Cats and Castration: What You Must Know
Many cat owners ask themselves whether neutering their cat is the right decision. It’s an operation that has a lasting effect on the life of the cat friend.
In the following article we will explain why castration is recommended for cats in most cases, despite the low risks. You will also learn how the castration is carried out and what costs you have to expect for the operation.
Advantages of neutering in cats with outdoor access
A castration is connected with a whole range of advantages for cats. In female cats, the risk of an unwanted pregnancy alone should be sufficient as a reason for a castration.
Apart from that, unneutered cats with outdoor access usually die much earlier than their neutered conspecifics.
This is especially true for male outdoor cats. Because uncastrated males tend to go on particularly long trips in search of females ready for mating.
This regularly leads to territorial fights which can lead to the transmission of infectious diseases such as FIV. In addition, uncastrated males with outdoor access are more likely to suffer a serious accident.
Advantages of castration for indoor cats
Castration has advantages not only for outdoor cats, but also for indoor cats. Even if you can probably exclude unwanted offspring in this case, various problems can be avoided by castration.
Female domestic cats do not get in heat after castration and the risk of uterine diseases and the formation of tumours on the mammal can be drastically reduced.
Castrated indoor cats show a much less pronounced territorial behaviour, so that smelly markings with the urine of the four-legged friend are mostly absent.
The most important advantages of neutering in cats at a glance
- No unwanted pregnancy
- Longer life expectancy for freelancers
- Reduced risk of infectious diseases such as FIV
- No heat in neutered cats
- Prevention of diseases of the uterus and udder
- No territorial behaviour and marking in castrated males
Disadvantages of castration in cats
Basically, the advantages of neutering outweigh the disadvantages in cats. The procedure is routine for veterinarians, so no complications are usually to be expected. Nevertheless, it is an operation under general anaesthesia, which of course always involves a certain risk and a strain on the body for the cat to be neutered.
Apart from that, neutered cats are more likely to become overweight due to changes in their hormone balance and the usually noticeably reduced need for exercise. However, this possible consequence of neutering can be easily controlled with a cat nutrition that meets the needs of the cat.
The castration of a tomcat
The castration of a tomcat is a comparatively uncomplicated procedure, which usually takes less than 30 minutes. First of all the quadruped is put under general anaesthesia. Then the area of the operation is shaved and sterilized.
Now the veterinarian makes two small incisions in the scrotum so that he can expose and tie up the testicles. Next, the spermatic ducts are cut and the testicles removed.
Due to the very small incisions, suturing the surgical wounds is not necessary in most cases, as they heal by themselves. The now empty scrotum gradually recedes.
The castration in the cat
In a cat the castration is a little more complex compared to the tomcat. Nevertheless, the procedure is routine and therefore done quite quickly.
In order to castrate the cat, it must also first be put under general anaesthetic and the surgical area shaved and sterilised. Now the veterinarian makes an incision of about two centimetres on the cat's stomach.
Once the abdominal wall is open, the veterinarian can finally ligate and remove the cat's ovaries. In many cases the uterus is also removed at the same time. Afterwards the abdominal wall can be sewn up again and the cat has survived the neutering.
How much does the neutering of cats and tomcats cost?
The costs that the veterinarian is allowed to charge for the neutering of a cat are defined in the Veterinary Fee Schedule (GOT). For a tomcat they are usually around 80 to 85 Euros.
For cats, the costs for neutering are slightly higher due to the more complex procedure. Here cat owners have to calculate about 140 to 150 Euros.
However, veterinarians can decide for themselves which fee rate they charge. Especially in case of complications the costs for neutering cats and males can be a bit higher.
Sterilisation of the cat as an alternative?
In addition to castration, sterilisation is also an alternative for cats. The difference is that the reproductive organs of the animal are not removed during sterilisation, but merely rendered inoperable.
This is usually done by cutting the fallopian tubes in cats or the spermatic ducts in cats. In this way, reproduction can be avoided. However, sterilisation does not have any influence on the hormone balance.
Undesirable behaviour in the cat cannot be prevented by sterilisation, nor can the risk of illness, accidents and injuries be reduced.
Veterinarians therefore normally recommend neutering cats, while sterilisations are the exception rather than the rule. Since both cases require surgery under general anaesthesia, there is no significant difference in the possible risks of the procedure anyway.
Do cats have to be neutered in Germany?
Freewheeling cats reproduce very quickly and have become a real problem in some areas. It is estimated that there are currently more than two million stray cats living in Germany.
In order to counteract this, many communities have now introduced an obligation to neuter cats with outdoor access. This should prevent mating between outdoor cats and strays.
On the one hand this leads to a further increase in the population of stray cats and on the other hand it contributes to the spread of infectious diseases such as feline leukaemia and cat aids.
Neutering cats - our conclusion
As you can see, neutering cats makes sense in several ways. Because it not only prevents unwanted reproduction. It can also help to stop unwanted behaviour and prevent various health problems.
Cats and outdoor cats should always be neutered. In many cities this is now even a legal requirement. But even if your four-legged friend is only an indoor cat, you should at least consider castration.
The surgical procedure is routine and therefore only involves very low risks. The only significant problem you should expect with your cat is the increased tendency to be overweight after neutering.
However, by adjusting the amount of food as needed and feeding your cat high-quality cat food from I love my cat, you can easily keep your cat's weight within a normal range despite neutering.
If necessary, you can also counteract any excess weight your cat may have after neutering with our Shiimun Slim diet powder, thus providing additional support for your pet's diet.
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