Spaying or neutering cats What should you do if you have a cat?
Do you need to sterilize it or not?
The answer is definitely Yes.
This procedure is absolutely necessary for the cat’s well being and it also makes your
coexistence a lot easier.
Let's see why.
Firstly we will go through the myths regarding this aspect, afterward, we’ll list the benefits
of this procedure, and then we’ll talk about the steps you need to follow when you spay
or neuter your cat.
Let’s begin
Myth number 1: The female must give birth at least once before being spayed.
Completely fake!
I don't even know how this myth came about and why, but don’t worry.
Even if your kitty is a female, she shouldn’t have kittens before being spayed.
On the contrary, after the female goes through her first heat cycle, her risk of developing
uterine, ovarian or mammary cancer increases significantly.
Not to mention the physical stress a female goes through when she's in heat.
In case you didn't know, a female in heat will do her best to mate.
What does this mean?
She’ll desperately try to escape
Moreover, you will have a lot of male visitors.
They will feel the cat from a distance, even through the walls of the house, and they will
do their best to get to her.
Additionally, they will mark their territory, by urinating exactly in the places where they’re
best able sense your cat, like near the entrance door.
And you certainly do not want this, because the urine of intact males is full of hormones
and very bad smelling.
Myth number 2: the kitten will change its personality after sterilization.
False, again.
Even if the cats have not reached the age of sexual maturity, their personality will
not change in any way, because personality has nothing to do with hormones.
Cats will not become lazy after this surgery nor less active.
And how can I be so sure?
Because I also have two cats, a boy, and a girl, and I didn’t notice even the slightest
change after this procedure.
But what happens if we spay or neuter an adult cat?
Will adult cats change their behavior?
Well, yes, but in a good way!
As I mentioned earlier, an intact cat will do everything to escape, be it male or female.
Your cat will be in a state of constant stress, both physically and mentally.
Not to mention that an intact cat can become aggressive towards the owners.
So spaying or neutering your cat will result in your kitty being more relaxed and more
affectionate.
Myth number 3: Sterilization will make your cat fat.
I have to admit that this myth comes with a grain of truth.
Indeed, after this procedure, the metabolism of your cat may slow down.
But, of course, this will not happen if you adjust the food quantity you’re giving to
your kitty, according to her new needs.
And if you don’t want to do this, you can apply another tactic: increasing playtime!
If you play more with your cat, it will consume more calories, and thus its weight will not
increase
Myth number 4: Spaying or neutering your cat will impact your cat’s happiness, by taking
away sexual pleasure.
So not true!
Cats mate for reproducing, not for pleasure.
You will never see a female cat who is not in heat mating because mating in cats is a
hormone-driven behavior.
Myth number 5: The cat will not grow as it should if I sterilize it.
By contrast, sterilizing cats that have not reached puberty will make them taller and
longer than they would normally have been.
But really, in the case of males, their facial muscles will not grow as big as they do in
intact males, due to lack of testosterone.
But even if you neuter your male cat after sexual maturity, he will most likely lose those muscles,
in time.
Myth number 6: Recovery is long-lasting.
Recovery in females usually lasts a maximum of 10 days, during which the cat is not allowed
to jump.
And after this period, she will be fully recovered.
The males are doing even better, as their wound should completely heal in about 3 days.
Anyway, 10 or 3 days is not a long time.
I’ll continue with the benefits this surgery brings, but because I’ve talked so much,
I’ll take a little break, during which you can see Marcel, my orange cat purring.
Well, the biggest advantage is that the number of homeless cats will dramatically decrease.
A single female can produce, in 7 years, an incredibly large number of offspring,
both directly and indirectly (becoming grandmother, great-grandmother, and so on).
What will happen to most of these cats?
Many of them will die of hunger, cold, beaten by dogs, trampled by cars or put to sleep.
And even if they survive, many of them will live a life full of difficulties.
The second advantage has to do with the health of the cat.
For females, the risk of them developing ovarian or uterus cancer increases dramatically after
every heat cycle they’re going through.
Moreover, they are at great risk of developing an accumulation of pus in the uterus, leading
to septicemia.
This happens very frequently if your cat is not able to find a male and mate.
Intact male cats, on the other hand, are at risk of developing testicular cancer.
Sterilization removes all these dangers, extending the life of your kitty
Another benefit spaying or neutering brings
is the removal of urine spraying.
Males especially, but also females, mark their territory by urinating in different areas.
Why do they do this?
Females can resort to this behavior when they are in the heat and want to find a partner,
and males do this when they’re sensing females in heat nearby.
And even if you’re living in an apartment, the male is still able to sense stray females
in heat.
The next advantage I want to talk about is related to females.
When they are in heat, they will start to meow loudly at night, in order to find a partner.
Your female cat will go into heat approximately every three weeks after reaching sexual maturity
if she doesn’t find a partner.
And of course, once spayed, your cat will have no reason to meow at night.
Which will make you and your neighbors sleep better.
Happy neighbors, happy life!
And last but not least, if your cat goes or lives outside, sterilization will keep her
from wandering around looking for a partner.
Thus, the risk of you losing your kitty when she is outside is greatly decreased.
What is the ideal age to sterilize your cat?
Well, the aspca states that cats can be spayed or neutered as young as eight weeks old, but
some veterinarians still worry that sterilization before 6 months of age is too early.
Concerns include the safety of anesthesia and surgery in young kittens as well as potentially
detrimental long-term effects on development.
I linked articles about this topic in the description box below.
However, considering spaying early is still a new medical advice, I would suggest sterilizing
the cat before reaching sexual maturity or immediately after, which is around 6-8 months.
Of course, don’t decide anything without speaking to a veterinarian first.
Can cats in heat be spayed?
It's possible to spay a cat during the heat cycle, although many vets prefer not to do
so.
During the estrus cycle, the feline's reproductive organs and related blood vessels become engorged
with blood.
It takes more time to complete the surgery, so your vet or the facility might charge more.
And let’s talk about what this procedure consists of
But before we go on, don’t forget to subscribe to this channel, if you want to understand
your cat better and find out all kinds of cool stuff every cat owner should know.
Before spaying or neutering Before the procedure, the cat is not allowed
to eat at least 12 hours.
Otherwise, your kitty might puke during the procedure or afterward.
How is the procedure performed?
For males, the operation itself will be very simple.
It usually involves removing the testicles, but more modern approaches are even less invasive,
removing the inside of the testicles while leaving the skin intact.
But even if complete removal of testicles is performed, the incision will be very small
and usually, no stitching is required.
The wound will heal very quickly, in a few days.
In the case of females, however, the procedure is more complicated, because the cat will
have its uterus and ovaries removed.
This means her abdomen will be opened, and as a result, she will need stitches.
The wound takes a little bit longer to heal, about 7-10 days.
What will happen after your cat wakes up from the anesthesia?
After waking up from anesthesia, your cat will be dizzy.
Usually, total recovery after general anesthesia lasts between 18-24 hours.
Your cat will sleep more than it would normally do, during the first 24 hours after the operation.
You can make things easier for your cat during this period by taking your kitty to the litter
box several times until she or he uses it.
What else should you pay attention to?
Cats are not allowed to lick the wound.
If they do, the bacteria on their tongues can cause infections, and because their tongues
are quite harsh, this can worsen the wound.
How can you prevent this behavior?
Just ask the veterinarian for a collar.
This will prevent cats from reaching the wound.
Additionally, in the case of females, you have to be careful to not let them jump or
run for about 7 days, thus avoiding the risk of her developing a hernia.
But how can you prevent it?
Well, with a little creativity, buying a pretty tight cat clothing, or even making one.
This is how we solved the problem when we spayed our cat.
And if you have more cats, it would be ideal to keep them separate, so that the other one
does not lick the wound of the sterilized cat.
And don't be surprised if the other cat or the others will react strangely after you
bring back your kitty from the veterinary clinic.
They might not recognize your cat immediately, because of all the medicine smells.
Possible complications Complications for spaying and neutering are
There are a very, very small percentage
of animals who can respond poorly to anesthesia, so your kitty is at risk of dying, but the
chances of this are extremely low.
Remember that even if your kitty does have a bad reaction, she or he will be cared for
by a veterinarian, who will do everything to save the kitty’s life.
Furthermore, this surgery can also pose a certain risk of infection.
Therefore, you must monitor the cat and the wound after the procedure.
If you notice that the redness does not go away in a few days, or if bleeding occurs
and also if you notice pus, go to the veterinarian.
Sometimes, a female cat can go into heat even after this procedure is done, because an ovary
or a part of the ovary might be missed by the surgeon.
This, however, only requires repeating the surgery.
What changes can occur after the surgery?
As I said at the beginning, your sterilized cats may get fat if you don’t adjust their
food intake.
Urinary tract problems After sterilization, your pet may develop
urinary tract problems, especially if your cat is a male.
If you notice any changes in the urinary habits of your cat, such as more frequent urination,
going to the litter box without urinating or urinating with blood, have a talk with
your veterinarian.
Most likely you will need to feed your cat food specially designed for neutered or spayed
cats.
And last, but not least
How much does this surgery cost?
If you live in the USA, the cost of the operation typically runs from $300 to $500 for a female
cat and around $200 for a male when it’s done at a private, full-service veterinary
practice.
But if you can’t afford this, which is totally understandable, you can have your cat sterilized
at a non-profit spay/neuter service.
These services typically cost around $50, or sometimes you can even get them for free.
So even if you don’t have the money, you can work it out, if you want too!
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