If a cat appears in your house, then sooner or later you will have to raise the question of sterilizing the animal. It is not advisable to neuter or neuter the purebred cats and cats that you took from the cattery for subsequent breeding. But what if you don’t want to raise acquired kittens? How safe and appropriate is pet sterilization?
Why nevertheless a cat is needed?
In order not to “pamper” themselves in the future with the upbringing of numerous feline offspring, animal owners make a choice in favor of sterilization. And if a cat that has not undergone the neutering operation “does not bring kittens home in the hem”, then the cat will delight its owners with at least 3 newborn kittens several times a year.
Interesting to know! During the operation, the veterinarian removes the ovaries and uterus in cats, and in the cat, during the castration, the sex glands (testicles) are removed. After such an operation, animals of both sexes are unable to produce their own kind.
The procedure of sterilization and castration is difficult for pet owners, because the cat or cat after the operation is very lethargic, it takes a long time to recover from anesthesia, and soon their behavior may change dramatically.
Why is it better to perform a sterilization procedure?
Speaking about why you need to sterilize a cat, you need to highlight several positive aspects of surgery:
- After the operation, the animal loses interest in the representatives of the opposite sex, therefore, the population of yard cats sharply decreases. Cats don’t give birth in basements, and pet owners don’t send unwanted kittens outside.
- The risk of infection of the pet with helminths, parasites (fleas, ticks), dangerous viruses such as distemper and others is reduced.
- The cat does not suffer from painful estrus both for her and for her owners.
- Your pet is more interested in bugs and toys, becoming more affectionate and obedient.
- There is no need to use drugs that suppress sexual desire in cats.
- Sterilization also minimizes the likelihood that one far from perfect day your cat will leave through the window to her beloved, and then forget to return home. Or jumping out of a window will lead to complex fractures.
Important! To deprive a pet of the opportunity to extend the genus is cruel, but even more inhumane to send newborn kittens to the street, torture a pet, because not every cat owner living in a high-rise building can provide mating for an animal. As a result, everyone suffers, and a cat that has not given birth to kittens can become aggressive.
Changes in behavior in a non-neutered cat that has not been mated
If the owners of the cat decide not to undergo the operation, but cannot or do not want to provide the pet with mating, that after the first estrus they may notice the following changes in the pet’s behavior:
- The cat becomes less affectionate.
- The pet begins to mark the apartment during heat.
- The cat tears up the wallpaper and furniture, not paying attention to the angry exclamations of the owners.
- The cat may have a deterioration in appetite, she is looking for ways to escape from the apartment.
In this case, it is impossible to punish the animal, because it suffers from the fact that its natural needs cannot be satisfied.
But after the operation and the recovery period, the owners will notice that their beloved pet has become more attached to the house. And another important point: the life of a spayed pet is longer and quieter than the life of a cat, which the owners artificially deprived of mating and crushed the natural instinct with hormonal drugs.
Cons of the operation
Sterilization and castration have several disadvantages, like any other operation. The first minus, but rather a contraindication, is the age of the animal. The sooner the surgery is performed, the easier and faster your pet will undergo anesthesia.
The second disadvantage is the stitches, which will take a relatively long time to heal. During recovery, the owner of the animal should not forget to process the stitches, otherwise the animal can be brought to dangerous purulent inflammation.
Important! Contrary to popular belief, surgery does not lead to obesity. Yes, cats and cats after surgery really show a huge interest in food, but if it is not encouraged and a special menu for such animals is used, then there will be no obesity. It is better to use special food marked “for neutered / neutered” cats (depending on the sex of your pet).
When to have surgery?
Veterinarians have proven that a cat needs to be mated with a cat at least once before sterilization. Animals are brought together during 2-3 estrus of a cat, because during the first estrus the immature organism is not yet ready for conception and bearing offspring.
Sterilization of cats can be carried out even before the first estrus (age 5-8 months), but the earlier the operation is performed, the less likely it is that an animal older than 3-4 years old will suffer from ovarian cysts, malignant neoplasms, purulent inflammation of the uterus and other dangerous diseases …
Summing up
Now you know why you need to neuter your cat, when you need to have surgery and how it will affect your pet’s behavior. Finally, let’s say that veterinarians unanimously urge to sterilize pets for which the owners cannot provide timely mating. After all, sterilization is the right way to keep your pets healthy and reduce the population of cats that live a hard life on the street!
