What are the consequences of sterilizing a cat?

Nowadays, cat sterilization is a routine operation. Most owners no longer have the question of whether it is worth operating on their cat. If you do not plan to breed a cat and regularly receive kittens from her, sterilization is the best solution.

It's not even a matter of periods of sexual heat that are grueling for the owner and the animal. We are talking about health and life expectancy. I will say in advance: I am an ardent supporter of sterilization of cats, but in the article I will definitely mention not only the advantages, but also the disadvantages of the operation.

In an ideal world, cat sterilization is a planned, simple, quick procedure that does not cause any harm to the health of the young animal. The cat should easily undergo this operation and, after a short period of rehabilitation, return to a full life.

In practice, especially in remote regions of Russia, where small animal veterinary medicine is just beginning to develop, this is not always the case. A separate article has been written about complications after sterilization.

I want to explain in simple words all the nuances of the operation. Thanks to this information, you will decide for yourself whether to operate on your pet, and you will learn how to plan such an event.

Author of the article: Olga Shiltsova, practicing veterinarian, author of the books “Dachshund of Fate” and “Tails of Fortune”

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Sterilization of cats: what is it in simple words

Sterilization is the common term used in veterinary medicine to refer to the castration of females. From a medical point of view, it is correct to say castration, since the essence of the operation is the removal of the gonads (in cats these are the ovaries).

There are two types of "sterilization" of cats. In young animals that have not given birth, and ideally before the onset of the first heat, doctors often remove only the ovaries. An undeveloped, tiny uterus usually does not cause the cat any problems later on. This operation is called oophorectomy.

If the cat is already an adult, it is better to remove not only the ovaries, but also the horns of the uterus. This is the most common type of sterilization - ovariohysterectomy.

The surgeon assesses the size and condition of the uterus

The surgeon removes the second horn of the uterus

After the operation, the cat does not go into heat, its hormonal levels stabilize. No ovaries, no estrogen production - no estrus.

Cat after sterilization

Complications

Estrogens in the animal's body affect appetite. When their production stops, appetite increases. In addition, sterilization helps slow down the cat's metabolic process. These factors contribute to the accumulation of excess weight. The most important thing to do is to organize dietary nutrition and regular physical activity. Remember that obesity is a disease. In the absence of overweight problems, the cat's playfulness, vocal intonations, hunting instincts and activity level are preserved. The character doesn't change much.

Early sterilization has a beneficial effect on the external parameters of the cat. It ensures the formation of a strong and muscular skeleton, and also helps to lengthen the limbs. The likelihood of accidents associated with the cat's desire to run away from home is reduced.

Every body reacts differently to major changes. For several weeks, your cat may show signs of heat. They go away after the sex hormones have completely left the body, so you should not give the animal any drugs. Secondly, there may be complications such as prolonged weakness, drowsiness, lack of appetite, etc. If this condition of the cat persists for more than two days, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.

Sterilization of cats can cause complications such as purulent and weeping sutures. In these cases, careful care is necessary: the seam should be lubricated with brilliant green, and the animal should not be allowed to lick it. To do this, cover the sore spot with a blanket and monitor the cat, distracting it if necessary.

How a cat is sterilized: surgical technique

The most common method of sterilization is through a small incision in the midline of the abdomen just below the navel. In the middle of the abdominal wall, the muscles converge into the so-called linea alba. It has almost no nerve endings or blood vessels. An incision in the abdominal wall along the white line is not accompanied by bleeding. Through this incision, the surgeon gains access to the abdominal organs.

When sterilizing, preparing an animal for surgery takes longer than the procedure itself

The uterus and ovaries are removed with a special instrument (castration hook, ligature loop, curved clamp). During ovariohysterectomy, three ligatures must be applied - the vessels feeding the ovaries and the body of the uterus are tied. In a well-equipped clinic, instead of threads, electrocoagulation of blood vessels can be used.

The arrow points to the ovary, the surgeon holds the uterine horn

Special electric tweezers “seal” blood vessels

Both uterine horns and ovaries are removed; all that remains is to apply a ligature to the body of the uterus to remove it entirely

After removing the uterus, the surgeon sutures the abdominal wall, and then the subcutaneous tissue and skin.

Cosmetic stitch after sterilization. The surgical field is treated with Aluminum spray

To sterilize a cat, it is necessary to use high-quality sterile absorbable suture material, and the threads should not be too thick.

Some surgeons place removable sutures in the skin after castration of a cat, but increasingly they use a “cosmetic” suture. A permanent suture is made with absorbable threads, the skin is joined joint to joint, and all the threads are inside.

Sometimes cats are spayed through an incision on the right side. The choice of surgical technique depends on the personal preferences of the doctor.

Laparoscopic sterilization: pros and cons

Laparoscopic sterilization of a cat is possible if the clinic has an endoscopic stand. In this case, manipulative instruments are inserted into the abdominal cavity through small punctures. There will be at least two holes in the abdominal cavity, since a port for a video camera is needed.

The advantages of this operation:

low trauma, healing takes place in a few days;
complete sterility.

Disadvantages of laparoscopy:

As a rule, only the ovaries are removed;
the abdominal cavity is inflated with carbon dioxide, which creates pressure on the diaphragm and makes breathing difficult;
the doctor must have sufficient experience in performing laparoscopic operations so that the operation time is short enough;
Laparoscopic sterilization usually costs more than classical sterilization due to the high cost of equipment.

I urge owners to trust, first of all, not the Internet, but the doctor. Let the doctor operate as he is accustomed to, using the technique he is fluent in. The rest is not so important.

At what age can cats be sterilized?

Different veterinary clinics may give you different time frames for sterilizing a young cat. Some doctors welcome early castration - starting at 5 months. Others insist that the body must be fully formed, which means that the cat should be brought in for surgery at the age of 8-12 months.

I believe that it is not advisable to operate on very young kittens. They receive the second vaccination at the age of about 3 months, then stable immunity to infections is formed by 4 months. At this moment, the kitten begins to change its milk teeth to permanent ones. It is better to wait until the teeth change.

You need to choose the time for sterilization on an individual basis, since puberty in cats occurs at different times. Ideally, it is possible to carry out the operation when the cat has already grown up and formed (weight is about 2.5 kg for most breeds), but before the first heat.

My standard recommendation is to spay cats from 6-8 months of age.

The timing of the onset of the first heat in different breeds can be found in a separate article.

Cats mature very quickly by human standards.

Preparing for surgery

If you have decided to take a responsible step and decide to have an operation, first of all you need to decide where it is better to sterilize your cat - at your home or in a veterinary clinic.

Sterilization of a cat in a veterinary clinic

In the vast majority of cases, healthy cats in the prime of life can easily endure surgery, transportation and quickly regain their former mobility with minimal care from their owners. A return visit is required only once to remove the stitches.

Positive factors:

Availability of all necessary conditions for the operation.
The likelihood of unplanned situations is minimal.
If such issues arise, there is a high probability of their successful resolution.
Availability of a postoperative hospital:
Removal of responsibility for the pet's life from its owners in the postoperative period.

Stress
Negative factors:

The need to spend time traveling to the clinic and waiting for the end of the operation.
Animal stress due to change of environment and moving.

Sterilizing a cat at home

Despite a number of advantages when performing surgery in a clinical setting, many large veterinary clinics now offer to sterilize a cat at home. Provided the veterinarian is sufficiently competent, this operation at home is almost no different from being performed in a clinic.

Positive factors:

There is no need to expose the cat to stress when placing it in unfamiliar conditions.
There is no chance of the cat becoming infected with infectious and viral diseases (if the animal does not have vaccinations).
The ability to choose a doctor’s arrival time that is convenient for you.

Negative factors:

Difficulty in responding promptly if unforeseen complications occur during or after surgery.
Impossibility of ensuring absolute sterility of the space.

How to prepare a cat for surgery?

Any operation is a surgical intervention in the animal’s body.

Vaccination

To help your pet endure the post-operative period easier and experience the least amount of stress, you must meet a number of conditions:

Preliminary examination and consultation with a veterinarian. Make sure your cat is healthy and there are no contraindications to surgery.
Vaccination. Your pet's veterinary passport must contain notes on all necessary vaccinations. Under anesthesia, the immune system is weakened, and there is a risk of “catching” an infection.
Removal of parasites. Within 20 days, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures to remove worms and fleas from the cat.
Manicure. Trimming the claws is necessary so that during the period of recovery and healing of the sutures the cat does not scratch itself.
Additional examination. The advanced age of a pet or a breed that is predisposed to diseases may be a reason to undergo additional tests and examinations.
Prevention of stress. If the animal is hyperexcitable, the veterinarian has the right to prescribe a preliminary course of sedatives.
Diet. The animal should not eat 12-18 hours before surgery. The water is removed in 5-7 hours. Surgery with a full stomach can provoke a gag reflex, which is very dangerous both before and during surgery.

Sterilizing a cat during pregnancy

Sterilizing a pregnant cat is more of an ethical issue than a medical one. Some doctors willingly agree to perform the operation, others refuse. I take a position somewhere in the middle.

If we are talking about a stray cat, I, without hesitation, remove the uterus along with the fetuses. For such kittens it is easier not to be born than to die on the street. If a pet is pregnant, I try to persuade the owners to wait until the birth and sterilize the cat at the end of the lactation period.

Let's consider the operation from the point of view of its impact on the health of the cat itself. Removal of a pregnant uterus is an objectively more extensive operation than conventional sterilization.

Reasons why doctors do not recommend surgery on pregnant cats:

Huge feeding vessels go to the uterus, they need to be carefully and carefully bandaged;
to remove the horns, you have to make a long incision on the abdominal wall;
along with the removed uterus, the cat loses a certain amount of blood, which does not happen during conventional sterilization.

A stray pregnant cat who was adopted at a factory

I agreed to sterilize, because if kittens were born, they would be disposed of in a not very humane way (drowning)

The surgical field is shaved, treated with antiseptics and isolated with tissue

Large vessels supplying the uterus

Suture after sterilization of a pregnant cat

The seam is treated with Aluminum spray. Healing in the postoperative period passed without complications

You should not operate on a pregnant cat if the fetuses have already begun to form bones (40-45 days). But in the first 20 days after mating, the operation is the same as regular sterilization: the embryos are still too small.

I had the opportunity to sterilize a pregnant cat who was only 5.5 months old! He came into heat at 4.5 months, and the baby managed to sneak out of the house. Fortunately, the owners brought her to the clinic in a timely manner. Sterilization was necessary because, with a high degree of probability, the cat would not have been able to give birth and feed the kittens on her own. She herself was still, in fact, a kitten.

Caring for an animal after sterilization

Postoperative care for your cat requires careful attention. Sterilization is carried out under general anesthesia, which lowers the animal’s temperature. The place where the cat will lie should be placed on the floor, away from drafts and heating devices. After anesthesia, the animal's reflexes will be impaired , and it may fall from a chair or sofa. Cover the soft bedding with ironed cotton cloth. When your pet wakes up, you need to give her some water to wet her mouth.

The filler from the tray must be removed so that it does not get into the open wound. Instead, you can fill the tray with toilet paper or pharmacy diapers and change them regularly. To prevent the animal from licking and scratching the wound, you need to purchase a blanket made of light, breathable fabric. If the cat's persistence does not stop the blanket, you need to put a special plastic collar on the neck.

The seam must be inspected daily. Usually the wound heals quickly; after 10 to 12 days, the doctor will remove unnecessary staples or threads.

Sterilization of a cat during estrus

Veterinarians may have different opinions about whether a cat in heat can be sterilized. Strictly speaking, estrus is not an absolute contraindication for surgery. But I recommend waiting out the heat and spaying a week after it.

During sexual hunting:

the cat is exhausted due to poor appetite;
the ovaries and uterus are enlarged and actively supplied with blood;
a higher dose of anesthesia is required.

Spaying cannot stop the heat on the same day because hormones (estrogens) are already circulating in the blood and their levels will decrease gradually. Therefore, there is no point in operating on a cat during estrus. The doctor should explain this to the owners and carry out sterilization as planned, and not chase their own profit.

Are hormonal pills and injections justified?

If just a few years ago there were active discussions in favor of one method or another, now the majority has come to a consensus. Hormonal drugs have a huge number of disadvantages with rather elusive benefits. And they cannot be used to correct sexual heat in cats. They cause severe side effects and complications, often leading to cancer, a wide variety of hormonal imbalances, inflammation and unpredictable consequences. In most European countries, these drugs have long been prohibited for use and are not available for sale.

Does a cat need to give birth before sterilization?

An ancient but persistent myth is that “childbirth is for health.” Allegedly, the cat needs to be mated at least once before sterilization. Pregnancy, childbirth and lactation are a huge burden on the body. They haven't added any health to anyone yet.

On the contrary, childbirth and lactation eliminate the chance of preventing breast cancer through sterilization. The uterus of a cat that has given birth is larger, which increases the required incision. If a cat has given birth, you cannot remove only the ovaries; you must also remove the uterus.

Childbirth has the sole purpose of producing offspring. If you don't want kittens, don't breed a cat.

My Thai cat, spayed at age 3