Do Male Cats Calm Down After Being Neutered
the answer is yes, mainly because the testicles that produce testosterone have been removed. Testosterone controls, among others, the male cats aggression and other behaviors.
Neutered cats tend to be more affectionate and would relate well with other male cats than their unneutered counterparts. They make better pets and are easier to live with.
They will no longer have an interest in going out to roam around to look for a mate, thus minimizing their population.
Additionally, the procedure reduces possible testicular cancer or prostate problems. They are less likely to roam and be exposed to viruses as well as get into fights with sick cats.
Also, as they are less active, encourage your pet to continue activities that burn calories so it wont grow too large from staying dormant.
What Does Neutering And Spaying Mean
During a neutering procedure, your cats sexual reproductive organs are removed. Neutering prevents unplanned pregnancies from happening, and it also stops a lot of undesirable tomcat and intact queen behaviour spraying, calling and anxiousness, for example. After theyre neutered, cats are often more affectionate, less restless and less prone to roam.
Reasons For Neutering Male Cats
- Control of nuisance. Unneutered male cats are likely to stray over a large area, will mark their territory with a very pungent spray and are much more likely to fight with attendant noise nuisance.
- Health issues. Fighting males are much more likely to spread diseases such as FIV and FeLV to other cats. They are also likely to suffer from fight injuries such as abscesses. Because they wander over a large area they are also at greater risk of suffering road traffic accidents.
- Pet issues. Unneutered male cats will wander from home and may not return. They may also spray inside the home and may be aggressive to their owners. Therefore it is desirable to neuter kittens early enough to ensure that the above problems are prevented. Most people do not want to live with an unneutered male cat.
- Population control. Obviously, male cats do not have kittens themselves and it only takes one male in an area to make lots of female cats pregnant, so neutering a female cat makes a great deal more difference to limiting numbers, but it all helps!
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I Have Unneutered Female And Male Cats In My Household What Should I Do To Avoid Unwanted Pregnancies
If you have an unneutered male and female in the same household, have them neutered as soon as they reach 4 months old. If this isnt possible, and your female cat comes on heat, its essential to keep your cats apart at all times to stop them from mating. Please remember that related cats will mate, including brothers, sisters, fathers and daughters.
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Early Spay/neuter In Private Practice
Most practices have defined kitten wellness protocols and schedule appointments for vaccinations and parasite control for kittens from about 6 weeks to 4 months of age. Early spay/neuter involves simply adding one more appointment 2 to 3 weeks after the last vaccination. In that manner, cats are fully immunized before being admitted to the hospital for surgery and sterilized before becoming sexually active.
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How Can You Help Your Cat Before And After Surgery
Most vets ask that your cat not eat or drink for up to 12 hours before surgery to reduce the likelihood of vomiting during the procedure. If your cat goes outdoors or isnt a fan of their cat carrier, consider keeping them indoors so you can easily collect them before the surgery.
A cat spay is generally 30 minutes to an hour, depending on her age and where she is in her heat cycle and the competency of the surgeon, while uncomplicated cat neuter can be done in under five minutes. Cryptorchid cat neuters will take longer and may cost more.
Surgery hurts, so pain medication should be sent home with your cat. When you take your furry friend home, they will be recovering from surgery, so they will need you to monitor them regularly for several days after the surgery.
When you get home, be sure to:
- Provide your cat with a quiet place to recover indoors and away from other animals.
- Prevent your cat from running and jumping for up to two weeks following surgery, or as long as your veterinarian recommends.
- Prevent your cat from licking the incision site, which may cause infection. A cone may be placed on their head to prevent licking.
- Give all pain medications as prescribed, even if your cat seems fine.
- Avoid bathing your pet for at least 14 days after surgery.
- Check the incision site daily to confirm proper healing. If you notice redness, swelling, odor, or discharge, or if your cat has a fever or is acting sick in any way, call your vet.
What Is Kitten Neutering
Neutering a kitten has multiple benefits for you and your pet in the long run. For example, as it gets older your cat will be less likely to contract certain diseases as well as avoid unwanted pregnancies.
Advantages of neutering a male kitten include:
Control of aggressive and territorial behaviour Avoidance of injuries caused by fighting Avoidance of testicular cancer Control of cat population
Of a female kitten, the advantages of neutering are even greater:
Protection from mammary and ovarian cancers: Spaying your queen kitten can reduce the chance of her developing mammary gland tumour in later life. Protection from pyometra: Cats that havent been spayed have a bigger chance of developing cystic ovarian disease than cats that have an associated infection of the womb is called pyometra. Reduction of vet bills: Neutering eliminates the possibility of your kitten becoming pregnant in doing so the associated risks to health, and the expense, are avoided. Putting an end to seasons: Spaying will prevent your kitten coming into season .
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Any Complications To Be Aware Of
It would be best to get your cat neutered before it is a year old if possible. After this time, hell be more likely to continue spraying because of the testosterone levels in his body and the repetition of a previously learned behavior.
You should have a litter box with a low entry and line it with paper to avoid litter becoming attached to the incision. Just for about 24 hours after the surgery.
You can expect a certain amount of constipation but contact your vet if your cat hasnt pooped after 48 to 72 hours.
More importantly, while we mentioned this early, it bears repeating as its crucial. If your cat doesnt urinate within 24 hours after the surgery, you need to bring him to your veterinarian immediately, as it could indicate a severe complication.
Pediatric Spay And Neuter Is Safe
Research shows that kittens spayed or neutered before 12 weeks of age have fewer complications from surgery than those over 12 weeks old. Also, since theyre young and spry, kittens rebound much faster after the surgical procedure than cats over 6 months of age.
All surgery involving anesthesia includes certain risks. Pediatric spay and neuter is just as safe as spay and neuter surgeries for adult cats.
Learn more by checking out Protocols: Pediatric Spay and Neuter in our Veterinary Resource Center.
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What If I Think My Cat Is Already Pregnant
Most cats dont display physical symptoms until two or three weeks into a pregnancy. If you suspect a pregnancy, get in touch with your vet as soon as possible. Some vets neuter female cats while theyre pregnant, ending the pregnancy and preventing future pregnancies at the same time. To find out more, ask your vet about their policies regarding spaying.
When Can A Kitten Be Spayed
If you have been reading my development series, then you have been following along to the different stages of a kittens life. At this point, you have gotten through week two all the way through week eight, You learned how to bottle feed a kitten, how to ween a kitten onto solid food, and when a kitten can leave their mother.
You may be asking what the next steps would be? Well the next thing I have noticed a lot of people asking is when they can spay or neuter their new kitten?
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When Should I Spay Or Neuter My Cat
Kittens can be spayed or neutered as young as six to eight weeks of age, however standard spay and neuter surgeries are most often performed when the kitten is between five and six months old. That said, it’s important to note that provided your cat is healthy, these procedures can be performed at any time during your cat’s life.
Why Should You Neuter Your Cat
According to the ASPCA, there are 85.8 million cats owned in the U.S. alone, but 3.2 million cats enter animal shelters every year. And from those, about 530,000 cats are euthanized every year, which is 530,000 cats too many. For this reason, having cats spayed and neutered is vital!
Sometimes its also a great idea to neuter your cat for behavioral and health reasons. Beyond preventing the overpopulation of cats, unneutered tomcats have behavioral issues that can be reduced or stopped entirely after being neutered.
- Behavioral: Neutering reduces roaming and aggression, particularly towards other male cats. It will stop spraying/marking behavior, and they generally smell better. The fighting between male cats can also lead to passing infectious diseases like FeLV and FIV, which can be incurable in some cases.
- Health: Neutering can help prevent fights, as we already mentioned, which helps keep him healthy. Beyond this, its also known to eliminate the risk of your cat developing testicular cancer and reduce the risk of prostate cancer, prostatitis, and prostatic hyperplasia.
Not only do you get these benefits, but neutering is much less expensive than spaying and the recovery time is minimal. Its also much cheaper than looking after litters of kittens.
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What Age Can Cats Be Neutered
Cats become sexually mature from the age of around five months. In order to prevent unwanted pregnancies, its recommended that cats are neutered at around four months old, after they have completed their primary vaccinations. Some vets still recommend spaying at five or six months and its quite safe to neuter older cats.
Can You Spey A Cat In Heat
Yes, although speying a cat in heat isnt quite as simple as a routine spey, its done regularly by most vets. Speying during a heat is a little more risky is because the blood vessels around their womb tend to be a bit larger and more likely to bleed. This means the operation is slightly more risky and can take a little longer.
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Reasons For Neutering Or Spaying A Kitten
You can have your kitten neutered or spayed as early as 6 weeks of age and the kitten weighs at least 2.2 lbs. For newbie pet parents, however, the idea of feline sterilization may be a very new and odd concept. Some may not feel the need for sterilization at all. Here are some of the reasons why you should have your kitten neutered.
What Is The Difference Between Spaying And Neutering
When we discuss getting a companion animal ‘fixed’, we are using a blanket term that refers to both the spaying of femal animals and the neutering of male animals.
Spaying Female Cats
When we spay a cat, the uterus and ovaries, or occasionally just the ovaries, of the female cat are surgically removed.
After the spaying procedure has been done, she will not be able to have kittens.
Neutering Male Cats
Neutering involves removing the male cat’s testicles.
When your male cat is neutered, he will be unable to father kittens.
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How Will My Kittens Diet Change
After neutering, your kittens nutritional needs change. Its energy requirements go down by about 30%, but its appetite will increase by approximately 20-25%. As your kitten is still growing and needs energy to develop healthy muscles and body mass, its important to give it a food that covers its adjusted nutritional requirements. A food designed for spayed or neutered cats may be a good option. Consult with your veterinarian for a nutritional recommendation.
Can An Intact Male Overpopulate The World
By getting your male kitten neutered, are you saving the world from being overrun by cats? No. Theres been a popular, well-intentioned meme going around for a few years now, stating that a single intact male cat on the prowl and left to his own devices can sire more than 400,000 cats over the course of five years. Catsters own resident veterinarian rightly points out that a given ecosystem simply could not support any such absurd cat population. Politifact examined the data on this tale of cat fertility and clearly explains why it is not only false, but also improbable.
Many domesticated pet cats spend the majority of their lives safely inside their owners homes. What if you let them out? Can an intact male get into all manner of sexual escapades if hes feeling frisky on a given Caturday? Yes, of course. Intact female cats in heat experience induced ovulation, meaning that the sex act itself causes her ovaries to release eggs. The entire process of sexual congress between cats, including insemination, takes only a couple of minutes at most and can happen several times in succession. It might require such a series of intimate encounters for a female to become pregnant.
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Should You Spay Your Pregnant Cats
Spaying your cat leads to abortion if your cat is pregnant.
No one likes taking the lives of born or unborn. But the pragmatic reasons affect a lot.
Most of the animal shelters around spay the female cats that come even if they are pregnant.
Many rescue groups prevent the spaying of pregnant cats.
There is a major overpopulation problem of cats. Mainly caused because the cats are not spayed.
Unspayed cats keep getting pregnant by unneutered cats and those kittens would give birth to many more offspring so the process goes on.
Many groups are trying their best to control the overpopulation of cats.
There is no place to house enough cats, even after so many shelters there are many unsheltered cats.
They get severely injured, they die, etc. So to prevent this, cats are spayed.
The more cats spayed more is the overpopulation of cats prevented. Cats in poor health during pregnancy can suffer a lot and even die while giving birth.
Hence no matter how unfair spaying sounds it is one of the kindest acts.
Before And After Neutering A Male Cat: A Guide For Pet Owners
Some cat owners prefer having their pets neutered for health and financial benefits. Be it avoiding unwanted litter or preventing behavioral issues like aggression toward other tomcats or mating instincts the procedure is a well-known option.
But this is sensitive for your fur friend, so you should know what to do before and after neutering a male cat. This involves ensuring they are healthy prior to surgery and allowing them to recover in a safe and comfortable place.
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Pros & Cons Of Spaying & Neutering Cats
Its time to start thinking about spaying or neutering your cat. But, you are not quite sure if it is the right thing to do. If youre wondering whether you should just leave your cat as nature intended, consider the positive and negative aspects of spaying and neutering before making your decision.
Spaying The Positive Side
Spaying removes the risk of pregnancy.
Pet overpopulation is a serious problem and by allowing your cat to have litters, you are adding to the problem. Finding homes for your new family additions is not as easy as you may think. Even if you choose to keep the kittens, you will have the additional cost of vaccines, parasite control, toys and food for several pets. In addition to costs, the health of the mother can be in jeopardy during delivery. Some new mothers can have serious complications delivering kittens and can even develop health problems during nursing. All these potential problems can be avoided by spaying your cat.
Spaying makes for a calmer cat.
Without the drive to mate, your cat may be quieter and wont be prone to cat calls and the incessant need to seek out a mate. The spayed pet no longer attracts males and their annoying advances and serenades. Spayed cats are also easier to get along with. They tend to be more gentle and affectionate.
Spaying keeps your cat healthier.
Spaying The Negative Side
Spaying may cause weight gain.
Neutering The Positive Side
Neutering removes the risk of pregnancy.
Neutering Your Cat Key Facts
- Neutering means surgically preventing cats from reproducing
- Its recommended that cats are neutered at around four months old
- Neutered animals might have slightly lower food requirements so you just need to feed them a little less
Neutering your cat can have really great benefits, both to them and to you! Plus youll be helping to tackle the growing crisis of pets being abandoned, dumped and given away because there arent enough homes to go around.
What is cat neutering?
Neutering means surgically preventing cats from reproducing. In males, the operation is called castration and in females its called spaying.
With castration both testicles are removed which takes away the main source of the male hormone testosterone. With spaying, both the ovaries and the uterus are removed which means the female is unable to become pregnant.
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