NEUTERING YOUR CAT

Neutering is routine operation performed by the veterinarian to remove the cat's sex organs. This procedure makes your cat unable to reproduce and stops the production of hormones that are responsible for the cat's sexual behavior. Unless you plan to breed your cat, deciding whether to neuter or not is one of the most important decisions a new cat owner will have to face. The procedure for males cat's is called castration and for females, spaying.

A queen can produce up to four litters a year which means about twelve kittens must be found homes, are abandoned or put to sleep. There is no way of knowing how many females a male cat can sire. Given enough mates, the amount could run into the hundreds. Neutering is the surest way of preventing these unwanted pregnancies.
Another problem owners may run into is the behavior of the cat who is not neutered. The females when in season, a more common term is "in heat", they become restless and very vocal especially Siamese cats. If they get frustrated enough because they are not let outside, they may spray urine not to mention the fact that every tom (male cat) in the neighborhood will come calling. A couple of alternatives for females are artificial induction of ovulation or the use of birth control pills may reduce these signs. Male cats tend to spray urine which has a very unpleasant smell. They wander and may become involved in more fights with other cats, perhaps over a queen in heat or because they tend to wander more away from home, become involved in an accident of some sort.

Neutering makes your cat more calm and affectionate. They take more interest in their owners, may become more people oriented unless the cat was not very social with people to begin with. According to statistics, male cats who are neutered tend to live longer than male cats who are not neutered.

When to neuter your cat

It is best to check with your veterinarian but usually some vets will recommend that the procedure be done when the cat is about six months old before the cat reaches sexual maturity. This may vary. Some cats will not reach that point until a few month later. In some cases, neutering must be done because of a medical condition caused by hormonal disorders or diseases of the reproductive system.

Castration of the Male Cat and Spaying of the Female

Image 1: Reproductive organs of a male cat who has not yet been castrated. a: testicles are inside the scrotal sac (b) b: scrotal sac c: spermatic cord (vas deferens) e: penis Image 2: Reproductive Organs of a male cat who has been castrated. Part of the spermatic cord and both testicles are removed. The Operation The vet makes a tiny incision at the base of the scrotal sac (b). Once the spermatic cord (c) is cut and tied, the testicles (a) are removed. The scrotal sac (b) will eventually recede.

Image 1:Reproductive organs of a female cat who has not been spayed. a: ovaries b: fallopian tubes c: uterus   Image 2: Reproductive organs of a female cat who has been spayed. The ovaries, fallopian tunes and uterus are removed. The Operation The vet will make an incision around the midline of the abdomen and remove the organs.

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