Castration of a cat - the main pros and cons

Every person who is responsible for his pet, sooner or later faces the question of whether it is necessary to castrate a cat. This operation has its advantages and disadvantages, however, to this day there is a lot of controversy regarding the castration of cats. Of course, it is absolutely normal for a cat to walk, and indeed in nature, the sexual activity of cats is a common occurrence.

If an animal is kept in an apartment, its sexual activity often becomes a problem for the owners. This is primarily due to the aggressive behavior of these animals during the mating season. As a rule, the owners, and gradually and all the neighbors begin to disturb the wild cries, which publishes a pet.It is especially difficult to overcome such difficulties when there is no female with whom the cat could satisfy its natural needs.

For these reasons, the owners often decide to castrate the cat. However, it is believed that castration has not only advantages, but also disadvantages.

Pluses castration

Castration is an operation that involves the removal of the gonads in an animal. There are a number of advantages that this procedure has:

1. The main advantage of castration is, of course, the suppression of instincts for reproduction in a cat. This measure allows you to get rid of screams and aggressive behavior during the mating season.
2. After surgical removal of the genital glands, cats also cease to mark the territory, which makes living in an apartment with an animal more comfortable.
3. Cats that have been castrated tend to become less aggressive, and as a result, they no longer participate in street fights or share territory with other cats.

These advantages, of course, are primarily big advantages for the hosts. In this case, they get a quiet and quiet life. The cat also gets a kind of freedom.

Disadvantages of the castration procedure

Despite the large number of advantages of castration, this procedure has a number of disadvantages:

1. Sharp increase in body weight of a cat. The fact is that after castration, cats, as a rule, start to eat almost twice as much. This phenomenon is primarily due to changes in hormonal levels. In addition, after surgery, cats become slower and lazy. Calories are spent much more slowly with a sedentary lifestyle, which also contributes to the accumulation of body fat.
2. Problems with the cardiovascular system. Not all cats experience such difficulties, however, in some animals, a similar phenomenon can be observed immediately after surgery. Most often, problems with the heart and blood vessels appear in older cats, because their body is difficult to tolerate anesthesia.
3. In some cases, castration may not bring any result. As a rule, this is also observed only in adult sexually mature and elderly cats. The fact is that in these animals, the sex hormones are secreted not only by the testes, but also by the pituitary gland.For this reason, even after the removal of the sex glands, the cat can continue to walk and scream during the mating season.

When will castration be as effective as possible?

Sometimes the problem for the cat owner is the question of when it is best to castrate the cat. Veterinarians, as a rule, give advice to perform an operation on an animal until the moment when he has the first sexual intercourse. This is due to the fact that today it has already been established that cats that have been with a cat at least once, even after the removal of the sex glands, continue to feel attracted to the opposite sex. Based on this information, the most appropriate age for castration is considered to be from 8 months to a year.

How to care for animals after surgery?

Care for cats after castration does not require any drastic efforts. The first time the owner should just follow the nutrition of the animal and feed it in accordance with a special diet, so that the pet does not gain a large mass. It should also be borne in mind that surgery is, of course, a great stress for the animal.After such a shock, the cat will definitely need your attention, care and participation.

In addition to proper nutrition, the animal will need to provide at least some activity. It is important that the cat moves and does not become too lazy, otherwise it will provoke obesity in the future. You can play more with the animal so that the cat moves at least during such games.

How long does a cat go away from anesthesia?

An operation to remove the gonads involves the use of anesthesia. Of course, the owners have a question, but how will the animal transfer it, and how long will it depart from it? As a rule, this period takes a couple of hours. In some cases, the animal may be under the influence of anesthesia for another 3-5 hours, so do not panic. The main thing is that the recovery period was no more than 5 hours. Otherwise, you should immediately call the veterinarian in order not to get unpleasant consequences.

To understand whether an animal feels good, you need to shine something in his eyes. If the cat gives a reaction, then everything is in order. Next, you need to monitor the pet. With each hour, the state of the cat should become better.If signs of improvement are imperceptible, you should seek help from a veterinarian.

How expensive is castration?

Another issue that many cat owners are concerned about, and which may influence the decision to conduct an operation, is how expensive such a procedure is. The cost of such an operation can vary depending on many factors. Firstly, prices vary significantly in different veterinary clinics. As a rule, the cost is in the range from 1500 to 8000 rubles. Some people even conduct castration at home, which, of course, is cheaper, but you need to decide on such a step only if you have a specialist.

Today, there are many veterinary clinics in which the animal will not only be maximally and professionally performed the operation, but can be observed after surgery. In this case, the owner will need to simply pay for the cat's stay in the hospital. After the animal has fully recovered after the procedure, it will be possible to take it home.

There are also services for busy cat owners. In this case, experts can come to the house, pick up the animal, take him to the clinic,to carry out an operation, to observe him during the recovery period, and then also bring the cat home yourself to the owners. This approach is very convenient, but it costs some money.

It is important to responsibly address the issue of castration, as well as to surround the pet with tenderness, care and love after the operation. It is important to understand that for a cat it is a great stress, and therefore it is necessary to treat with understanding his condition after the operation.

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