Castrate a cat who has reached old age and give vitamins

By attributing human qualities to an animal, we find various arguments against castration. Thoughts come to mind: how can our beloved animal do without such an important pleasure? You should immediately reassure the owners, since pets do not know how to reason and analyze. Therefore, castration of an adult cat leads to loss of sexual behavior, after which there will be no physical or psychological suffering.

Animal age

It is recommended that surgery be performed between 7 and 10 months of age. At this time, the first signs of sexual heat appear, and the body has already formed. If castration is too early, the risk of obesity increases, the animal becomes very lethargic, which increases the likelihood of developing urolithiasis.

Surgery at a later date becomes more dangerous. Some veterinarians refuse to operate on cats older than 7 years , as they do not tolerate anesthesia well, and surgical wounds take a long time to heal, and there is a risk of developing postoperative infections. However, if the cat’s behavior leaves no choice, then the operation can be performed, since all these dangers are not high enough.

At what age should you see a veterinarian?

People often ask whether it is possible to castrate a cat a year. Usually by this age it is not only possible, but also necessary. However, you should focus on the behavior of the animal. Signs of puberty may appear much earlier. Among them:

• appearance of marks;
• aggressive or too independent behavior of an animal walking on its own;
• cat "concerts".

You can encounter them as soon as the animal reaches 5 months, everything is individual. If it is possible to castrate a teenager, can adult cats be spayed? Yes, and the likelihood that the animal will give up its behavioral habits is very high. But after 7 years, not all veterinarians undertake a similar procedure, since the older the animal, the higher the risk of severity of recovery from anesthesia.

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;

Features of the “old” castration

It is known that cats are natural predators. And they, as usual, are strictly territorial. This means that any adult cat will feel your apartment as its territory. In order to “secure” his right to living space, he will mark it. The smell from an unneutered cat is terrible, as you and all your guests will soon see. In addition, a sexually mature animal has an instinct at the genetic level to increase its territory, spurred by sex hormones.

Castration helps solve these problems, at least partially. Neutered cats mark their territory much less often; their marks have virtually no specific odor. Of course, “territorial expansion” is also canceled.

But! If you think that the castrato will completely stop marking the house, we have to disappoint you: the instinct itself will not disappear anywhere, it will only weaken.

At first, a castrated cat will still “puff” like a fire extinguisher, and the smell will be the same. Only later, when the level of sex hormones subsides, its activity and intensity of the “aroma” will subside. But until then, you will have to be patient. In some cases, breeders had to wait six months until their cat's behavior became calmer.

Myths about “fat castrati”: what is this belief based on?

It is generally accepted that castrated cats become fat, lazy, and lose interest in everything except food. But all these rumors are somewhat exaggerated and do not take into account some features of the biochemistry of sterilized animals. In particular, owners are required to reconsider the pet’s diet.

The body of a castrated cat needs much less nutrients, and therefore the average daily amount of calories it receives should also be reduced. In addition, castrates are much more sensitive to factors that cause urolithiasis. Therefore, it is strictly contraindicated to feed such cats with low-quality dry food and fish. Especially fish! This product should either be removed from the castrato’s diet altogether, or its amount should be significantly reduced.

It is also vital to provide your neutered pet with a normal amount of clean drinking water. Since castrates are more susceptible to developing urolithiasis, the water-salt balance of their body must be perfectly balanced. This cannot be achieved if the pet is constantly very thirsty. Over time, the body’s biochemistry will change, adapting to new conditions, and everything will return to normal.

The younger the pet was at the time of castration, the faster this will happen. If the cat was more than five years old at the time of the operation, it may take several weeks, or even months. This period cannot be artificially accelerated, so you need to prepare immediately: you need to consult a veterinarian and create the most suitable diet for your pet.

How big is the health risk for a cat that is neutered at an “old age”?

Since castration in most cases is carried out using the traditional surgical method, negative consequences, unfortunately, cannot be completely excluded. There is always risk. They are especially great when they decide to sterilize a cat because of its cryptorchidism. In this case, abdominal surgery is required, and such manipulations can always have side effects.

The most common complication is an increase in the length of the postoperative recovery period. Surgical wounds may take a long time to heal, appetite will take a long time to recover, etc. In addition, the cat may be lethargic for a couple of weeks. All this is absolutely normal, but only in cases where these phenomena are not accompanied by an increase in general body temperature, vomiting, diarrhea, and other alarming symptoms.

What do veterinarians think?

What is the opinion of veterinarians regarding sterilization of “elderly” animals? Of course, even in this case there are some disputes, but many experts agree that castration before seven years of age does not carry any special risks and in most situations helps to improve the cat’s health.

Experts' opinion! After seven years of age, pets should be sterilized only for medical reasons.

The risk of side effects becomes great due to a sharp change in the established hormonal levels over the years. In addition, in such cases, a sharp manifestation of “dormant” diseases that had not previously manifested themselves is possible.

Thus, the pros and cons of castration of older cats can be discussed for a long time. In a particular case, the decision must be made in consultation with an experienced veterinarian. In addition, the operation should not be done “at random”. First, it is necessary to conduct a full medical examination of the pet so that contraindications for castration (if any) do not become a “surprise” later. In particular, it happened that a tumor was discovered during radiography/ultrasound. Castration in such cases is strictly contraindicated: changes in hormonal levels can provoke rapid growth of the tumor.

Preparing for surgery

Preparation for castration is no different from preparation for other surgical interventions:

• 10-12 hours before the operation the cat is not fed, and one hour before the operation the cat should not be given anything to drink;

• unscheduled deworming is carried out 14 days in advance, and before that - treated for fleas and other skin parasites;

• Before the operation you need to donate blood and urine for analysis.

Features of castration

There are no special features of surgical castration, but you should always remember some physiological characteristics of old cats :

• At the stage of preparation for surgery, blood and urine tests are required. Their results will help determine the condition of the animal’s lungs, heart, and kidneys.
• In cases where the above studies do not provide accurate data, ultrasound and radiography of the chest and abdominal cavities are recommended. These techniques will help to more accurately determine the condition of all vital organs of the pet.

All these precautions are due to the fact that the rare cat that lives to a fairly old age does not have chronic diseases. If they in any way affect the health of the respiratory system, heart, kidneys and/or liver, surgery is not recommended. In addition, the “veteran’s” body may not survive the consequences of general anesthesia.

As for the actual operation, the procedure itself does not have any distinctive features. It is only important to remember that the tissues of the genital organs at this age are already quite dense and rigid, which imposes special requirements for the application of a ligature. The knot must be tightened so that it is guaranteed not to come apart.

If there is any doubt, you can additionally apply a suture. Since the healing process of the operated area can take two weeks or more, it is very important to prevent the process of licking the wound. To do this, it is recommended to immediately use a surgical collar.

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.

Indications for the procedure

Castration of an adult cat can also be carried out for medical reasons, and not just because the cat is marking. Such indications include: neoplasm of the testes and/or scrotum (in such cases, castration is carried out with removal of the scrotum); hormonal disorders; cryptorchidism. In some articles, prostatitis is indicated as a medical indication. In cats, the prostate is rudimentary (which is not visible on ultrasound) and does not cause prostatitis in cats. Advantages and disadvantages

On the positive side:

• the sharp unpleasant smell of urine disappears;
• stops marking. But if the animal has been marking a certain area at home for a long time, the habit will remain. aggression caused by hormonal levels disappears;
• cats living in summer cottages will no longer need to “fight” for territory.

From the negative:

• tendency to obesity;
• decreased activity, but not for everyone;
• what you need to know before the procedure.

The pointlessness of castration

In some cases, castration will not help, especially for adult cats who have already
developed behavior
. In particular, it makes no sense to remove the testes when:

• The cat constantly asks to go outside.
  This is not directly related to sexual activity (although it does fuel desire). It's just that it's much more interesting outside than at home. If your pet has already walked there, then he will simply be bored at home. Animals also require a change of environment.

• Pet.
  Castration in this case often helps, but sometimes it has no effect on behavior if it is related not to the function of hormones, but to the disposition and habits of the pet.

• The cat shits in the wrong place.
  After castration, the pet will stop the territory, but if he has already formed the habit of going anywhere, then even after the operation he will not have the desire to do his business in the potty.

• Prostate prophylaxis is needed.
  In general, this is a strange goal: to remove an organ so that it does not hurt. Surgery is always a risk, especially for an adult cat, and after castration the likelihood of developing urolithiasis will increase. So it’s stupid to put your pet under the knife to prevent unlikely diseases.

Castration technique

All operations of this type are divided into 2 groups:

• Castration is a surgical procedure to remove or stop the functioning of the testes.
• Sterilization is an operation in which the vas deferens is destroyed or ligated, and the testes continue to function as before.

Cats live in almost every apartment. These furry creatures give us joy and warmth. Children especially love them. And many parents are faced with a situation when a child brings home a tiny kitten with a request to keep it. If this is possible, then soon he will turn into a handsome cat with a luxurious mustache. And everything would be fine if not for one thing. Obeying instincts, your pet may begin to mark its territory and sing “songs.” We’ll talk today about what to do about it and whether it’s possible to castrate an adult cat.

When surgery doesn't make sense

Quite often, by removing the testes, owners want to correct the behavior of their pet. But in this case we are talking about an adult animal with already formed behavioral habits. Therefore, when a veterinarian is asked whether it is possible to castrate a cat if he is 5 years old, he must explain to the owner that this is not a magical procedure that will make their pet calm, affectionate and flexible in one moment. It makes no sense to remove the testes if:

• The pet constantly asks to go outside. Here it’s not even about sexual activity, it’s just more interesting there than at home.
• The cat is aggressive. If this is due to the disposition and habits of the animal, then the operation will not help in any way.
• The animal has been pooping everywhere for a long time. After the operation, it will no longer leave marks that are needed to attract females. But such a procedure cannot accustom him to the tray. If a cat has chosen a place for the toilet, then it is usually very difficult to retrain it.

Features of surgical intervention

Adult pets are almost always under general anesthesia, since local anesthesia in this case cannot guarantee the absence of painful shock and other unpleasant consequences. Thus, “elderly” cats are usually quite strong, and the introduction of anesthetic drugs prevents cases where the animal breaks out of the fixation devices during surgery.

In addition, sedatives are useful because they reduce the pain effect even after the pet recovers from anesthesia. This is very important, since it is this property that allows the animal to sleep peacefully and return to normal without suffering from pain in the operated scrotum.

In addition, during anesthesia, a “cocktail” of drugs is administered that have the following effects: a decrease in salivation (i.e., salivation) and the secretion of digestive enzymes; stabilization of blood pressure; expansion of the bronchi and bronchioles (so that hypoxia does not develop during the procedure), etc.

Generally, anesthesia is given by intravenous injection of anesthetic agents. The inhalation method of anesthesia today, as a rule, is not used: the procedure is too long, it has many side effects (including pulmonary edema and death).

For older animals, intubation is recommended. A special tube is inserted into the animal's trachea. This measure allows you to avoid hypoxia and other dangerous consequences. For example, the likelihood of vomit entering the respiratory system is sharply reduced.

Carrying out the operation

The procedure itself is practically no different from the deprivation of younger animals. Thus, castration of an adult cat also involves carefully trimming and shaving the skin of the scrotum. It is very important to achieve perfect cleanliness: if hair gets into the wound canal, severe inflammation cannot be avoided. This is done when the animal has already been administered anesthetic drugs.

Then the skin is disinfected by applying antiseptic compounds two or three times (for example, a regular alcohol tincture of iodine). The operation is carried out in a general manner: all layers of the scrotum are dissected, the testicular ligament is cut, a clamp and ligature are applied to the vessels and vas deferens. The organ is cut off and the stump is cauterized with iodine.

Not all cats end up in a person’s home as young creatures; some are just so lucky. At the same time, owners have to solve the problem of limiting the sexual activity of an animal in any case.

An adult non-neutered cat can “get” everyone in the household with its behavior

He will leave terrible smelling marks everywhere, tear up furniture, and struggle to be free, and will not calm down until he gets what he wants - and after a short time everything will repeat itself.

What is special about castration of an adult cat?

During an operation to castrate an adult cat

Castration of an adult cat is no different from castration of a kitten under one year old: the testicles are removed in the same way through a small incision in the scrotum.

But many owners of adult cats decide with great caution to visit a veterinarian about this. Firstly, it seems to them that they are inflicting indelible moral trauma on their pet, depriving it of the opportunity to reproduce. Secondly, it is believed that the age limit for castration of an adult cat is 7 years

.

However, in practice, veterinarians often perform other, more complex operations on them, and mostly everything goes well. And attributing moral torment to cats has no basis.

Castration of cats over 7 years of age is sometimes prescribed for medical reasons: tumors, prostatitis, hormonal disorders, serious trauma to the genital organs.

Bengal seven year old cat. He gave excellent offspring, but according to doctors, he had to be castrated.

Older stud cats who have already made their contribution to the breed and are no longer involved in matings are also castrated. It is better to make such a decision together with the club management and a veterinarian you know.

What is castration?

Sterilization or castration is considered to be a procedure in which medical or surgical removal of the testes (testicles) is performed. The main purpose of this procedure is to prevent the pet from breeding, and it also reduces its increased aggressiveness. This operation can be performed at home or in a veterinary clinic.

In essence, this is a simple operation, it is absolutely safe for the life of the animal and does not cause unpleasant consequences.

During castration, the doctor cuts out the testicles or ties the replacement cords. In any case, the cat loses its ability to reproduce, but when bandaging it, all its instincts are fully preserved - it also marks its territory, it retains its sexual desire and rutting.

Castration is performed under general anesthesia, so the animal does not feel pain or discomfort. A small incision is made at the site of the testicles, through which the testicles are completely removed or the cords are ligated.

CASTRATION OF AN ADULT CAT

Features of orchiectomy in an adult animal

If it was not possible to castrate a cat at 7-11 months due to certain circumstances, and the desire to take care of the health of your pet is great, you should take into account some points.
The age of an animal, like that of a person, is directly proportional to the risks of anesthesia, complications after surgery and the formation of various age-related pathologies. Therefore, additional studies are carried out on adult animals before castration.

Necessary diagnostics:

• Complete biochemical and clinical blood test (to assess the condition of the animal’s internal organs, in particular organs that play a role in removing anesthesia from the body)
• Cardiac screening (to assess the functioning of the cardiovascular system and analyze risks during anesthesia)
• Other tests that the doctor deems necessary.

You can use these diagnostic procedures in our clinics.

To exclude possible complications, orchiectomy of an adult cat should be performed by veterinary specialists in a clinic equipped with the necessary equipment, instruments and medications. Thus, in the event of necessary resuscitation, it will be possible to use the entire arsenal of means to eliminate unforeseen circumstances.

It is necessary to select anesthesia for each animal individually, taking into account age, breed characteristics, as well as data from diagnostic studies. Depending on these data, the surgeon selects the type of anesthesia and performs the operation.

Our veterinary clinics use different types of anesthesia during surgical procedures, taking into account the above features, as well as modern equipment that allows the operation to be performed quickly and efficiently.

It is worth noting that many owners mistakenly believe that immediately after the procedure their pet will change its behavior, vocalization will stop, and it will become kinder.

You need to understand that changing hormonal levels is a process that takes a certain amount of time. Many of the animal's habits may remain despite the procedure. This primarily depends on how the pet behaved throughout its life, what it was allowed to do, and what it was not allowed to do. It is possible that some of the animal’s actions have become a habit, and you will have to put in a little more effort to re-educate it than just castration.

Keeping a neutered cat

Caring for a neutered pet is different from caring for a non-orchiectomy pet. As the level of hormones in the blood decreases, the pet's activity decreases, which can lead to excess weight.

To eliminate this aspect, you just need to follow the diet that your veterinarian will recommend after the surgical procedure.

Castration of an adult cat carries more risks than this procedure at an early age. To carry out this operation, it is necessary to choose a veterinary clinic with good equipment, highly qualified specialists and conduct additional examination. The veterinarian provides these services at the highest level and is responsible for their quality, because the health of the pet is our main goal.

Contraindications to castration

This operation is not abdominal, so it has a minimum of contraindications

:

• Elderly age.
  Cats live up to 10-12 years, so a pet 7-8 years or older can be considered “old”. At this age, tissues become flabby, which increases the risk of hernias, pulmonary edema and other postoperative complications.

• .
  Castration itself does not cause it, but it does lead to a decrease in the animal’s activity and an increased risk of obesity. And these factors predispose to the development of ICD.

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.

Why are adult cats neutered?

Firstly, many owners show a commendable degree of civic consciousness: they do not want their pet to become one of the reasons for the increase in the number of stray animals.

Remember that every year hundreds of thousands of kittens end up on the street. Most of them die, others grow up... and become “fail-safe” carriers of a wide variety of diseases.

In shelters, even if a kitten ends up there, the living conditions are also far from ideal. Many stray cats have to be euthanized. So castration is a benefit both for the cat itself and for the entire ecosystem.

In addition, in the practice of professional breeders there are often cases when a five-year-old cat was diagnosed with some kind of disease, with a probability of more than 90% being hereditary. Such animals must be excluded from the reproduction process (which, unfortunately, unscrupulous breeders often do not do).

These include the following diseases: cryptorchidism, polycystic kidney disease (PKD), which is a real scourge of Persians, amyloidosis. The latter is again characteristic of long-suffering Persians and, partly, Siamese cats.

There are hundreds of other pathologies for which “precautionary” castration is recommended.

But preventing unwanted kittens is not the only purpose of neutering. It is known that all cats can suffer from diseases directly related to high testosterone levels. These include: prostatic hyperplasia, prostatitis, prostatic abscesses, perianal or perineal adenomas (small growths found around the anus of some animals), perineal hernias. Occasionally – dermatoses of the skin of the scrotum. Thus, castration is a good prevention of all these ailments.

If the cat is already an adult, then after sterilization the risks of these diseases are reduced slightly than if compared with sterilization of kittens (but still reduced). Much more often, in the case of adult animals, depletion is resorted to when it already suffers from one of the pathologies described above.

This, in particular, includes all types of diseases of the testes and their appendages. It is difficult to get testicular disease if you do not have testicles... These types of diseases include: cancer of the testicles and appendages, orchitis (testicular inflammation of an infectious or non-infectious nature), epididymitis (a similar inflammation of the appendages), serious injuries and abscesses of the testicles.

A little about behavior

I would like to dwell separately on the advisability of castration for the sake of “treating” aggressive or simply inappropriate behavior of an adult cat. It is generally accepted that sterilization helps to cope with these problems. But is this really so?

As you know, the testes are responsible for the synthesis of testosterone, that is, the male sex hormone. Its physiological essence is such that any non-castrated cat is by nature more aggressive when compared with its deprived relatives: i.e. he will always strive to conquer part of the territory and possess females, for the sake of which he will enter into fights with other animals (and not necessarily cats - during the “March games” pets sometimes attack even dogs).

In addition, it is hypothetically believed that such animals are more susceptible to aggression towards humans. They are more prone to exhibiting undesirable behaviors, including, for example, the widespread feline practice of marking in the home. Spraying pungent-smelling urine is not the best gift from your beloved cat.

But that’s not even what interests us. How true is the claim of many veterinarians and breeders that castration will make your pet calmer and more flexible? If we talk about kittens, then in many ways this is true. But the situation with five-year-old cats, alas, is completely different.

The fact is that by this age, stable behavioral paradigms and reflex arcs have already formed in the animal’s brain. Simply put, if before castration the pet was already aggressive and constantly marked, the operation will help solve these problems only in the long term, and even then without any special guarantees.

Important! Sterilization of animals can reduce some behavioral aspects of adult cats, but only within certain limits and after a reasonable period of time (six months or more).