If you live with a cat or a cat, sooner or later you will have to manage their reproductive activity. Experts recommend neutering to avoid unwanted litters and to reduce some behaviors that could be problematic. This responsible option includes surgical or pharmacological techniques that can be used to make a cat unable to procreate, either temporarily or permanently. One of them is surgical castration, which consists of removing the ovaries or testicles.
In addition to having physiological consequences, sterilization can have an influence on the behaviors of male and female cats that depend, at least in part, on sexual hormones. This includes sexual behavior and sexually dysmorphic behaviors, that is, those behaviors that are more frequent in one sex than in the other. Of course, every feline pet parent should know that this surgery does not influence her personality: she will continue to be the same as always.
In cats, sexual behavior decreases, both in frequency and intensity. This does not mean that your cat is still interested in a female, he wants to mount her and may even ejaculate. Actually, this will depend on the sexual experiences prior to the operation. If the kitty has mated several times before being sterilized, he will tend to show more sexual behavior after surgery than those who have no experience.
Urine marking, with which they warn fertile females and competition of their presence, disappears completely and quickly in 80-90% of cats. Even if this is the case and your cat stops marking on a regular basis, it could start to do so again due to the stress caused by some environmental and social factors, such as the density of cats and the probability of conflict with others.
In fact, it is also common for your cat to be calmer in the presence of other males. Nearly half of neutered cats, within a week or two after surgery, become less aggressive toward others. This change in attitude could help protect his health if he is one of those who go outside and has uncontrolled contact with other cats in the neighborhood. We must remember that the bite is the main route of transmission of feline immunodeficiency, a very serious disease that still does not have an effective vaccine and in which prevention plays an important role.
In addition, in general, a sterilized kitty sees his interest in female cats diminished and, if he has access to the outside, escaping behind the trail of a female in heat will also be reduced. However, wandering is not always due to a sexual motivation. The life control of him also depends on other factors such as his temperament, the number of cats that live around him, the location of his favorite places to hunt, sunbathe or rest.
Female cats in heat are more affectionate and restless, they roll around on the floor adopting a posture with the back arched and the rear part of the body raised, in addition to evidencing their state with sexual meows. All this disappears permanently and immediately after sterilization. Urine marking related to sexual behavior also ceases to occur. However, as in the case of neutered males, this marking can vary and 5% of neutered females continue to mark with urine after the operation.
You may have the feeling that something else in your cat’s behavior has changed after the operation. Neutered males may become more shy around strangers and show a greater tendency to hide. Something similar can happen in cats: those that have not been operated on tend to be more secure. Finally, beyond the behavioral changes, there are usually physical changes: they are also more likely to put on some weight. That is why it is important to prevent it by adapting your diet and stimulating your physical activity.
However, sterilization can cause some changes in the behavior of cats and cats, although each case will be different. Knowing all the possible scenarios will help us adapt to the changes that our beloved feline will experience in the face of a responsible ownership decision that will free us from frequent pregnancies in cats or certain potentially problematic behaviors in both sexes. In any case, the personality of your cat or your cat will be the same as always.
*Source used to make this article:
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