Neutering Kitty (Male Cats)Neutering kitty is the responsible thing to do if you are not planning to breed him. By having kitty neutered, you will not only improve kitty’s quality of life but yours as well. Male cats once neutered won’t be spraying foul smelling urine to mark their territory (inside as well as outside the house). Also your cat won’t be howling and trying to get outside because there is a female cat in heat nearby.Non Neutered CatsNon neutered cats will always spray foul smelling urine to mark their territory. They roam all over the neighborhood. They also tend to get into a lot of fights because they are more aggressive than neutered cats. A non neutered cat is also at a higher risk of diseases like cancer. He is also more prone to infection due to the fighting he gets involved in.Benefits of Neutering KittyBesides loosing the foul smell in their urine, neutered males tend not to roam all over the neighborhood and are less likely to get into cat fights. Because they wander less, the chance of getting hit by a moving vehicle will also be less. It is easier to keep a neutered cat indoors. Neutering kitty will not make him fat and lazy as some people may suggest.The Neutering ProcedureThe neutering procedure should be done once the testicles have descended but before kitty’s urine odor changes. This change usually happens at about 6 months of age. By neutering kitty early spraying should be prevented. If kitty has already started spraying before he is neutered, the spraying may not stop.
Normally to neuter a male cat all the vet needs to use is a local anesthetic and a few stitches to close up the wound. If one or both testicles have not dropped, they must be surgically removed. This increases both the cost of the exploratory surgery to find the testicles and the risk for kitty. At the same time the risk of leaving an undescended testicle in your cat is even greater as it can become cancerous.
After the SurgeryOnce the operation is over, you may need to monitor kitty to make sure he doesn’t pull out the stitches. If you notice any puffiness, redness or oozing around the stitches, you should report it to your veterinarian. Kitty may be required to wear an Elizabethan Collar to stop him from reaching the stitches.Some vets will use dissolving stitches when neutering kitty so you don’t have to go back to him to get them removed. Some vets even use glue instead of stitches. This way the wound heals better, but you will still need to watch kitty for infections.
It could take 3 or 4 weeks after neutering kitty to flush out kitty’s testosterone and semen from his system before he can truly be considered sterile. So keep an eye on your feline’s activities for about one month after he is neutered.
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