A very often justified and rational decision of a caring owner is to sterilize a cat. Care after the operation should be done according to certain rules, and caring for the pet will be the most important responsibility of its owner for the next few days.
How to decide on an operation
Many pet owners are afraid of sterilization. For some, this procedure seems unreasonably cruel to a living being, others fear the negative consequences. However, is sterilization of cats so dangerous? Its pros and cons we will consider below.
Nevertheless, the following fact can help you decide on sterilization: the constant use of hormonal drugs like "Antisex" is harmful. Oncological diseases that occur in cats already in old age become its negative consequences. In this situation, surgical operations are performed to remove the uterus, but very often they are already ineffective.
"Empty" estrus, during which the cat is not knitted with a cat, is also not good for her health. Often they affect the psychological state of the animal whose behavior is changing. Uncontrolled attacks of aggression are possible, and a cat from a sweet and affectionate creature can turn into a real fury. And this can happen not only for a while, but forever.
For these reasons, sterilization of cats is a humane way , the pros and cons of which can be described as follows.
Positive aspects of the operation
What good is castration and sterilization of animals? What are the positive aspects of such a decision? So, the benefits of cat sterilization are as follows:
- The risk of developing hormonal disruptions and cancer is significantly reduced.
- "Idle" estrus or regular pregnancy and childbirth exhaust the body of the animal, reduce its adaptive abilities and immunity. The sterilization operation eliminates such problems.
- The owners will not have to endure periods when the cat will meow loudly, day and night.
- After sterilization, the animal’s temper often changes. The cat becomes more playful and affectionate, and her hunting instinct is enhanced.
- The operation can be performed even after the female has already become pregnant. It is also possible to sterilize a nursing cat, however, it should be carried out only in emergency cases. Since the animal after such a procedure will lose interest in its own offspring, and kittens will have to be artificially fed.
- The life expectancy of a pet undergoing surgery usually increases by several years.
But nevertheless sterilization, with all its advantages, is not ideal. And this operation has its drawbacks.
Negative side
The disadvantages of cat sterilization are as follows:
- Such surgery is still abdominal surgery. It is performed under general anesthesia, and therefore can be very stressful for the animal.
- Before the operation, general and biochemical blood tests must be taken, as well as an ECG and examination by an anesthesiologist. In domestic clinics, such studies are not always carried out, because their cost often seems to many owners of animals inflated.
- After sterilization, cats may suffer from urolithiasis and cystitis. However, this problem is easily solved through the use of special feeds, which today are produced in great numbers.
As you can see, cat sterilization still has more pros than cons.
Some exciting questions that need to be answered before sterilization.
There are some questions that concern the owners who nevertheless decided to castrate or sterilize their pets. For example, many are interested in how a cat is sterilized? Do you need any special care after the operation, or is everything all formed by itself? Below we describe the procedure for surgical intervention, as well as talk about the features of postoperative care.
Many owners are also interested in the question of what consequences the sterilization of cats has. Photos of animals after the operation and after the recovery period we will also provide in this material, so you can see for yourself.
In addition, there is another important question that causes sterilization of cats: at what age can an operation be performed on an animal? We answer right away: veterinarians recommend the procedure to kittens aged 7 weeks to 7 months. The operation made during this period is likely to be successful and will not entail complications.
Preparation for surgery
As mentioned above, before sterilization, the cat must undergo a medical examination. In this case, not only general tests are desirable, but also an examination by doctors (therapist, anesthetist and cardiologist). The negative effects of general anesthesia are easier to avoid if all these necessary procedures are performed.
As a rule, the doctor before the operation tells how to care for the animal before sterilization. Mention is usually made of what will need to be purchased for postoperative care. The most necessary things should be two blankets that are put on the cat so that it does not start licking the seam or combing it with its claws, as well as a disinfectant.
How to choose a day
You need to navigate when choosing the date of the operation on your own work schedule. At least two days after sterilization, the animal will need careful care and constant monitoring.
Remember also that the day before the operation you will need to follow certain doctor's recommendations. Exactly one day, the animal needs help to empty the intestines, for this the cat needs to be given a spoonful of petroleum jelly. For 12 hours from "free access" you need to remove all food so that the pet’s stomach remains empty. Three hours before the procedure, it is advisable to completely eliminate drinking water.
How is the sterilization procedure carried out?
How does the operation go? First, the doctor prepares the animal for a future surgical procedure. The hair on the abdomen is shaved, and the incision site is treated with an antiseptic. Then a small incision is made with a sterile scalpel, through which the uterus and / or ovaries are removed. After this, a seam is applied.
The sterilization procedure is completed. Then a postoperative asshole is put on the cat, and the animal itself is in a state of drug sleep for several hours .
How and where to place the cat after sterilization
As soon as you arrive home from the veterinary clinic, lay the cat on a flat surface. As the anesthesia moves away, your pet will begin to move, but she will not understand what is happening to her and her movements will not be coordinated. For this reason, do not lay the animal on the bed - it can simply fall down. It is better to give preference to a small mattress or blanket laid on the floor.
Take into account another important point: you can not place the cat near the battery, because an external temperature increase can cause internal bleeding.
Cat Sterilization: Postoperative Care
What should be done after your pet wakes up from anesthesia?
First, watch her closely. A cat can get up, try to take a couple of steps and fall. Do not worry, this is normal: your pet is moving away from anesthesia. The animal may also try to climb onto a table, chair, bed or other elevation in your apartment. Do not let this be done, because the seams after sterilization in a cat exhibiting such physical activity can easily disperse.
Secondly, put in the room in which your pet is located, a clean tray and a bowl of water. In the first few hours after the operation, the cat will need to be watered from a spoon, as she herself will simply not get to the bowl. You need to give water as follows: pick up a third of a teaspoon and pour it into the animal’s mouth. At the same time, do not throw your head back so that it does not choke.
Thirdly, it is not necessary to feed the cat immediately and not with any food available in the refrigerator.
Diet after sterilization
Immediately after the operation, you don’t need to feed the cat: it simply will not want and cannot eat. Offer food eight hours after the animal withdraws from anesthesia. Please note that the counting should not be carried out from the end of the operation, but precisely after the animal has completely departed from anesthesia.
It is better to feed the cat with baby meat puree or cat canned food. Such food is easier to digest. You can also give a little dry food, but first you need to soak it in water. In no case do not force the cat to eat by force, there will be no benefit from this.
How to process stitches and how long not to take off blankets
The doctor usually tells you after the sterilization procedure how to treat postoperative sutures and how often to do it. Follow his recommendations exactly. Suture treatment should be done by carefully removing blankets from the hind legs, and then carefully putting it back on.
You need to change blankets every day. It will be possible to remove it when the seams are completely healed. This usually occurs after 1.5–2 weeks. As a rule, the doctor prescribes the day on which you will need to come to the veterinary clinic to remove the stitches. Try to do this at the indicated time, because after complete healing the threads interfere with the animal, and it begins to try to get rid of them with the help of teeth and claws.
After the cat was removed the stitches after sterilization, her life again goes on. But at the same time, much is changing, including the nature of the animal itself.
Cat after sterilization: behavior
Many pet owners are concerned about how sterilization will affect the behavior of the animal. We answer: as a rule, changes in behavior and character occur, but all of them are for the better.
The first thing the owner of a sterilized cat should know about is that the animal's sexual instincts do not always disappear immediately, since hormonal reconstruction takes some time. If after sterilization your pet continues to call the cat for more than three months, be sure to contact your veterinarian.
Some owners fear that their pet will become less playful and stop hunting for mice, birds outside the window and flies on the curtains. In fact, after sterilization, the cat becomes even more playful and does not lose its hunter skills.
What to do so that the cat does not gain excess weight?
Excess weight of the animal is another common myth associated with the possible consequences of an operation of such a plan. A cat after sterilization, whose behavior does not become less active, is unlikely to be obese. Therefore, you will need to play with the pet.
In addition, special feeds for neutered and sterilized animals help prevent obesity. They are balanced in composition and enriched with all the necessary vitamins, micro and macro elements necessary for cats (cats) after such a surgical intervention.
Do you still have concerns about the operation?
If you still have any questions regarding the procedure itself and its consequences, contact your veterinarian. He’s better than anyone else to talk about how a cat is usually sterilized. Specialists also describe care after surgery in great detail. In addition, the doctor will advise on what means of disinfection is better to pay attention to and where to buy blankets. Most likely, the veterinarian will dispel all your doubts and talk about the benefits of such a solution over the regular use of hormonal drugs and the usual doing nothing.
An animal that has undergone such a procedure does not outwardly differ from that which many third-party advisers will call “full-fledged”. The negative consequences that many are so afraid of are usually caused by the carelessness and carelessness of the owners, rather than the sterilization of cats in itself. The photos presented in the article will help you make the choice: to expose your darling to such an operation or not.
Of course, the decision to sterilize the cat must be made by the owner himself. Remember the phrase from The Little Prince by Anouan de Saint-Exupery: "We are responsible for those we tamed"? Only here is what a loving and caring owner will choose: a calm, long life of a pet without health problems or the ability of an animal to remain "full"?