For any cat owner, spaying her is one of the most sensible decisions to make. Even so, whether due to fear, ignorance or myths, many feel fear at that moment, despite the fact that there are numerous reasons to do so. In this article, we not only tell you at what age a cat can be sterilized, but we also clarify the advantages and disadvantages of practicing such a procedure at a reasonable age for both cats and cats.
At what age can a cat be sterilized?
When most cat owners make the decision to spay or neuter their cat, it is not only with the purpose of preventing unwanted pregnancies, but also to reduce unwanted behaviors related to sexual maturity with what is lessened the risk of acquiring any other type of diseases. So, the question arises, what would be the most convenient age to sterilize a cat?
As part of this article, we will also share information about the age at which it is most appropriate to spay or neuter a male feline, taking into account the same advantages and considerations that are for female cats. Let's review how fertility works in cats and focus on intervention options and when and why a male or female cat should be sterilized, no matter how old they are.
Sterilization
Many cat owners prefer to spay their cat, as it is a reliable and very common procedure. In the following paragraphs referring to sterilization in females, we explain what this procedure is, how it is carried out and what consequences this type of intervention could bring. Neutering your cat is a decision of enormous importance, since it could affect her health and well-being in a positive way, but she could also begin to suffer from a series of complications and unwanted effects.
The sterilization of female cats is the surgical procedure that is usually performed on cats so that they can no longer reproduce. It is a treatment that can be carried out on both male and female cats. Sterilization in females is a surgical operation that should only be performed by a specialist veterinarian. With this procedure, it is possible to prevent the cat from producing eggs that can be potentially fertilized by a female cat, and it also prevents her body from secreting the sexual hormones that are attractive to males and that generate sexual attraction.
Both male and female felines can be spayed at puberty. In the case of females, they are usually practiced between six and seven months of age. Kittens usually experience their first heat at six months of existence, when this happens you will observe changes in their behavior, one of them is that they meow more frequently, they usually rub against your legs or against furniture, and assume a mating posture in every opportunity they touch their back.
The decision to sterilize a cat or not should be made once you have been advised by the veterinary professional. Sterilization provides a number of benefits for your feline. The most important is that it can significantly increase his life expectancy. In addition to this, the sterilization of a pussycat can also be used to:
- Prevent unwanted litters
- Reduce the possibility of fights with other cats
- Reduce the chance of getting sexually transmitted diseases
- Restrict the number of feral cats that are the result of unwanted litters.
- Eliminate the consequences of the state of heat, which can be noisy and annoying for the owners.
Does sterilization affect your diet?
As soon as a cat has been spayed, you will begin to notice changes in her behavior, including her eating habits. Your desire to eat may increase by about 20 to 25%, but your actual energy expenditure decreases by 30%. This means that it is easy for your cat to overeat and store the extra energy as fat.
If you decide to sterilize your feline when she is still a small kitten, she will naturally continue to grow and, therefore, will require that you provide her with a food that nourishes her but does not cause her to gain more weight than is essential. Special food, made for sterilized cats, is one of the best alternatives to feed it at this stage where it requires monitoring of its body weight.
What complications can arise?
The most important complications associated with sterilization in females come from the probable increase in weight of the cat, which in turn can cause serious health problems. Diabetes and pathologies at the level of feline joints are linked to obesity. Sedentary or indoor felines can develop stomach disorders due to little activity and spending too much time on their physical hygiene.
When you decide to sterilize a cat, her health and family life can be positively affected, but there are also unfavorable effects in the longer term. If you want to know more about the subject before making a decision on the matter, you need to consult with the veterinarian, who will provide you with the most convenient advice and will guide you in relation to the dietary changes that you should have after sterilization.
Intervention in Cats
In female cats, surgical intervention involves a little more complexity than in males, since it is necessary to open the abdominal cavity. A small vertical cut is regularly made in the womb through which the ovaries and uterus are removed. There is another technique in which the cut is made on the side and only the ovaries are removed. This way of proceeding is particularly used in stray cats that had to be returned to their colony since the incision is smaller and the location of the wound on the side is more favorable for its recovery.
Whatever the case, it is a routine operation in veterinary clinics. Although it takes a little more time than that of the males, it is still a simple procedure. As soon as the cat recovers from the anesthesia, she can return home. We have to control the incision, which can be sutured externally or closed by approximation. If the cat licks herself, an Elizabethan collar will have to be placed on her to prevent it, since her rough tongue could open the incision. In just one week the cut will be closed and, if necessary, the stitches will be removed, and analgesia may be prescribed for the following days.
Other Benefits of Sterilization
In addition to the benefits already mentioned of the sterilization of female felines, this procedure is also helpful in avoiding other health problems as serious as the following:
Breast Tumors
This type of cancer is hormone dependent, which is linked to the hormones involved in the sexual cycle of the pussycat. Therefore, ruling out this stimulus, the tumor cannot be produced, so early sterilization is recommended, prior to the initial heat. If we carry it out a posteriori, the hormone has already occurred and yes, there will be risks of tumor emergence, although minimal, and they will increase as more jealousy passes.
Pyometra
It is a specific infection of the uterus that causes symptoms such as vaginal discharge, anorexia, sluggishness or fever. It can be of the open neck type, in which case we will see purulent excretion sprouting out, or closed neck, a condition in which pus accumulates in the uterus. It is probably fatal since it could become perforated, causing peritonitis. The danger is that, by not seeing the excretion and showing symptoms that may go unnoticed, veterinary care will be delayed.
Pseudopregnancy
It is also known as psychological pregnancy. After heat, thanks to the activation of a hormonal process, the cat tends to behave as if she were pregnant. In certain cases, she manages to generate milk, which implies a risk of mastitis. It occurs infrequently in cats.
Why Sterilize a Male Cat?
In the following sections we will consider the reasons or advantages of spaying or neutering your male cat as soon as possible.
Behavior
By neutering our feline at an early age, we prevent numerous unwanted behavior problems such as the act of marking, which beyond its sexual requirements, this act operates as a mode of communication between the kittens. Cat urine, particularly that of entire males (not spayed or neutered), is made up of pheromones and other odor-causing chemicals that are useful to them, but cause our furniture, shelves, and table legs to give off a disgusting smell. Marking is related, but not exclusively, to a manifestation of sexual desire.
"Salud"
When a kitten is sterilized between eight weeks and five months of age, limits are set on the generation of male hormones, lessening his desire to escape and confront other cats. Entire specimens are territorial, which regularly leads to violent fights with other cats.
By regulating the development of this class of hormones, we prevent our kitty from feeling the need to wander and be part of fights with other cats. With this we rule out the probability of acquiring certain diseases through bites or scratches, such as Leukemia or Feline Immunodeficiency (the latter is known as feline AIDS).
Population Control
As citizens and owners we are responsible for guaranteeing a decent existence for our cats, not only our pets but also those who are located in shelters or on the streets. A single male cat can impregnate several cats, so this possibility must be prevented so that no more unwanted litters emerge and to help combat cat overpopulation and, with it, the progressive spread of their diseases that affect public health. the welfare of humans and produce a greater number of cats in miserable living conditions.
What is the Best Age to Neuter a Male Cat?
Although each case has its particularities, the age to sterilize a male cat can vary according to a series of factors, so there is no precise age. It is still true that most male felines tend to develop quite quickly and reach sexual maturity, being able to procreate from 4 to 5 months. In females, however, there are other factors that have an influence on their first heat, such as the increase in their weight, the physical environment and the temperature.
Preoperative Requirements
Veterinarians who specialize in cats have found that performing spay or neuter surgery on cats before they reach sexual maturity has a direct consequence and that is that their recovery is much faster. Even so, what age is the most convenient for a pussycat to perform sterilization surgery?
Just as these professionals have agreed that it is more appropriate before they become sexually mature, these same veterinarians agree that sterilization surgery can be performed safely on a cat eight weeks old. existence or that weighs at least 1 kilogram, since at that age they will be sufficiently developed and it does not imply any complications.
From this, it can be stated that: Is 8 weeks the appropriate age to spay or neuter a male cat? At this point we must differentiate something, since, if our feline is a companion, it is more convenient to first apply the vaccination protocol and that he can achieve proper body development. However, in the case of stray cats, protective agencies or breeders who for one reason or another wish to deliver them already sterilized to the new owners, the indicated age would be the appropriate one.
Other considerations
If your usual veterinarian guarantees that the cat is healthy and has completed its vaccination schedule, he will proceed, after a more detailed evaluation, to carry out a series of preoperative tests (usually a blood test and, in some cases, an X-ray) to specify their general condition and be able to carry out the surgical operation with the least possible risk.
All this does not mean that you must necessarily force yourself to schedule the appointment for the operation at the right time that turns 8 weeks old or weighs 1 kilogram, but it is recommended to do it from that age and before has reached sexual maturity, since its recovery time is reduced enormously.
Intervention in Male Cats
There are two kinds of interventions for the sterilization of a male cat, in both cases they are surgical operations. On the one hand, we find orchidectomy, which is the procedure that is carried out regularly in most veterinary clinics, and on the other hand, we have vasectomy. Both are permanent and make reproduction impossible.
Vasectomy
This procedure involves dividing the vas deferens by restricting the passage of semen through the urethra. In this way, both sperm generation and testosterone levels remain unchanged. It enables our cat to continue with regular sexual activity without any possibility of procreation, that is, unwanted litters are prevented since the act does not imply a surrogate mother.
This kind of surgical operation is not performed very frequently, since the cat continues to mark its territory with its urine, in addition, it continues to maintain sexual desire for the female, so we do not prevent escapes in its search.
orchidectomy
This procedure, as well as the previous one, is a surgical operation and its execution implies the surgical removal of the testicles, so that the sexual hormones will no longer be produced. With this intervention it is possible to achieve, in addition to preventing reproduction, the reduction of the cat's tendency to mark its territory and that the stench of urine is no longer so strong. Added to all the above, it is possible to prevent the appearance of testicular tumors, since they have been extracted.
Postoperative care
Postoperative therapy at home after the intervention should last a week and consists of cures with chlorhexidine and the supply of oral antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. The Elizabethan collar is not regularly necessary, but we must be careful that the operated area is not touched. If the latter occurs, then the collar should be placed until it heals correctly.
Cats, in general, come to recover from the castration operation remarkably quickly. They may be somewhat sleepy for a few hours on the day of the operation, but the next day or after 24 hours, cats are usually very lively again and go about their usual lives. Therefore, try to keep your cat very calm for a day or two to allow the scar to heal. If everything goes correctly, the small cut will have completely healed in two weeks. We can therefore conclude that it is a routine and safe intervention.
It is very important to keep in mind that every time a cat has been neutered or sterilized, it will not act differently or its character will change, however, as it does not have as much desire to wander, it will carry out less physical activity, accumulate more fat and there will be a greater tendency to gain overweight.
It should be made clear, however, that neutering a male cat will not necessarily make him obese. That will be reflected by how much you eat and how active you are. Are there studies that show an association between neutered cats and obesity? Yes. Therefore, there is a possibility that you will have to adjust the amount of food that you provide if the cat begins to gain weight.
You may also be interested in these other articles:
- How long does a cat's heat last?
- How long does a cat's pregnancy last?
- How to know the age of a cat?