How does sterilization differ from castration? We understand the important issues of cat castration surgery
To do or not to do?
This question sooner or later arises before every owner of an adult animal. In order not to be tormented by this question, you must first understand what castration is, why it is done, and what will change in the animal’s life after the operation.
Castration is the removal of the testicles, in the case of a cat, the removal of the ovaries and in no case is it complete castration, cutting off “everything”.
How does this happen?
It is done like this: the animal is given anesthesia (much weaker than for serious abdominal surgery), a small incision is made on the scrotum through which the testicles are removed. The incision is sutured and purely outwardly it is not even very clear whether the cat is neutered or not; the presence/absence of testicles can only be determined by touch.
There are two options for castration in cats - traditional, in the form of abdominal surgery, when a 10 cm incision is made on the stomach, after the operation a blanket is put on the cat, and a more modern method based on the principle of vacuum abortion, when a 3-5 cm incision is made on the side, then it is simply sutured and that's all. This operation is easier to tolerate.
The operation lasts 15 minutes, the animal recovers from anesthesia in 2 to 4 hours, and fully recovers within 24 hours.
Why do you need to castrate an animal?
The fact is that the sexual instinct is one of the strongest in nature. Animals, unlike people, have sex not out of love or attraction, but at the call of nature solely in order to have offspring. Therefore, the very “mechanism” of action of this instinct is completely physiological - the animal experiences physical discomfort, irritation, which it tries to eliminate as instinct dictates.
The biggest mistake people make is projecting animal behavior onto themselves, identifying actions with human ones. Everything that people do in relation to love and sex, first of all, comes from the head, man is a thinking being. But animals are driven by naked physiology, natural instinct. A person can decide for himself, say, for religious reasons, that he wants to renounce everything “worldly, carnal.” An animal cannot do this, it NEEDS and that’s it.
A pet, not finding an outlet for sexual energy, will look for a way to solve this problem in ways that are understandable to it. All those marks and screams that torment owners of unneutered animals are just a way to tell other cats “I’M HERE!!” Nothing personal, no one takes revenge on the owners, no one is harmful, etc. and so on. Even the owner’s soiled bed or clothes does not break out of this logic - the owner will smell me, go outside and everyone (cats) around will know that he has a cat, they will follow him and find ME.
The cat will go into and out of heat until she becomes pregnant, and the cat will desire the cat even more often. Actually, the cat is almost constantly in “combat readiness”. Even trying to bring a cat to a cat will not correct the situation - you will not get as many cats in the area as an adult, sexually mature cat needs! I’m not talking about free range at all, it’s just barbaric! On the street, cats face a lot of dangers in the form of dogs, scumbag flayers, homeless people who catch cats just to eat them, and cars. There is no place for a domestic cat on the street!!
In addition, the animal’s suffering is expressed not only in the inability to satisfy the sexual instinct, but also in a general deterioration in physical condition. Many owners are familiar with the situation - a fat kitty was walking around happy with life, then it began to leak and deflated like a balloon and the fur became worse. Cats can remain in such an unkempt state for months!
Thus, castration is, first of all, to help the animal get rid of physiological torment, and only secondarily will the disappearance of the accompanying “charms of life” in the form of marks, yelling, and sometimes wild aggressiveness, into which accumulated sexual energy is poured out.
There is a completely scientific explanation for this incredibly high reproductive instinct. The fact is that in the wild the life of a cat is very short, on average 5 years. During this time, she must have time to leave offspring so that the cat race does not become extinct. Therefore, in unusually favorable conditions, cats begin to reproduce at an alarming rate and their numbers can seriously disrupt the ecological balance of the area. Suffice it to recall the sad history of the Australian Macquarie Island - in order to save local birds, it was necessary to destroy the population of cats brought there earlier. :((
Are their torments really that great?
Good question. Maybe that’s not how they suffer, just think, well, they won’t get involved, people live for years without a partner and nothing. So, all the physiology of the torment of cats that do not mate can only be compared with the urge to go to the toilet. Try drinking a few bottles of beer and be patient!
And yet, it is completely wrong to identify cats with women, because... They have a fundamentally different physiology! A sexually mature woman has a cycle in which the egg first matures, and then, in the absence of fertilization, is washed out of the body during menstruation. In a cat, until intercourse occurs, eggs do not leave the ovaries. Let's assume that fertilization has occurred. In this case, everything happens along the normal path - pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, then the recovery period and everything again. Such a cycle cannot but say its “fi” to the body, and in the wild, cats that constantly give birth quickly fade away.
If fertilization does not occur, then the hormonal levels never return to normal, remaining elevated. After 2-3 weeks there is another jump and again the expectation of conception (remember that the natural cycle is short and the task of accelerated reproduction is very important). And so, gradually, step by step, climbing the stairs up and up, until a critical mass is reached and the body “explodes” with a bunch of diseases: oncology (the sex hormone progesterone is the first cause of cancer in cats), pyometra, adenomas and other “female "charms. (See, for example, Feline mammary hypertrophy/fibroadenoma complex: clinical and hormonal aspects. Hayden DW, Johnston SD, Kiang DT, Johnson KH, Barnes DM).
What will happen after?
Sexual activity is significantly reduced or completely disappears. It all depends on the environment in which the neutered cat lives. If he lives alone, then his sexual desires will die; if he lives with cats, then he can quite calmly continue to mate, but without the possibility of having offspring.
As for everything else, castrati are cheerful, active, cheerful, and also not subject to “losing weight” due to estrus. I have extensive information on the mass of castrated animals, which in no way feel discriminated against, and in the case of living with non-castrated animals, they even shake their rights for who is more important!
What is sterilization?
Isn't this the same as castration? Not at all, and it is a very common mistake to confuse these two concepts. Sterilization and castration are two different things. When sterilizing, they just tie up the spermatic cords in cats and the ducts in cats, without removing anything. This is done only to deprive the animal of the opportunity to reproduce, but does not eliminate the causes of sexuality, and therefore is absolutely not suitable for solving the problem. Unfortunately, even veterinarians sometimes poorly understand the difference, not delving into what motivates the owners who brought the cat for surgery and offer sterilization as a solution, although it is absolutely not suitable. There have been cases when an operated cat began to leak again, and the owners could not understand what was happening. And only a repeat operation corrected the situation.
What about cryptorchids?
Cryptorchis is a cat whose testicles have not descended into the scrotum and are stuck in the abdominal cavity. There are complete cryptorchids and unilateral ones. It would seem that the testicles did not descend, they turned out to be underdeveloped, which means that the cat seems to be not full-fledged, why castrate him? A very common misconception!
Due to the fact that the testicles in the abdominal cavity are subject to constant overheating, non-viable sperm is obtained and because of this there is no possibility of procreation, otherwise the cat has all the habits and behavioral characteristics of full-fledged cats. Unilateral cryptorchids have the ability to have offspring; viable sperm from a normally developed testicle is enough to conceive. Unfortunately, this deficiency is inherited, so such cats are rejected from breeding. Moreover, increased temperature in the testicles causes increased sexual excitability. Cryptorchids are no less, and even more sexy, than full-fledged cats. In addition, in an undescended testicle, various inflammatory processes are possible, which can threaten the life of your pet.
Thus, it is absolutely necessary to castrate cryptorchids, and both testicles must be removed. This will be a cavity operation such as cat sterilization.
Castration- surgical removal of the gonads and reproductive organs in animals of any sex in order to prevent natural fertilization. As a result of castration, the production of hormones is suspended and the production of sperm or eggs becomes impossible.
Sterilization(means vasectomy, tubal occlusion) - ligation or removal of a fragment of the vas deferens in males and obstruction of the fallopian tubes in females. At the same time, sexual function is preserved.
In veterinary practice it is conditionally defined that the castration operation is carried out on male animals, sterilization - on female animals.
The difference between the operation in males and females
Both types of operations are performed under general anesthesia, the dose of which is selected taking into account the characteristics of the animal (species, age, weight, medical indications, etc.).
The operation in males involves removing the testes.
In females, this operation is more complicated and refers to abdominal operations. To carry out sterilization, access to the abdominal cavity is necessary (through a midline or lateral incision), through which it is possible to remove the ovaries or ovaries along with the uterus. When sterilizing females, veterinarians recommend removing the ovaries along with the uterus, since there is no need for the uterus (without ovaries), it itself produces sex hormones (in small quantities) and the development of inflammation is possible.
Positive aspects of castration and sterilization
- the most humane way to control the number of offspring when a male and a female live in the same apartment at the same time;
- a humane way to get rid of unwanted offspring if a dog or cat walks alone on the street and has the opportunity to mate;
- reducing the number of stray animals;
- getting rid of the unpleasant consequences of sexual behavior, such as loud and prolonged meowing, especially at night, cats and males marking their territory (spraying urine on furniture, doors, etc.);
- preserving the life of a pet in case of incurable diseases of the testes and ovaries - neoplasms, injuries, cystic degeneration of the ovaries.
- it has been scientifically proven that the life expectancy of animals artificially deprived of the opportunity to reproduce increases by 1.5-2 times;
- reducing the risk of cancerous tumors and mammary glands of bitches and cats (especially with sterilization at an early age - from 6 months), as well as prostatitis, pyometra, cysts and neoplasms of the ovaries, uterus and testes;
- reducing the risk of infectious diseases transmitted sexually or through blood (feline leukemia, immunodeficiency virus, peritonitis;
- the actions of animals depend on instincts, including sexual acts, which they need only to reproduce offspring; dogs and cats, artificially deprived of the opportunity to reproduce, do not strive for the opposite sex and this fact does not in any way affect the psycho-emotional sphere;
- the character and behavior of animals changes in a positive direction: pets become calmer, less aggressive, and the desire to run away in search of a partner disappears.
Negative aspects of castration and sterilization
Castration and sterilization are surgical operations that are performed using general anesthesia (if there are medical contraindications, local anesthesia is used or the operation is not performed at all), so there are some negative aspects.
- There is a small, but still certain risk to the health of the animal when using anesthesia. That is why these operations are recommended to be performed at an early age, when the risk of anesthesia is minimal.
- Any surgical intervention on the body can be accompanied by complications; the higher the qualifications of the surgeon, the fewer complications, as a rule, arise, but complications can occur even with a perfectly technically performed operation.
- After castration and sterilization, profound biochemical changes occur in the body of animals, mainly in the nature of metabolism. Animals may eat more food and overeat. Overeating, in turn, often leads to obesity, so it is recommended to adhere to a certain diet.
- Some obese bitches and cats may develop urinary incontinence after sterilization, which, however, is easily treated with special medications.
- There is an opinion that castrated cats are more susceptible to urolithiasis, but there is no evidence of this fact in the scientific literature.
It is not recommended to castrate males younger than 6 months of age, as in this case they will lag behind in growth and development. It is better to sterilize females before their first heat - this will almost certainly protect them from the development of mammary gland tumors.
- and males – 6-9 months.
- and females – starting from 6 months.
- Rabbits - a female can be spayed when she reaches sexual maturity, usually at 4 months, but many veterinarians prefer to wait 6 months because... surgery on a younger rabbit is riskier. Males are castrated as soon as the testicles descend, usually at 3.5-4 months.
Is it better to spay or give birth control pills to females?
The answer is clear - it is better to sterilize. This is due to the fact that all produced pharmacological drugs are designed to stop one or two heats, and their long-term use causes serious hormonal problems in the body and often leads to inflammatory diseases of the uterus.
Our pets' teeth are constantly attacked by microorganisms that enter the oral cavity with food. These bacteria, together with pieces of stuck food, create plaque, which gradually acquires a dense consistency and becomes tartar.
Castration of a cat is a fairly frequently performed operation in veterinary practice, aimed at artificially disrupting the reproductive capacity of the body. Castration of a cat has a number of undeniable advantages. When cats start walking, they usually leave the house for several days, sometimes returning beaten and exhausted. Many animals get hit by cars and become infected with infectious diseases.
Carrying out surgical procedures involving the introduction of general anesthesia always carries a risk to the pet’s life, so any surgical intervention requires careful preparation. Both the outcome of the operation itself and the rehabilitation period depend on this.
They are in no way related to the sex of the animal and involve various types of surgical interventions aimed at preventing unwanted reproduction of animals. Males and females can be castrated, as well as sterilized: in both cases, they lose the ability to reproduce.
Sterilization (vasectomy)– a surgical operation, the purpose of which is to create a barrier to the movement of cells involved in conception. In female animals, the fallopian tubes are ligated (this prevents the egg from getting from the ovaries to the uterus), and in cats and male dogs the spermatic cords are ligated, which prevents the release of sperm. During surgery, the genitals are not affected and continue to function as usual. Since hormonal levels are not disrupted, sterilized cats and dogs fully retain all instincts and the ability to mate, but pregnancy does not occur for obvious reasons.
Castration (ovariohysterectomy)– removal of organs of the reproductive system: the uterus and ovaries (in cats and bitches) and testicles (in males and females). A variation of this operation is oophorectomy - removal of the ovaries while preserving the uterus. This practice is becoming increasingly rare: due to the high risk of complications and the development of cancer, the uterus is removed along with the ovaries.
To castrate or sterilize: that is the question
Hosts sterilized animals note that after the operation, the behavior of pets practically does not change, because the level of sex hormones remains at the same level. However, this does not mean that sterilization occurs absolutely without consequences for the animal’s body. At certain moments, real hormonal explosions can be observed when hormone concentrations approach critical values. Sterilized dogs and cats are more susceptible to stress and diseases of the genitourinary system. Significant changes are also observed in behavior: animals often become aggressive, are more difficult to train, and often lose weight for no apparent reason. According to statistics, more than half of animals with oncological pathology of the genital organs were previously sterilized.
Castration is the “gold standard” of veterinary medicine with minimal consequences for the risk of developing cancer of the uterus, ovaries and testicles. In 90% of cases, castration helps to cope with behavioral problems: aggression, dominance, increased excitability.
It has been proven that the life expectancy of neutered cats and dogs increases by an average of 1-3 years, and for some age-related diseases, castration is the only way to save a pet. Castration completely eliminates the risk of developing purulent inflammatory diseases of the uterus and ovaries, as well as prostatitis in cats. According to doctors, it is better to castrate animals at a young age, since surgery is a serious stress for the body, and recovery after surgery in adulthood is more difficult.
Castration: briefly about the operation
Thanks to modern veterinary drugs, the operation process is completely painless for cats and dogs. At the preparation stage, the veterinarian administers a drug intravenously for general anesthesia, during which the animal is immersed in a controlled drug sleep. Next, the surgical field is processed: the hair on the scrotum is shaved off, and the skin is treated with special disinfectants. Through two small incisions, the doctor ties the spermatic cord and removes the testes. The duration of the operation rarely exceeds 5-7 minutes; postoperative sutures do not require special treatment and, with rare exceptions, are not removed.
In cats and bitches, the castration technique is somewhat more complicated. The operation is abdominal: the uterus and ovaries are removed through a deep incision in the abdomen in the groin area. The duration of the operation is 30-40 minutes, after which the wound is sutured and a collar or a special blanket is put on the animal, which protects the wound from scratching and licking. In recent years, laparoscopic techniques have been increasingly used, making the operation less traumatic.
Castration: arguments “FOR”
The advantages of castration of animals not involved in breeding are obvious and undeniable:
- increasing the duration of active longevity;
- positive changes in character (flexibility, obedience, lack of aggression);
- change in sexual behavior: lack of interest in individuals of the opposite sex;
- eliminating the risk of developing inflammatory and oncological diseases;
- In females, the incidence of breast cancer is greatly reduced.
Castration or pills?
Veterinarians are unanimous in their opinion: compared to chemical and hormonal agents, surgery is more preferable. Long-term and, as a rule, uncontrolled use of hormonal drugs is fraught with serious health problems in adulthood.
Castration and urolithiasis
Numerous clinical studies have not revealed a direct relationship between castration and the incidence of urolithiasis. The main risk factor for the development of urolithiasis is excess weight caused by metabolic disorders. If a neutered animal is fed correctly, following the recommended diet, there is virtually no chance of stones forming in the urinary tract. Veterinary pharmacies and pet stores offer a wide range of specialized foods for neutered cats and dogs.
Castration and character change
With very rare exceptions, owners of neutered animals note only positive changes: cats and dogs are easier to train, become affectionate and obedient, and do not cause problems in the form of territory marking, howling or meowing.
When is the best time to castrate animals?
The ideal age for castration of male and female cats is 8-10 months. Early castration is fraught with delays in physical development. It is advisable to neuter cats and female dogs before their first heat: in this case, the risk of tumor diseases of the mammary glands is practically reduced to zero.
Answers to all your questions about castration of cats and dogs can be obtained during a face-to-face consultation with a veterinarian.
For some reason, many people think that castration is the removal of the genital organs from male cats, and, accordingly, sterilization is the removal of the genital organs from female cats. But this is far from true, because these are not equivalent concepts. Information about the difference between castration and sterilization of cats, at what age is it better to perform the operation and why to do it will be useful for those who keep a young cat.
What is castration and sterilization
Since cat owners often have questions about whether to spay or neuter their cat, they should know what both involve. Castration is a veterinary operation to completely remove the genital organs of animals, including female cats. There are 2 types of castration:
- oophorectomy or removal of the ovaries;
- ovariohysterectomy or removal of the ovaries along with the uterus.
Typically, healthy young cats that have not yet given birth have their ovaries removed, but in some cases, to avoid the development of feline gynecological problems, the uterus is also removed. But even if only the ovaries are removed, estrus is interrupted in castrated cats due to the cessation of egg production. As a result, all symptoms of sexual behavior, including annoying cat “songs,” also end.
When sterilizing cats, the fallopian tubes are simply tied, without partial or complete removal of the internal genital organs.
The ovaries and uterus remain, work normally and continue to produce hormones. Therefore, sterilized individuals retain normal sexual desire and all instincts, they retain the ability to mate, but with 100% probability they cannot bear offspring, since they become completely sterile. This is precisely the difference between castration and sterilization.
What else is the difference?
Castration and sterilization differ in that:
- The first operation, oddly enough, is more humane to cats than the second. Animals that have undergone sterilization, even those that have never given birth, still experience whole “hormonal storms” inside each time they go into heat, since their genitals function quite normally. But, unable to satisfy their physiological needs, sterilized cats experience severe stress, lose their appetite and weight, and behave very aggressively.
- The advantages of castration over sterilization also lie in the fact that a castrated cat is not distracted by sexual instincts and pays more attention to its owner and other family members. A castrated cat becomes calmer, more flexible and affectionate. She has no sexual activity at all, so she doesn’t run around the house, doesn’t meow at night, doesn’t urinate in the wrong places, doesn’t damage furniture, doesn’t ask to go outside and doesn’t wander there for days. She does not fight with other cats and dogs, so she is not injured or maimed.
- After castration, a domestic cat is more interested in its food than the opposite sex. But, contrary to popular belief, such an animal is not always made fat and lazy. His appetite does not necessarily increase, but more often remains at the same level, since after this surgical operation his metabolism slows down much, and the animal requires food in less volume. Accordingly, after castration, the cost of food that is usually fed to the pet is reduced, which is also an indirect but significant advantage of this veterinary procedure. At the same time, the castrated cat remains moderately well-fed, active, playful and cheerful.
- The advantage of castration is that castrated cats cannot get diseases of the reproductive organs due to their absence, which also serves as a positive difference from sterilization. They significantly reduce the risk of developing various inflammatory and oncological diseases of the genital area and thereby maintain health for many years.
- After castration, pets generally get sick much less often than their “full-fledged” and sterilized relatives, so castration of cats, unlike sterilization, allows them to live much longer, and the quality of life of furry pets is much improved.
But in order for castration or sterilization to be successful and without complications, you need to know at what age they can be performed.
When and where to perform operations
But earlier castration is also undesirable, since the cat’s body has not yet fully formed and therefore the young animal may lag behind in growth and development, since it no longer has the necessary hormones in its body.
Can be sterilized at over 8 months of age. Veterinary practice shows that cats from 1 to 7 years old tolerate sterilization well. But it is worth remembering that the older the animal, the less effective sterilization is and the more the risk of negative postoperative complications increases.
Sterilization can be carried out both in the clinic and at home. Each of these methods has both its pros and cons. The clinic has created all the conditions for carrying out the procedure, but the disadvantage of this particular option is that the cats experience severe stress when they are in an unfamiliar place. At home, they are much less nervous, but in an apartment it is difficult to maintain sterility, which is a disadvantage of home sterilization.
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In veterinary practice, the use of the word “castration” in relation to males and “sterilization” in relation to females has become established. In fact, from the point of view of the surgical technique, the difference is different.
Castration and sterilization: understanding the terms
Castration is the complete removal of the gonads - the ovaries in cats and bitches and the testes (testes) in cats and males. Sterilization is only the deprivation of the ability to fertilize, that is, the animal is deprived of the ability to produce offspring, but the genital organs (ovaries, uterus and testes) are preserved.
Thus, in the strict sense of the word, sterilization would be the removal of part of the fallopian tubes in females and the removal of part of the spermatic cords (which carry sperm from the testicles to the penis) in males. Similar operations are performed on people if they want to be sure that they will never have children (tubal ligation and vasectomy). In practice, such operations are usually not performed on animals, and here’s why.
Why is castration preferable?
At first glance, it may seem that sterilization is more humane, since it is an organ-preserving operation and is easier for animals to tolerate, but this is not so. Moreover, such an operation lacks the important health benefits of castration and retains all the disadvantages that are typical for non-castrated animals.
The only undeniable advantage that can be found in sterilization is the absence of unwanted litters in cats and dogs.
However, unlike castration, sterilization preserves the production of sex hormones, as in non-castrated animals, which means:
- all behavioral problems associated with sexual behavior, such as marking, aggression, vocalization, persist;
- the risk of mammary gland cancer in cats and testicular cancer in males remains the same;
- the risk of pyometra in females and prostatitis in males remains, as well as a higher incidence of inflammatory diseases of the urinary system (cystitis, urethritis, kidney inflammation).
In addition, to carry out sterilization, the animal will need to make exactly the same incision and be given exactly the same dose of anesthesia (and for a male the operation will be more difficult).
This is why veterinarians do not see the point in sterilizing animals and usually do not perform such operations. However, as we wrote above, traditionally the operation in relation to females is called sterilization, and in relation to males - castration. Perhaps this tradition has taken hold because cats and bitches undergo abdominal surgery, but males do not.