Castration in cats will always be somewhat controversial; however, there are several benefits both to the cat as well as the owner to have it done. The most obvious advantage is in the control of the cat population that all cat lovers should be concerned about, but there are also several medical as well as behavioral advantages to this process.
However, before any owner makes the decision, it is very helpful to understand the risks and some of the complications that may occur in this process.
CATS
Castration in cats does not come without a risk as any type of medical surgery always presents a potential threat to your cat. However, if your cat is young and healthy, the overall risk is extremely low. There are no actual published statistics that can be quoted, but it is estimated that the risk of death in a cat from this process is less than 1 in every 500 procedures done.
The greatest risk to your cat will come in the form of the anesthesia process itself, as well as from possible hemorrhages, postoperative infections, or what is referred to as dehiscence, which is the breakdown of the wound over the actual incision. However, the greatest risk will come from anesthesia.
Preparing your cat properly before they go under so to speak, is perhaps the best thing you can do for your cat. Many owners ignore the preparation process, and this is where the majority of the danger comes from. Before your cat goes under anesthesia, it will be very important to go over every detail with your veterinarian and follow exactly what they tell you to do.
In most all cases, your cat can remain on a very normal schedule until the night before. They should have absolutely nothing to eat at least four hours before they are admitted into the hospital. Some veterinarians may recommend no food the night before as well, and they should only have access to only fresh water. If your cat is permitted outdoors, the night before they should be restricted, just as a final safeguard.
After the operation, your cat will be given pain medications, and you should go over what types of medication with the veterinarian just to make sure you understand. This is also helpful in advising them if there is something your cat is allergic to, if it is not a veterinarian that knows your cats history. In most all cases, your cat will be back to normal within 24 to 48 hours and are usually released the same day or the day after.
After that, the only real concern will be with their incision. You should watch for any signs of redness, swelling, or pain. You may also want to get your cat a halo to prevent them form licking the incision, as this is the worst thing that they can do.
Benefits of castration:
Castration in cats has some excellent benefits and they will fall into two different categories: behavioral or medical. Both categories place your cat at risk and are the result of the male hormone testosterone, which is produced by your cat in their testicles. For this reason, unless it is a very specific condition or need, you should never allow your cat to have just a vasectomy.
Although this procedure does prevent you cat from breeding, it does not reduce or eliminate the potential medical problems of a male that is still intake. It does not affect your cats testosterone production, and as a result, it will still travel through out your cats body. If testosterone still flows, the behavioral and potential medical conditions will still exist.
Behavioral benefits:
Castration in your cat will give your male some very desirable behavioral benefits, as well as giving you some added relief. The first benefit will be an almost instant decrease in aggression. The androgen hormones are the most important hormones in your cat for behavioral patterns, and testosterone has a huge impact on the aggression in your male cat. Once this is removed, your will have an entirely different cat almost overnight.
The next major benefit will be decreased urine spraying by your cat. It may still occur occasionally, but it will be much less severe in most cases. Male urine spraying, as most owners will attest to, is not only extremely foul smelling, but also very frustrating. Once castration in your cat is completed, it should slow down considerably or stop altogether.
The final behavioral benefit of castration is the roaming habit. If your cat is no longer sexual aroused, they will not roam nearly as much. A well tuned male that has not been castrated senses females in heat through pheromones. They are released through the air and your cat can literally senses them miles away, which is the major reason why they roam. Once neutered, they no longer are able to sense it, or if they can, they simply do not care, easing both their stress levels as well as yours.
Medical Benefits:
Although the behavioral benefits with castration in cats are huge, they are no where near as important as the health benefits. Male testosterone is believed to be one of the major causes of tumors in your male cat, including tumors in their testicles. If a tumor occurs in your cats testicles, they will have to be castrated anyway, and the risk of missing parts of the tumor still exists.
If the castration is done early enough, this threat is completely eliminated in most cases. It will also help to reduce the risk of prostate disease, including prostrate cancer.
The biggest medical advantage will come with a decreased risk in the reduced aggressive behavior of your cat. A non-neutered male cat will fiercely defend their territory, and these fights can lead to serious injuries including abscesses that develop as the results of bites, as well as scaring that can lead to life long medical problems. Some males may even lost parts of their ears, legs, and tails because of this aggressive behavior.
Summary:
Castration in cats can be a controversial topic, but if you really set down and weigh all of the advantages compared to the risks of not neutering you male, it will be very hard to defend not castrating your male unless they are going to be specially used for breeding. Not only will you have a much healthier cat, but you will have a much friendlier cat to other cats as well as to you and your friends.
Castration in Cats
I am an avid lover of pets and my wife and I have had several pets throughout our years. We are especially fond of dogs, and we have a 12 year old Dalmatian (our 3rd) and a "mutt" that we rescued when someone threw him away to die in a vacant field.
He found us, nearly starved to death, and weighed about 2 pounds.
After severe bouts of mange and severe dehydration, and over 1,000.00 in veterinarian bills, we saved the little guys life, and he is one of the best, if not the best, dogs we have ever had and today is a muscular, fit, and firm 70 pound best friend.
After finishing my MBA, which at middle age was not easy, I decided to keep the research work ethics that I acquired, and devote about two hours each night in understanding the health benefits of supplementation for both humans and pets and how they might strengthen our, as well as our pets, immune system in a pre-emptive approach to health rather than a reactionary approach.
Both of my daughters are avid cat lovers, and asked me to help them with health concerns and challenges with their cats.
I am not a veterinarian nor claim to be, just a lover of pets that loves to research and pass on some knowledge that might be helpful, or at least stimulating to the thought process.
Several of the articles that I have written can be found on my website;
Liquid Vitamins & Minerals for Humans & Pets
http://www.liquid-vitamins-minerals-humans-pets.com/
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