To sterilize a cat or not? This question is asked by many owners. Indeed, from an ethical point of view this is wrong, but on the other hand, such a procedure can save owners and their pets from many problems. If you decide on a similar measure for a pet, we recommend that you read this article and find out at what age cats can be sterilized.
"Pros and cons"
Before answering a question that interests you, I would like to note that with this procedure you can:
- to save a cat from sexual instincts, and therefore from torment: after all, cats living in the house do not have the opportunity to satisfy their needs;
- prevent unwanted pregnancy and kittens;
- avoid aggressive pet behavior ;
- exclude the likelihood of cancer of the cat's reproductive system.
The disadvantages of sterilization include:
- cats without genital organs are more prone to obesity;
- the procedure involves incisions, and therefore scars for life;
- complications after surgery, in particular oncology of the mammary glands;
- there is a chance of urolithiasis.
At what age can cats be sterilized?
In fact, there are no age restrictions for this procedure, and if desired, even an animal that is 2 years old and 5 years old can be subjected to it. However, experts' opinions about the age at which cats can be sterilized differ somewhat. It is believed that the body of a pet at a young age tolerates the operation much easier, and the recovery period will be much faster, and the animal itself will not even understand what happened to it, while an adult cat can suffer sterilization much worse. The ideal age is the period when the cat has already formed, but it has not yet begun to estrus, as a rule, it is 5-7 months. Sterilization performed at this time will be the most optimal option, since no processes in the animal’s body will be disturbed. It should be noted that some breeds of cats mature earlier than their relatives. We are talking about the eastern representatives, namely: Siamese, Abyssinian, Burmese.
While
Persian cats, Siberian, Maine Coons mature later. At what age can cats be sterilized? If you managed and performed this procedure in the period before the first estrus, then the risk of complications is extremely small and amounts to only 1%. If the first estrus was already there, then it is already increasing up to 10%. Complications include neoplasms of the mammary glands.
How many months are cats sterilized abroad?
Foreign veterinarians believe that at 2 months, sterilization for a cat is the least painless and most effective. They proved that the removal of childbearing organs does not affect the development of the pet in any way and, moreover, does not interfere with it.
So, now you know how much you can sterilize a cat. And is it worth it to do this or to keep the animal able to breed - you have to decide for yourself.