You may have noticed your cat acting more hyperactive than it usually is. The cat has this pent up energy and will look for anything and everything to display that on. More often than not this is because the cat has reached its sexual maturity and needs to attend to that. Cats can reproduce very early on due to early sexual maturity. Most cat owners however, do not want their houses swarming with kittens, or the added responsibility that comes with cat reproduction. Also it is not easy to find someone to adopt pets.
What is neutering?
Neuter means to castrate or spay a domestic animal. For a healthy animal, the operation can be performed after 8 weeks. For a female cat, this refers to the removal of the reproductive tract, both ovaries, and uterus. The incision made below the belly button is stitched after the procedure. For a male cat, an incision is made such that both testicles are removed.
The time of the procedure varies according to age, weight, health, stage in the heat cycle, and most importantly gender. The female procedure is more time consuming, complicated, and possibly painful. This is because female organs are more fragile and hold more blood. Your cat will be dozed with anesthesia and in most cases, veterinarians suggest withholding food before the operation.
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Post Neutering Care
It is extremely important to carefully monitor the cat after the procedure. While young and healthy animals heal very quickly, aged animals can develop complications. Sometimes the incision might get infected because the cats lick or chew the surrounding skin. You should keep checking the area without disturbing the cat or the incision.
It is recommended that the cat be provided with a resting space that is both isolated and easily accessible for the care provider. For the first few weeks outdoors is not a good idea even if it happens to be technically within the house boundaries. Do not try to immediately normalize it and attempt playing. Your intentions may be good, but the cat may end up feeling irritated. Remove any potential toys or areas which may lead to excessive movement.
While it is good that it should be away from the noise, you should still be able to see the cat. The resting space should ideally have a soft pillow where the cat can sleep but also a tiled floor that helps them cool off if needed. Try to provide a soothing atmosphere with dim lighting. Picking up or bathing the cat should be done as per the vet’s instructions. Avoid both until necessary.
Benefits of Neutering
A cat becomes susceptible to multiple diseases when they mate. Spaying your cat will prevent it from having cervical, mammary and ovarian cancer. Once the ovaries are removed the possibility of them being infected and developing cancer is eliminated.
Going into heat the cat, both if male or female, looks for a partner to mate. In the case of an absence inside the household, the cat will try to wander around to find someone. It will look for ways to escape which has obvious risks attached to it. It can get infected, hurt, or pregnant if ends up finding a partner.
Also even if they don’t go outside an unneutered cat can make the house dirty. The female cat releases fluids that are meant to attract male cats to mate. Similarly, the male cats pee in places to both mark their territory and attract females to mate through its scent. Whatever the actual reason for all cat fluids, the smell can get very pungent and disgusting for humans. It is best to get your cat treated and avoid a possible mess in the house.
As they reach sexual maturity, cats tend to develop a certain level of aggression. This can get very serious if there is a presence of other animals in the house. Unneutered cats have their guards up and are always ready to fight to establish some sort of territory.
Spaying can cause them to calm down and become tolerant of co-existence without constant fights. It will make your cat more loving and gentle. This is vital especially if there are small children in the house. A cat that is not spayed cannot be trusted around children and there is no guarantee of how or when they may react.
Conclusion
With the operation, you take away the cat’s ability to get pregnant. According to some people, their urge to mate is what usually drives them, so the effect on the hormones may make them lazier and therefore become overweight.
While the process may sound harsh and maybe temporarily painful it has a lot of benefits for domestic animals. You do not need to worry about your cat. With the lack of good care facilities and overpopulation not getting pregnant will not be the worse thing.
After a period of healing time, it will return to its usual playful self without all the potential risks that were previously attached. All you need to do is ensure your cat gets exercise and does not eat unnecessarily. It would become impossible to have cats that are pets if left unneutered.