Sterilization of a cat: the pros and cons. When is the best time to spay a cat?

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

In the life of every cat owner there comes a time when you have to decide the issue of procreation of a pet. This really becomes a problem when kittens are periodically born, which are more and more difficult to attach. There are not enough good and caring hands for everyone, so most of the kids are doomed to a hungry existence, ending up on the street and replenishing the army of homeless animals.

The fate of their mother is not always enviable. Repeated estrus in the absence of mating or the use of hormonal drugs can eventually lead to exhaustion of the cat's nervous system and diseases such as ovarian cancer, vulvovaginitis, pyometra, etc.

Therefore, for those owners who really care about the he alth of their pet, the best way out is to sterilize the cat. The pros and cons of this event should be studied in advance to prevent the occurrence of any unwanted complications.

What is sterilization

This is the deprivation of the cat's abilitymultiply. Most often, an abdominal operation is performed, during which the internal genital organs are completely or partially removed. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia for 40-45 minutes. The seam is superimposed normal or internal. In modern practice, sutureless surgery is also used, when the surgical incision is made no more than 1 cm.

Types of sterilization

There is medical, radiation and surgical sterilization of a cat. Each of them has their pros and cons. But more favorable is surgical. With medical sterilization using hormonal drugs, there is a high risk of neoplasms, including malignant ones. Many doctors consider the method using radiation to be detrimental to the animal, because with the slightest mistake in calculating the dosage of radiation, it can adversely affect the condition of the cells.

Of the surgical methods of sterilization, ovariohysterectomy is most often practiced - the complete removal of the uterus and ovaries. There are other options - tubal occlusion (pulling of the fallopian tubes), hysterectomy (removal of only the uterus), oophorectomy (removal of only the ovaries). The last of these methods is the most preferable, but it is used only in relation to young nulliparous animals. The other two have a very adverse effect on the he alth of cats, so they are almost never used in modern veterinary medicine.

Consequences of sterilization

Such an operation, although it belongs to the category of complex ones, is done in almost any clinic. The animal recovers quite quickly, after two weeksonly a small mark remains where the seam was.

After sterilization, cats become more attached to the house. Psycho-emotional sphere, hunting instincts do not suffer at all. The state of he alth after the operation is excellent, which allows the cat to live a full life without causing trouble to its owners.

Sterilization benefits

Steiled cats have been found to live longer and he althier lives. They do not seek to find a partner, so they do not run away from home and do not arrange cat "concerts". And if the sexual instinct does not distract them, respectively, more attention and love goes to the owners. Cats become calmer, retaining both appearance and demeanor, in addition, they will no longer bring unwanted offspring.

After sterilization, the risk of cancerous tumors, polycystic disease, pyometra and other diseases that affect almost every nulliparous cat over 5 years old is significantly reduced. As a result of improved metabolism, the animal requires less feed, resulting in lower food costs.

It is recommended to read about such an operation as sterilization of cats, reviews of owners, they will help to make a final decision. Often people say that they are very pleased that they decided to have the operation, because after it the cat does not have exhausting estrus, unnecessary kittens, she is always active, playful, with a shiny luxurious coat, which she did not differ before.

Conssterilization

There are also negative aspects of sterilization. Since the hormonal background after the operation still changes, other changes occur in the body, including negative ones. Changing metabolism requires a completely different diet. After sterilization, energy requirements are noticeably reduced, against the background of increased appetite, this can lead to an increase in the weight of the animal. To prevent the risk of obesity, the cat is transferred to a special food.

Of course, this is not a serious obstacle if the he alth of the pet is on the scales and the cat needs to be neutered. Any, even the simplest operation has pluses and minuses.

At what age to sterilize

In the absence of medical contraindications, it can be performed regardless of age. The most favorable period for sterilization is when the body is almost fully formed, but puberty has not yet arrived, that is, before the first estrus. In our country, such operations are often performed at the age of 8-10 months. At this time, animals are much easier to tolerate such procedures, and the recovery process is faster. The risk of breast tumors is also minimal, which increases with each subsequent estrus.

There are practically no age restrictions for such an operation as cat sterilization. When it is better to do it is decided as needed. Even an old animal will not have negative consequences if it is completely he althy. In any case, by the time of the operation, appropriateexaminations and tests are done to determine the general he alth of the pet.

Some veterinarians claim that the timing of a cat's spay does not matter at all for further development. And they operate on kittens at the age of even 2 months. But such an opinion is not very supported by most of their colleagues, who believe that an operation at such an early age can lead to disturbances in the development of internal organs.

Preparation for surgery

To make it easier for the cat to endure anesthesia, it should not be fed before the operation. The last portion of feed is given at least 12 hours in advance. Anti-flea treatment is mandatory. To prevent the cat from damaging the seam in the future, its claws must be cut in advance with a special claw cutter. The animal is transported, as a rule, in a carrying bag, you can use a bag made of dense material or a backpack for this purpose. If the distance to the clinic is short, it is better to walk. In order to prevent stress and panic behavior of a cat, on the road it should be calmed down with gentle words and strokes.

Of course, it is much easier to undergo an operation at home, therefore, spaying of cats at home has often been practiced lately.

What to do after spaying a cat

The first days after the operation, the cat is in dire need of care. At home, you need to prepare the box in advance by putting a warm bedding in it and placing it near the radiator or heater. The animal may experience severe chills during the period when it will departanesthesia. After sterilization, the cat sleeps almost all the time for the first day, so it is advisable to observe peace and quiet in the house, to monitor the breathing of the animal. The condition of the seams must be checked daily, treating with hydrogen peroxide and brilliant green. If they become red, swollen, or if the animal's condition worsens, you should immediately consult a doctor.

As a rule, a cat does not eat after spaying. On the first day, she is given water or milk from a syringe, and a day later she drinks on her own. Appetite appears gradually. After 3-4 days, the cat already begins to behave more actively, but excessive mobility should be limited for now. After a week, the stitches are removed, and very soon the animal recovers completely.

Possible Complications

If the operation is performed in the clinic by an experienced professional, then any inflammatory processes are practically excluded. If an animal is aged or has chronic heart disease, then it is preliminarily examined by a cardiologist.

Some animals have an acute reaction to anesthesia, which is impossible to predict in advance. This is more common in animals with allergies. Therefore, during an operation such as sterilization of cats, an individual selection of drugs is carried out for such patients.

Obesity after surgery

There is an opinion that after sterilization, the cat will definitely begin to gain weight. This is not entirely true. The operation itself cannot cause obesity, it appears due toslowing down metabolism and changes in hormonal levels, as a result of which the cat becomes calmer and requires less food. Therefore, if you change the diet, reducing the amount of food by 15-20%, and play more with the pet, providing regular physical activity, then the problem of overweight is unlikely to arise.

All this will take some time, so you need to take into account your abilities, responsibly approaching such an issue as sterilizing a cat. The pros and cons of this procedure should be considered by each animal owner before heading to the veterinary clinic. After all, obesity is also a kind of disease, despite the fact that the sight of well-fed cats is very touching. When there is no excess weight, the animal retains its hunting instincts and the previous level of activity.

Feeding a spayed cat

The diet is made immediately after the operation. It may consist of commercially prepared feeds or homemade natural foods. It is undesirable to mix these two types of food.

When feeding a cat with natural food, preference is given to lean meat, offal, milk porridge. Fermented milk products (cottage cheese, kefir) are recommended. Do not feed fish to a neutered cat, as it contains a lot of magnesium, an excess of which leads to the formation of s alt stones.

Commercial feed manufacturers offer a wide variety of speci alty products for spayed cats. From all the variety, it is better to choose premium or super premium class feed. They are made from selected products,well balanced, safe and widely recommended by experts after an operation such as cat spaying. Reviews of this class are mostly positive.

Combining a balanced diet and taking care of your furry pet's he alth guarantees a long and happy life.

Now you know everything about cat spaying: when is the best time to do it, how it is done and what are the results. So the choice is now yours.