At what age can and should be neutered cat - the usual

Domestic cats not only bring joy to their owners, but also can disturb them with night cries, aggression, carelessness. To avoid these troubles, it is advised to castrate the cat. At what age such an operation does not harm your beloved pet, you need to know every caring owner.

At what age do you need to castrate a cat?

Owners of tiny kittens often turn to a veterinary clinic with a request to enroll their pets for an operation to remove the testes. It would seem that the sooner the cat gets rid of its reproductive function, the calmer and more benevolent it becomes in the future. In fact, this opinion is wrong. The formation of vital organs, the regulation of the stable functioning of the body systems of cats takes from 7 to 12 months. If castration is held before the age of six months, the following are possible:

• the formation of bladder stones;
• inflammatory processes of the urethra;
• trauma to the peritoneum, since the location of the testes in kittens is different than in adult animals;
• violation of the development of the whole organism.

At 6 months of age, cats develop puberty. Castration after 6 months is acceptable, but the risks of complications remain quite high.

In the second year of life, the animal enters a period of physiological maturation: its body is fully formed, the male reaches the optimum body weight of an adult individual. Carrying out the procedure of castration at this age, subject to the recommendations of the veterinarian, does not harm your pet at all.

Answers to the questions "At what age can the cat be neutered?" and "At what age is it better to castrate a cat?", as you can see, radically different. What to choose: the risk of complications or the well-being of our smaller brothers is up to you.

Old age - contraindication for castration of a cat?

The life of a cat on average 9-10 years. If your pet is already past 6, surgery to remove the testes can be a serious stress for the body, trigger the development of urogenital diseases, exacerbation of chronic diseases. But, if the pet is completely healthy and active, old age is not an absolute contraindication to the operation. Castration may even be necessary in the case of:

• prostatic hyperplasia;
• aggressive behavior;
• testicular diseases.

Before making a final decision about the removal of the testes of the male "grandfather", you need to conduct a series of surveys. It:

• analyzes of biological fluids;
• fluorography;
• Ultrasound of all organs;
• cardiac examination by a cardiologist.

Breed is not always an advantage

It is believed that in the case of pedigree cats, the operation is possible 4-5 months earlier than normal. But the anatomical structure of the skeleton, the physiological characteristics, stages of animal development, in principle, practically do not differ. Therefore, inquiring at the veterinary clinic at what age the British cats are castrated, you will also find out at what age Scottish, Persian, Abyssinian and many other breed cats are castrated. The safest age for castration of any cat is the first 2-3 months to achieve 1 year of life.

Should cats be deprived of reproductive function?

Owners of cats are faced with a choice: to deprive their furry friend's natural function or to solve the problem of aggression and anxiety of an animal in another way, for example, often releasing it for a walk.

Supporters of castration argue that:

• the cat will get rid of the risk of sexually transmitted diseases and pathologies of the prostate gland;
• stop marking territory;
• keep a playful, but not evil character;
• stop running away from home;
• live longer for 3-4 years.

An amazing, but logical, scientific explanation of the fact also testifies in favor of the procedure: the removal of testes from 7 to 12 months affects the appearance of the animal. The restructuring of the hormonal system causes an increase in the cat's body size, the appearance of a massive face, and this happens without the formation of a fat layer - the cat remains healthy and mobile.

Opponents of castration object that:

• man cruelly deprives animals of natural function;
• puts the cat at risk for postoperative complications;
• the male may continue to tag after the procedure.

Castration procedure: how to help a pet before and after surgery?

If you still stopped at the decision to castrate the cat, you need to prepare him for this procedure. First of all, you need to make sure that the pet is not sick, to check whether the main vaccinations are made to it.

Castration happens like this:

1. The introduction of anesthetic.
2. Disinfection of the space to be cut.
3. 2-3 incisions on the skin of the scrotum.
4. Ligation of spermatic cords.
5. Removal of the testes.
6. Treatment of wounds with antiseptic solutions.
7. Introduction of an antibiotic to avoid infection of the body.

The procedure will be completed in 15-20 minutes. The incisions heal even without overlapping, the recovery period passes quickly enough. On the day of surgery, the cat can only be drunk 5 hours after the intervention, and it can be eaten on the second day. After a month, the meowing patient needs a special diet using premium feed for castrated animals.

In addition to the classic version of castration, there is an option using innovative techniques. Anesthesia in his case allows the animal to recover in 5-10 minutes after surgery. In this case, the ban on drinking is canceled, and you can feed your pet in 2-3 hours. It would not be superfluous to have a collar for a cat, which will prevent him from licking the wound during the first 3-4 days, when the regeneration process is active.

If you want to castrate a cat, at what age this procedure is performed, how to avoid complications, you will be additionally advised by a veterinarian. Remember: following the recommendations, taking into account information about the periods of development of these animals, you not only do harm to a fluffy friend, but also bring considerable benefits, save many undesirable phenomena in his life, in particular, from the risk of infectious diseases.