When to sterilize a cat

Sterilization of cats leads to the fact that the animal loses its ability to reproduce. Many owners of furry pets, when confronted for the first time with this problem, ask themselves a well-founded question whether this intervention can be considered humane. Those who decide on this step are interested in: at what age is it better to sterilize the cat? What are the consequences and features of the procedure?

Sterilization of a cat: why is it necessary?

In order to decide on the sterilization of the pet, there are several reasons:

• All owners know that breeding cats is expensive and troublesome. Indeed, to ensure a comfortable life for a pet, a person needs to expend a certain amount of finances and effort. If your cat will periodically produce offspring, then you will have to bring up and keep many animals.
• Many people think that kittens can be distributed, but in practice it is not so easy to implement. Keep the same many cats in a city apartment and at all almost impossible. As a result, some do not find any solution to the problem, except to throw the kittens on the street, where they are doomed to slow death from hunger and cold.
• Even if you have eliminated all the possibilities for the kittens to appear in the cat, the animal will suffer in the breeding season. They produce behavioral changes that are unpleasant to the owner.
• In addition, such abstinence harms the health of the cat. It can lead to inflammatory processes in the reproductive system. For example, to cancer of the ovaries, mammary glands, etc. In order for all of this not to happen to your animal, experts recommend sterilizing the cat.

Ways of the operation

Experts identify several types of sterilization of cats: radial, medical and surgical. The most reliable doctors call surgical sterilization, for the implementation of which there are several methods.

Tubal occlusion is a pulling of the fallopian tubes. In this case, the animal is deprived of the ability to bear children, however, behavioral changes during the period of sexual activity will continue. This is due to the fact that the hormonal background of the cat will remain unchanged.

Hysterectomy is the removal of the uterus, but the preservation of the ovaries. This method has the same effect on the animal as tubal occlusion.

These species are practically not used in veterinary practice, as they adversely affect the health of the animal.

Ovariectomy - removal of the ovaries. After such an operation, along with the disappearance of the risk of fertilization, there is a change in the hormonal background of the cat. The production of sex hormones is not performed, which means that estrus and the risk of ovarian cysts and false pregnancy disappear. In our country, veterinarians most often use this method of surgical sterilization, since it is determined as the most desirable. However, such sterilization is possible only if your cat is young enough and has not yet given birth.

For those pets who have given birth and are already a little older, there is another method of surgical sterilization - ovariohisterectomy. It consists in removing not only the ovaries, but also the uterus.

The operation of the animal sterilization takes place under general anesthesia. Experts recommend not to feed the cat on the eve of the operation in order to avoid vomiting and aspiration during the procedure. That is, if sterilization was scheduled for the morning, then the last feeding should be done until about 7 pm the previous day. The length of the surgical incision depends on the type of sterilization and the size of the organs of the animal. Modern medicine allows the so-called seamless operation. In this case, the wound received by the animal will not exceed 1 cm. After such an intervention, the cat will not have to wear a blanket.

Usually, after recovering from anesthesia, your pet can stand on its paws in a few minutes. However, full recovery after surgery takes 5 to 14 days. At home during this period, the cat needs special care: it is necessary to equip a flat bed, convenient for the animal and regularly check the condition of the pet. Make sure that the wound left after the operation does not fester or bleed.

On the question of at what age is it better to sterilize the cat, experts can not give a single answer. Some veterinarians believe that this should be done between the ages of 8 weeks and 6 months, since it is at this time that the genitals are already clearly visible. These experts believe that early sterilization will help avoid future pet health problems. But there is another opinion. Many veterinarians think that, on the contrary, early sterilization can cause a deterioration in the health of the cat and recommend such an operation after the first heat. There are still experts who advise to resort to sterilization of an animal only after 1 year - by this time the animal's body will already be fully formed.

Of course, many owners care how much does a cat sterilization cost. This question cannot be answered unequivocally, since prices vary greatly in different cities and in different clinics. But on average, the cost of such an operation varies from 800 to 1,500 rubles.

How to feed sterilized pets?

It is believed that the cats themselves are able to regulate their appetite, so many owners leave food for them in the public domain. However, this is a very common mistake. Cats are able to eat their favorite delicacies to infinity. Responsibilities of regulating the diet should lie on the shoulders of the owner. The amount of food that a pet consumes should be commensurate with its energy costs.

It is worth noting that sterilized cats need less food than their relatives, who retain the ability to reproduce offspring. This principle should form the basis of choice. feed for sterilized cats. In this case, you should choose the feed, the energy value of which is reduced. In addition, animals in such a situation should be offered outdoor games in order to increase their energy costs, and thus reduce the risk of obesity. If the measures taken do not help, and your pet is getting fatter anyway, you should switch to diet food at all.

If you prefer to feed animals with natural food, include in their diet a variety of by-products, such as liver, lungs, ventricles, etc. In addition, you can give them milk porridge, vegetables, meat and dairy products. The fish will have to be eliminated due to the fact that it contains a lot of phosphorus.

When choosing food for sterilized cats should pay attention to the presence of phosphorus and magnesium in it and choose the one in which these elements are contained less. Phosphorus and magnesium can provoke urolithiasis in a pet.

As for feed manufacturers, experts do not give clear recommendations on this matter. Of course, it is better to choose premium and super premium options. As a rule, they have a more balanced composition. When buying food, do not pay special attention to the note that it was created specifically for sterilized animals, it is better to carefully read the composition of the product.

Of course, the sterilization of the cat is a contradictory thing, and many owners can not decide on it. But if an operation is still required for an animal, consult with your doctor and choose a clinic with a good reputation so as not to harm your pet.