Sterilization of a cat: care after surgery. Pros and cons of sterilization

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Very often justified and rational decision of a caring owner is to sterilize a cat. Care after the operation should be carried out according to certain rules, and taking care of the pet will become the most important responsibility of its owner for the next few days.

How to decide on an operation

Many pet owners are afraid of spaying. To some, this procedure seems unreasonably cruel to a living being, while others fear the negative consequences. However, is spaying cats so dangerous? We will consider its pros and cons below.

Still, the following fact can help you decide on sterilization: the constant use of hormonal drugs such as "Antisex" is harmful. The negative consequences of it are oncological diseases that occur in cats already in old age. In such a situation, surgical operations are performed to remove the uterus, but very often they are no longer effective.

"Empty" estrus, during which the cat is not knitted with the cat, alsonot good for her he alth. Often they affect the psychological state of the animal, whose behavior changes. Uncontrolled attacks of aggression are possible, and a cat from a sweet and affectionate creature can turn into a real fury. And this can happen not only for a while, but forever.

It is for these reasons that neutering cats is a humane solution, the pros and cons of which can be described as follows.

Positive aspects of the operation

What good is castration and sterilization of animals? What are the positive aspects of such a decision? So, the pros of cat spaying are as follows:

1. The risk of developing hormonal disruptions and cancer is significantly reduced.
2. "Idle" estrus or regular pregnancy and childbirth exhaust the animal's body, reduce its adaptive capacity and immunity. The sterilization operation eliminates such problems.
3. Owners will not have to endure periods when the cat will meow loudly day and night.
4. After sterilization, the nature of the animal often changes. The cat becomes more playful and affectionate, and her hunting instinct intensifies.
5. The operation can be performed even after the female is already pregnant. It is also possible to sterilize a lactating cat, but it should be done only in emergency cases. Since the animal after such a procedure will lose interest in its own offspring, and kittens will have to be fed artificially.
6. Lifespana pet who has undergone surgery will usually increase for several years.

But still, sterilization, for all its pluses, is not perfect. And this operation has its drawbacks.

Negative side

Cons of spaying cats come down to the following points:

1. Such a surgical intervention is still an abdominal operation. It is performed under general anesthesia, and therefore can be very stressful for the animal.
2. Before the operation, a general and biochemical blood test must be taken, as well as an ECG and an examination by an anesthesiologist. In domestic clinics, such studies are not always carried out, because their cost often seems overpriced to many pet owners.
3. After sterilization, cats can suffer from urolithiasis and cystitis. However, this problem is easily solved through the use of special feeds, of which a great variety is produced today.

As you can see, cat neutering still has more pros than cons.

Some exciting questions to be answered before sterilization

There are some questions that concern owners who still decide to castrate or sterilize their pets. For example, many are interested in how a cat is sterilized? Do you need any special care after the operation or does everything work out by itself? Below we describe the procedure for surgical intervention, as well as talk about the features of postoperativecare.

Many owners are also interested in the question of what consequences the sterilization of cats has. We will also provide photos of animals after the operation and after the recovery period in this material, so you can see everything with your own eyes.

Besides, there is one more important question which is caused by sterilization of cats: at what age can an animal have this operation? We answer right away: veterinarians recommend the procedure for kittens aged from 7 weeks to 7 months. An operation performed during this period is highly likely to be successful and not entail complications.

Preparation for surgery

As mentioned above, before sterilization, the cat must undergo a medical examination. In this case, not only general tests are desirable, but also an examination by doctors (therapist, anesthetist and cardiologist). The negative consequences of general anesthesia are easier to avoid if all these necessary procedures are carried out.

As a rule, the doctor before the operation tells how to care for the animal before sterilization. Mention is usually made about what will need to be purchased for postoperative care. The most necessary things should be two blankets that are put on the cat so that she does not start licking the seam or comb it with her claws, as well as a disinfectant.

How to choose a day

When choosing the date of the operation, you need to focus on your own work schedule. For at least two days after sterilization, the animal will require careful care andconstant surveillance.

Remember also that the day before the operation, you will need to follow certain doctor's recommendations. Exactly one day the animal needs to be helped to empty the intestines, for this the cat needs to be given a spoonful of vaseline oil. For 12 hours, all food must be removed from “free access” so that the pet’s stomach remains empty. It is advisable to completely exclude drinking water three hours before the procedure.

How the sterilization procedure works

How is the operation going? First, the doctor prepares the animal for the future surgical procedure. The hair on the abdomen is shaved, and the incision site is treated with an antiseptic. A small incision is then made with a sterile scalpel through which the uterus and/or ovaries are removed. After that, a suture is applied.

The sterilization procedure ends with this. A postoperative band is then put on the cat, and the animal itself is in a state of drug-induced sleep for several more hours.

How and where to place a cat after spaying

As soon as you get home from the veterinary clinic, lay your cat on a flat surface. As the anesthesia wears off, your pet will begin to move, but she will not understand what is happening to her, and her movements will not be coordinated. For this reason, do not put the animal on the bed - it may simply fall off. It is better to give preference to a small mattress or a blanket laid on the floor.

Take into account one more important point: you can not place a cat near the battery, becausethat an external increase in temperature can cause internal bleeding.

Sterilization of a cat: care after surgery

What should you do after your pet wakes up from anesthesia?

First, watch her carefully. The cat can stand up, try to take a couple of steps and fall. Don't be alarmed, it's normal your pet is coming off the anesthesia. The animal may also try to climb onto a table, chair, bed, or other elevated position in your apartment. Do not allow this to happen, because the neutered sutures in a cat that shows such physical activity can easily disperse.

Second, put in the room where your pet is, a clean tray and a bowl of water. In the first few hours after the operation, the cat will need to be watered with a spoon, since she simply will not get to the bowl on her own. You need to give water like this: take a third of a teaspoon and pour it into the animal's mouth. At the same time, do not throw back your pet's head so that it does not choke.

Thirdly, the cat should not be fed immediately and not with any food available in the refrigerator.

Diet after sterilization

Immediately after the operation, the cat does not need to be fed: she simply will not want to eat and will not be able to. Offer food eight hours after the animal wakes up from anesthesia. Please note that the countdown should not be from the end of the operation, but after the animal has completely recovered from anesthesia.

It is better to feed a cat with baby meat puree or canned cat food. Such food is easier to digest. You can also give some dry food, but first itneeds to be soaked in water. In no case do not force the cat to eat, there will be no benefit from this.

How to handle the seams and how long to leave the rug on

About the best way to process postoperative sutures, and how often to do it, the doctor usually tells after the sterilization procedure. Follow his instructions exactly. It is necessary to process the seams by carefully removing the blanket from the hind legs, and then carefully putting it back on.

You need to change the blanket every day. It will be removed when the stitches are completely healed. This usually happens after 1.5-2 weeks. As a rule, the doctor appoints a day on which you will need to come to the veterinary clinic to remove the stitches. Try to do this exactly at the indicated time, because after complete healing, the threads interfere with the animal, and it begins to try to get rid of them with the help of teeth and claws.

After the cat's stitches were removed after sterilization, her life goes on as usual again. But at the same time, many things are changing, including the nature of the animal itself.

Cat after sterilization: behavior

Many pet owners are concerned about how sterilization will affect the behavior of the animal. We answer: as a rule, changes in behavior and character occur, but all of them are for the better.

The first thing the owner of a spayed cat should be aware of is that the animal's sexual instincts do not always disappear immediately, as hormonal changes take some time. If after sterilization your petcontinues to call the cat for more than three months, be sure to contact the veterinarian.

Some owners are afraid that their pet will become less playful and stop hunting mice, birds outside the window and flies on the curtains. In fact, after spaying, the cat becomes even more playful and does not lose her hunting skills.

What can I do to keep my cat from gaining weight?

Excess weight of the animal is another common myth associated with the possible consequences of such an operation. A spayed cat that does not become less active is unlikely to be obese. Therefore, you will need to play with the pet.

In addition, special feeds for castrated and sterilized animals help prevent obesity. They are balanced in composition and enriched with all the necessary vitamins, micro- and macroelements necessary for cats (cats) after such a surgical intervention.

Do you still have concerns about the operation?

If you still have any questions regarding the procedure itself and its consequences, contact your veterinarian. He will tell you better than anyone about how a cat is usually neutered. Care after the operation, experts also describe in great detail. In addition, the doctor will advise which disinfectants to pay attention to and where to buy blankets. Most likely, the veterinarian will dispel all your doubts and talk about the advantages of such a decision over the regular use of hormonal drugs andordinary doing nothing.

An animal that has undergone such a procedure does not outwardly differ from the one that many third-party advisers would call “full-fledged”. The negative consequences that many are so afraid of are usually caused by the carelessness and carelessness of the owners, and not by the sterilization of cats in itself. The photos presented in the article will help you make a choice: to expose your pet to such an operation or not.

Of course, the decision to sterilize a cat should be made by the owner himself. Remember the phrase from "The Little Prince" by Anouin de Saint-Exupery: "We are responsible for those we have tamed"? But what will a loving and caring owner choose: a calm, long life of a pet without he alth problems or the ability of an animal to remain “full”?