Cats live in almost every apartment. These furry creatures give us joy and warmth. Their children are especially fond of. And many parents are faced with a situation where a child brings a tiny kitten home with a request to leave him. If possible, then soon he will turn into a handsome man - a cat with a luxurious mustache. And everything would be fine if it weren’t for one thing. Obeying your instincts, your pet can begin to mark territory and sing “songs”. What to do with this and whether it is possible to castrate an adult cat, we’ll talk today.
Castration procedure
What is she like? Every owner should think about this before going to the veterinarian. This term is called the removal of the sexual glands of males. The operation is simple, performed quickly. But often veterinarians are asked about whether it is possible to castrate a cat in 5 years. The reason for this is usually one. The pet still behaved decently, and now he began to leave caustic marks and insistently demand the female.
There are no contraindications to performing this procedure for an adult animal. But the owner must understand: there is no 100% guarantee that his behavior will change after that. That is why it is recommended to perform the operation at a young age, while the growing cat is just beginning to feel the hormones boiling up.
The benefits of castration
The older the animal, the more balanced you need to approach this issue. Is it possible to castrate a cat in 5 years? If your veterinarian does not see contraindications for this procedure, then it is possible. The need is usually caused by the living conditions of our pets. They do not live outside and are deprived of the opportunity to communicate normally with representatives of a kind, that is, to fight with other cats and mate with females. But nobody told instincts about it. Therefore, the young cat will still pour out excess energy, jumping for hours on the curtains and cabinets, but with age he will more and more clearly indicate his desires.
The behavior of a mature uncastrated cat will change. He becomes more restless, irritable, aggressive. And this is not taking into account the odorous tags. Not for nothing that many owners have a question about whether it is possible to castrate a cat in 5 years. Well, if the animal lives with you from a young age, then you had time to think about it. And if the cat is already an adult? Then you need to make a decision as quickly as possible. So, what are the advantages of the operation:
- Most often, the animal ceases to mark the territory.
- Aggression and night cries disappear.
- The risk of urolithiasis is reduced.
- Castrats usually live longer.
Character and temperament
Is it possible to castrate a cat in 5 years, if the only problem is his playfulness and mobility? No, in this case it is better to leave everything as is. It is a myth that after removing the testes, the animal becomes calm and sleepy. Like humans, cats are different in character and temperament. If your pet is mobile and playful by nature, it will not become a sofa ottoman.
Recommended age
Of course, it's best to do everything on time. Carried out at an early age, this operation is easier for animals and does not threaten any complications. The optimal age is 7 months - 1 year. By this time, the maturation and formation of the pet is completed. If the operation is done earlier, the genitourinary system will remain underdeveloped. As a result, there will be a great chance of developing urolithiasis. Usually veterinarians recommend an age of 9 months.
Is it possible to castrate an adult cat? Of course you can. But if he has already mated or has a bad habit of marking territory, which is also closely associated with sex hormones, then castration may not solve the problem. In some cases, males continue to sing songs and leave marks, which, however, become less “fragrant”.
Why castrate an adult cat
Most likely, he had no problems with behavior before. The cat lives in an apartment for a long time and does not show much activity, desire for cats, that is, it is an ideal pet. But it also happens that at the age of 2 to 5 years the situation changes dramatically. Anything can affect this. But most often it can be noted:
- Age-related deterioration.
- The emergence of a new family member.
- New pet.
- Changing of the living place.
Many other circumstances can arouse instincts in the cat to make him defend the territory and look for a partner. It is this fact that becomes a signal that it is time to carry out the castration procedure.
We agree with the veterinarian
Indications for castration of a cat in 5 years may be several. It is very important to carry out such an operation if your pet walks freely on the street so that unwanted offspring are not born. Unfortunately, this comes to mind only to individual, especially conscious owners. What other indications can be?
- Serious genetic diseases. The cat should not pass them by inheritance.
- Cryptorchidism.
- Excessive aggressiveness or activity.
- Reproductive organ injuries.
- The pet marks the territory, which we have already talked about.
That is, there may be a recommendation of a veterinarian, on the basis of which the owner will decide on castration. Or, on the contrary, the request comes from the owner of the animal, and the doctor already determines whether to castrate a 5-year-old cat. In fact, you can perform this operation at a later age. But first you need to make sure that the animal is healthy. That is, you need to take blood and urine tests, do an ultrasound. This will serve as the basis for admission to the procedure or medical treatment, full or temporary. Sometimes castration is prescribed to cats older than 7 years of age for medical reasons. The cause may be tumors, prostatitis, hormonal disorders.
Natural doubts
Around this topic there are many myths that sometimes interfere with the owner to figure out what is best for his favorite. Often a person thinks that with age, the intervention becomes more serious. Nothing like this. Ask any veterinarian if an adult cat can be neutered. He will answer that there is no difference whether this procedure is performed in a kitten or in an adult animal. In the same way, testicles are removed through an incision in the scrotum.
There is another category of owners. They believe that they cause indelible moral trauma to the pet, as they deprive it of the ability to reproduce. In addition, there is an opinion that this procedure is performed only until the age of 7. In fact, it all depends on the health status of your pet. In other words, can a cat be neutered at a later date, only the attending physician will decide.
Contraindications
Despite the fact that the operation is not abdominal, it is still an intervention in the body of your pet, so there are some restrictions to consider.
- If there is no direct indication, the procedure is not recommended for older animals, from 8 years of age and older. At this age, the tissues become flabby, the risk of hernias and pulmonary edema, as well as other complications, increases.
- Urolithiasis disease. It is generally accepted that the urogenital system of an animal becomes more vulnerable. This is actually a fallacy. Castration itself cannot cause this disease. But it leads to a decrease in the activity of the animal and increases the risk of obesity. That is, it contributes to the development of provoking factors.
- Cardiac or pulmonary insufficiency, regardless of cause.
- Renal failure.
The last two points need to be monitored, since the operation is done under general anesthesia. It inhibits the activity of vital organs, and death can occur right on the operating table.
When the operation makes no sense
Quite often, by removing testes, the owners want to adjust their pet's behavior. But in this case we are talking about an adult animal with already formed behavioral habits. Therefore, when a veterinarian is asked whether it is possible to castrate a cat if he is 5 years old, he must explain to the owner that this is not a magical procedure that will make their pet calm, affectionate and complaisant in one moment. It makes no sense to remove the testes if:
- The pet constantly asks for the street. It is not even about sexual activity, it’s just more interesting there than at home.
- The cat is aggressive. If this is due to the nature and habits of the animal, then the operation will not help.
- The animal has been shitting for a long time anywhere. After the operation, it will cease to leave tags that are needed to attract females. But such a procedure cannot be accustomed to the tray. If a cat has chosen a place for a toilet, then retraining it is usually very difficult.
Cat food
All doubts on the topic “Is it normal to castrate a cat at age 5” are usually associated with a lack of awareness of the owner. In fact, the procedure is not too complicated, but it involves certain corrections in care. In particular, you need to pay attention to the nutrition of the animal. It is advisable to switch to a special feed so that the pet does not gain excess weight.