What is castration?

Castration – termination of sexual activity by removing reproductive organs. The most common and reliable method of castration of cats is the surgical removal of the testes – a simple procedure that lasts about 20 minutes. The operation is performed under anesthesia, the animal does not feel any pain. The doctor makes a small incision, leads the testes out and cuts them off. In most cases, the surgeon does not even suture.
There are alternative ways of castration of cats (which are inherently sterilized, but among owners it is common to call castration all types of cessation of sexual activity of dogs and cats), less common and, according to some, not so safe.
Chemical castration of cats – inhibition of the functions of the testes by radiation exposure. Veterinarians claim that the procedure is absolutely harmless, however, there is an opinion that radiation exposure, even strictly metered and controlled, can negatively affect the kidneys and adrenal glands, causing changes in tissues, impaired functions, the occurrence of chronic diseases.
Drug castration – the introduction into the body of the drug, which inhibits the function of the genital organs. As a rule, such a procedure is not 100% reliable. Cats are restored within a few months after a course of drugs, once again acquiring the ability and desire to multiply. The constant use of such drugs adversely affects the health of animals, causing the occurrence of chronic diseases of internal organs.
Sterilization of cats – removal of areas or ligation of the spermatic cord (similar to vasectomy in men). The cat loses its ability to fertilize, retaining the full desire and ability to mate.
At what age are castrated cats?
In the United States and a number of European countries, early castration of cats, whose age has barely reached 2 months, is the norm. Often, even before the sale of a kitten, the breeder turns to the veterinarian to be sure that his animal will not participate in the replenishment of the growing army of the unfortunate homeless murok. However, it is undesirable to castrate a cat whose age is less than 6-8 months, since hormones have a direct effect on the formation of the urinary system as a whole. By 6-9 months, the urinary ducts, urethra and other important components of the urogenital system are already fully formed, so you can not fear the distant consequences of the operation.
Important: cats of different breeds develop at different speeds. For example, Burmese, Abyssinian and Siamese kittens can be neutered in 5-6 months, and British or Persian cats growing slower than their eastern counterparts will suffer this procedure without risk to health at the age of 7-9 months.
When is it impossible to castrate a cat? On this account there is no consensus. Some veterinarians consider the deadline 6-7 years of age. Others argue that the operation is well tolerated even by older animals 10-12 years old. In general, both are right. However, more important than age, and the general condition of the cat. The operation itself is no more dangerous than removing a mole, but general anesthesia is a serious burden on the body, even taking into account the high quality of modern drugs. The procedure is safer for an elderly, but completely healthy cat, than for a young, but chronically ill pet. A general examination by a general practitioner and a consultation with a cardiologist are compulsory measures before castration.
Castration of cats: the consequences
Some people find it difficult to accept, but castration makes our baleen pets happier and prolongs their life. Read more in the article: “Why castrate a cat?”.
However, below we will discuss what are the complications after the castration of the cat. We do not set ourselves the goal of scaring the reader, but follow the principle: “Who is warned is armed”.
Anesthesia intolerance – an individual reaction of the body, which is almost impossible to predict. Fortunately, the fatal consequences are extremely rare, and a wide range of modern medications and methods of administration in artificial sleep can pick up the drug in almost all cases.
Complications after castration of a cat associated with impaired functions of the cardiovascular system are found in elderly animals and pets suffering from chronic heart diseases (this is, of course, anesthesia, and not the actual castration).
Unprofessional castration of cats, the consequences of which can be very deplorable: from a banal infection brought by a non-sterile instrument to an abscess resulting from the decomposition of an incompletely removed testicle. Despite the simplicity of the procedure, the owner must take a responsible approach to the choice of a clinic and a specialist! Neutering is not recommended at home, as this type of service exists only for additional earnings of doctors (forgive me, dear veterinarians). Imagine a dentist who comes to your house to remove a bad tooth. This is only found in the third world countries, where the dentist walks through the villages with a cart, offering his services to the aborigines.