
Before visiting the clinic for surgery, the cat must be vaccinated against rabies and treated for worms.
Carrying out the operation
The castration procedure is divided into the following stages:
- Anesthesia.
- Removal of testes.
- Coming out of anesthesia.
Anesthesia
For ethical reasons and to ensure the convenience of the surgeon, the cat is immobilized and immobilized. For emasculation, general anesthesia is used. At the doctor's discretion, sedatives may be prescribed 1-2 days before surgery. Before administering the drug, a premedication procedure is performed - an injection of drugs is given to prevent side effects. Each veterinary clinic uses its own set of medications.
The traditional anesthetic is Xylazine, which is administered intramuscularly. The advantages are ease of administration and relatively low price. The disadvantage of using the drug is a certain waiting period, individual for each cat. The duration of recovery from anesthesia is 3–24 hours. Advanced clinics use Propofol. It is administered intravenously. Anesthesia occurs immediately, recovery from it is 1–2 hours. The disadvantage is the high cost.
Some clinics are convinced that traditional drugs only cause muscle relaxation and do not eliminate pain sensitivity, so they additionally perform local and intratesticular anesthesia with Lidocaine. Experienced veterinarians use conduction anesthesia, in which an anesthetic is injected into the epidural space.
Removal of testes
Several methods of castration of cats have been developed, but the most reliable and relatively inexpensive is considered to be the traditional, open method. In the clinic, instruments are sterilized; at home, a veterinarian performs castration with disposable ones. The surgical field is prepared. They pull back the cat's scrotum and cut all the layers. The exposed testis is removed, the spermatic cord is securely tied up and cut five millimeters below. The wound surface is sprinkled with an antiseptic. Apply 1-2 stitches or do without this procedure.
For old cats, in order to avoid the occurrence of an inguinal hernia, a closed method is used. The scrotum is cut, the vaginal membrane is twisted, stitched with thread, a ligature is applied, cut off, and cauterized with tincture of iodine.
During the operation, the surgeon should protect himself from getting a stream of urine in the face, which is thrown out involuntarily by the animal during the operation.
Castration of cryptorchids
A hereditary developmental anomaly is considered to be cats whose testes do not descend into the scrotum and remain in the groin or abdominal cavity. In such males, increased sexual desire is observed, accompanied by aggressive behavior. A distinction is made between unilateral cryptorchidism, when one testicle is present in the scrotum, and bilateral.
Most often, the testis is found under the skin in the cat's groin. Removal is carried out in a closed manner. Sutures are placed in two layers - on triglyceride fiber and skin. The normal testicle is excised in the usual manner. If the testes remain in the abdominal chamber, abdominal surgery is performed.
Cryptorchid cats are castrated not only for the purpose of correcting the animal’s behavior. Such males should not be allowed for purebred breeding. In addition, malignant tumors often develop in the undescended testicle.
If cryptorchidism is detected in a cat, there is no need to rush into surgery. Sometimes the testicles descend into the scrotum on their own. If this does not happen upon reaching one year of age, removal is carried out.
Castration
Coming out of anesthesia
The cat recovers from surgery within 24–48 hours. He refuses to eat because he feels nauseous. The movements are uncoordinated, the cat needs the care and affection of its owners. This is why felinologists recommend not leaving the operated animal in the clinic. He is shivering due to hypothermia, so the cat needs to be placed in a warm place and covered with a blanket. 5 hours after the operation the animal must be given water. Some veterinary clinics may offer the owner an additional service to remove the cat from anesthesia.
The cat comes out of anesthesia
Treatment for worms
Castration of dogs: at what age and is it necessary?
Typically, deworming treatments are carried out four times a year, every three months (for example, before the start of each season). However, even if the animal’s owners strictly follow these rules, an extraordinary treatment must be carried out a week before castration.
To do this, you need to give the cat an anti-worm medication prescribed by your veterinarian. The dosage is determined depending on the weight, age and health status of the pet, so it is calculated individually each time.
If the animal spits out part of the medicine, you should not immediately give a second portion to avoid an overdose. It is advisable to repeat the treatment the next day.
Attention! You should not limit yourself to a one-time treatment against helminths.
After some time, it is recommended to repeat the procedure in accordance with the instructions on the package. In parallel with the treatment against helminths, you can apply drops of fleas, ticks and other parasites to the cat’s withers.
Tests and vaccinations
In order for a cat to be admitted to surgery without any problems, the following medical certificates must be provided:
- the result of a general blood test;
- blood biochemistry results"
- urine test results;
- a certificate from a cardiologist about the state of the cardiovascular system (for “aged” cats and animals suffering from obesity).
Since castration takes place under general anesthesia, anesthesia can provoke an increased load on the heart, therefore, in the presence of any cardiac pathologies, sterilization of males is strictly contraindicated.
The tailed patient, like a person, needs to be tested before surgery
Features of the procedure
The operation involves stopping the production of hormones so that the cat loses the ability to have offspring. There are two types of procedures that allow you to “turn off” the reproductive functions of an animal:
1. Sterilization - ligation of the seminal ducts.
2. Castration - removal of the testicles.
The procedure is performed under general anesthesia, and the dosage is determined for each animal individually, based on body weight and age. The operation lasts 5-10 minutes.
Nutrition and drinking regime
Exactly 12 hours before the manipulation, you need to stop feeding the cat and make sure that the animal does not feed on its own (for example, by pulling a tasty morsel from the table).
If you neglect this rule, vomiting may occur while under anesthesia. This is very dangerous, as the animal can choke on its own vomit.
If the animal is accustomed to drinking water, a bowl with a small amount of water can be left in its usual place. Let the cat drink at night, but on the day of the manipulation, drinking water, like food, is prohibited in the morning.
Care before castration of a cat
The animal must be provided with the correct gentle regimen and care in order to allow the cat to prepare and rest before a major operation. If there are children at home, they need to explain that the pet should not be tormented, pulled or disturbed.
If a cat wants to sleep, you can’t wake him up: the body’s defenses are mobilized during sleep. You need to feed in moderation, food should be familiar, without innovations.
Communication with other cats at a party or on the street is not recommended, otherwise the animal may become infected with some kind of infection from its fellow cats. Following these rules will help the cat survive the operation easily, without physical and psychological stress.
Attention! It is better if the person the cat trusts as much as possible takes care of the animal during the preparatory period.
You need to keep your pet at home for at least five days before the procedure, without letting it out for walks.
Is it necessary to neuter a cat at all?
If you have the opportunity to find a female at the first demanding “meow!”, if you are already accustomed to the pungent smell of cat marks and torn wallpaper, if there are many kind hands around you who will happily sort out the offspring, or if you have a ruthless heart and You can drown kittens if the feeling of solidarity keeps you up at night. If you are not afraid that a domestic cat will find someone on the street to satisfy its basic instinct and contract some kind of feline gonorrhea from her, then, of course, you should not do this. You decide. But city life dictates its own conditions to cats, city conditions, which, by the way, are also cruel.
We recommend reading: How to properly care for a cat after castration?
