Cat Neutering
When you adopt a puppy or kitten, you may receive a great deal of misinformation about the effects of neutering (for males) and spaying (for females). Sometimes people believe neutering is unfair to the individual cat. However neutering does more than prevent your cat from having kittens. It also keeps your cat healthy.
According to a 1995 survey by the American Animal Association Hospital, nearly 80 percent of the cats and dogs in the United States and Canada are spayed or neutered.
Neutering is routine operation performed by the veterinarian to remove the cat's sex organs. This procedure makes your cat unable to reproduce and stops the production of hormones that are responsible for the cat's sexual behavior. Unless you plan to breed your cat, deciding whether to neuter or not is one of the most important decisions a new cat owner will have to face. The procedure for males cat's is called castration and for females, spaying.
Neutering makes your cat more calm and affectionate. They take more interest in their owners, may become more people oriented unless the cat was not very social with people to begin with. According to statistics, male cats who are neutered tend to live longer than male cats who are not neutered.
It is best to check with your veterinarian but usually some vets will recommend that the procedure be done when the cat is about six months old before the cat reaches sexual maturity. This may vary. Some cats will not reach that point until a few month later. In some cases, neutering must be done because of a medical condition caused by hormonal disorders or diseases of the reproductive system.
It usually doesn't take long. Males are usually backed to normal the day after their operation, while females may take a day or longer.
There are a higher proportion of overweight castrated cats compared to their entire counterparts. There is no doubt that a castrated cat requires less food for a given weight and activity level. We suggest reducing the amount fed by 15-20%. It is easier to increase the food for cats who loose a little weight than to diet those who have become overweight. We encourage weight checking and weigh your cat at each annual vaccination so that fine tuning of food intake can be made.
With proper management, there is no reason for any weight gain as a result of castration.
There is an increase in signs of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) which is also called Feline Urological Syndrome (FUS). In this disease, crystals form within the urinary tract causing cystitis. In extreme cases the crystals can block the narrow urethra of the male cat causing an acute medical emergency. It is thought that neutering increases the risk in that the penis and urethra is narrower than that of an entire tom and the neutered cat tends to be less active and urinates less frequently allowing longer for the crystals to form. The vast majority of FLUTD cats are treated by modification of diet and a few medicines.
According to a 1995 survey by the American Animal Association Hospital, nearly 80 percent of the cats and dogs in the United States and Canada are spayed or neutered.
Neutering is routine operation performed by the veterinarian to remove the cat's sex organs. This procedure makes your cat unable to reproduce and stops the production of hormones that are responsible for the cat's sexual behavior. Unless you plan to breed your cat, deciding whether to neuter or not is one of the most important decisions a new cat owner will have to face. The procedure for males cat's is called castration and for females, spaying.
Neutering makes your cat more calm and affectionate. They take more interest in their owners, may become more people oriented unless the cat was not very social with people to begin with. According to statistics, male cats who are neutered tend to live longer than male cats who are not neutered.
It is best to check with your veterinarian but usually some vets will recommend that the procedure be done when the cat is about six months old before the cat reaches sexual maturity. This may vary. Some cats will not reach that point until a few month later. In some cases, neutering must be done because of a medical condition caused by hormonal disorders or diseases of the reproductive system.
It usually doesn't take long. Males are usually backed to normal the day after their operation, while females may take a day or longer.
When to neuter your cat?
It is best to check with your veterinarian but usually some vets will recommend that the procedure be done when the cat is about six months old before the cat reaches sexual maturity. This may vary. Some cats will not reach that point until a few month later. It is possible to neuter when pregnant, however this is very dangerous for the mother if in late pregnancy.Why should you neuter you cat?
Cats are castrated for a variety of reasons.- He will not be able to father a litter of potentially unwanted kittens (the main reason for castration).
- Reduction of smell and spraying behaviour.
Most un- neutered cats by one year of age have the characteristic, pungent tom cat smell and spray strong smelling urine around the home and garden. - Reduction in fighting.
All cats are inclined to squabble over territory but the entire tom is the main culprit. It is not uncommon for tom cats to need treatment for bite wounds on a frequent basis. - Castration lowers the risk of contracting Feline Leukaemia Virus, Immunodeficiency Virus and Infectious Peritonitis Virus.
All of theses fatal diseases are believed to be spread, in part, by mating as well as through close contact e.g. fighting. Castrated cats are not mated and generally have less aggressive contact with other cats in the neighbourhood and therefore their risk of infection is decreased. - Reduction in vagrancy.
Most entire cats have a tenancy to wander and be a nuisance to neighbours, especially if there are entire female cats around. Road traffic injuries and deaths are all too common in entire cats with other things on their minds.
The Negetive perspective
Castration, although a routine procedure for small animal veterinary surgeons, is a surgical procedure, involving a general anaesthetic. A small number of animals have problems with anaesthetics, the operation itself and with post operative haemorrhage. This can result from too much activity, dislodging one of the internal blood vessel ties. Surgical experience, good nursing help and careful supervision does reduce the risk but that risk cannot be totally eliminated.There are a higher proportion of overweight castrated cats compared to their entire counterparts. There is no doubt that a castrated cat requires less food for a given weight and activity level. We suggest reducing the amount fed by 15-20%. It is easier to increase the food for cats who loose a little weight than to diet those who have become overweight. We encourage weight checking and weigh your cat at each annual vaccination so that fine tuning of food intake can be made.
With proper management, there is no reason for any weight gain as a result of castration.
There is an increase in signs of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) which is also called Feline Urological Syndrome (FUS). In this disease, crystals form within the urinary tract causing cystitis. In extreme cases the crystals can block the narrow urethra of the male cat causing an acute medical emergency. It is thought that neutering increases the risk in that the penis and urethra is narrower than that of an entire tom and the neutered cat tends to be less active and urinates less frequently allowing longer for the crystals to form. The vast majority of FLUTD cats are treated by modification of diet and a few medicines.
