Should you spay or neuter your beloved cat?

Of course, we did everything necessary: ​​we washed him, showed him to a veterinarian, got vaccinated. Everything was fine. After 11 months spring came. And the problems began.

Since the cat lived at home (rarely went outside - this was his desire), he also began to mark at home. Moreover, he no longer cared where to do it - on the carpet or on a chair... After two days, the smell began to appear.

They started looking for the cat and found it. They sent the cat for two days. The cat calmed down, but our cat didn’t calm down. It became clear that one would not be enough for him. But he doesn’t want to look for it himself. Songs have been added. He’ll sit on the window and start singing! And most importantly, when you want to sleep most.

We gathered a council and decided to carry out castration. And not sterilization, but castration. I learned a lot of interesting things, which I now want to share with you.

Photo: 13228026 /, pixabay.com

Should I castrate my cat? Veterinarian advice: to castrate or not to castrate a domestic cat

If a cat lives at home and is of no value as a producer and will not produce purebred offspring, then the answer from veterinarians is yes, castrate. This will make life much easier for both the animal itself and its owners, who have already learned all the delights of growing up a furry ward:

• loud “songs” during the rut (which will begin approximately six months after birth);
• “tags” of surrounding objects is a mandatory process that instinct requires from any sexually mature individual. Persuasion, punishment and even all sorts of repellent sprays like “Antigadin” will not achieve anything here. Having stopped marking in one corner, the cat compensates for this in another.
• improved health;
• increasing the lifespan of a cat. It has now been proven that cats deprived of male dignity live on average 2-3 years longer than their “full-fledged” counterparts.

Neutering will make your cat's life much easier.

Attention! Castration should not be confused with sterilization. In the first case, the testicles are cut out, in the second they remain in place, the veterinarian ties the spermatic cords. The latter will cut off the possibility of paternity, but will not cancel the rut and its manifestations.

How to tell the difference during puberty

The situation changes when the time comes for love, then it is much easier to distinguish animals. Cats begin to mark their territory with particular zeal. Therefore, very soon your house or apartment will become saturated with a very specific smell. It is better not to prevent your pet from going outside to satisfy his sexual desires, otherwise you will experience his teeth or claws on yourself.

Sometimes the male sex even begins to take revenge for house arrest: they spoil expensive shoes or furniture.

How to prepare a cat for castration?

It is advisable to operate before the male has time to mate. After mating, the cat will still have some desire to communicate with females, which means that the troubles associated with this will sometimes appear.

Before the intervention, the cat is not fed, you can only give it something to drink. But remember that at least twelve hours must pass from the last snack to being placed on the operating table. Last drink - no later than three hours before. Before going into anesthesia, it is important to be present to calm the furry and not make him nervous again. The procedure will take approximately half an hour. The animal will not experience pain or discomfort; it will be under anesthesia.

The last meal should be taken no later than 12 hours before surgery

Important! A complete examination is required before surgery. This includes general and biochemical blood tests, checking for hidden infectious foci. It is also necessary to visit a cardiologist to completely eliminate possible complications during anesthesia.

Classic surgery

Classic castration takes place in several stages, the whole process takes no more than 1.5 hours (from the moment of admission to the clinic):

1. Examination of the animal, administration of premedication, induction of anesthesia.
2. Fixing the cat on the table in a dorsal position or on its side with limbs stretched.
3. Shaving the area of ​​hair on the scrotum and preparing the surgical field.
4. Opening the scrotum with a scalpel, cutting the fascia and membranes, pulling out the testes.
5. Ligation of the spermatic cords with a special suture and cutting off the gonads.
6. Reposition the stump back, the incision is not sutured.
7. The wound is treated with antiseptic agents.

During the castration process, only the testes with appendages and part of the blood vessels are removed; the remaining organs and glands of the reproductive system remain intact.

Medical (chemical) castration

An alternative to surgical castration is hormonal contraception. It allows you to temporarily stop the cat’s suffering, reduce his desire and craving for dates with cats.

Many owners of cats often resort to this method of castration, but they are forced with enviable regularity to make trips to the pet store for veterinary contraceptive drugs such as “Sex Barrier”, “Gestrenol”, “Ex-5” (“Ex-7.5”) , “Countersex”, “Pillkan 5”, “Ovostop”, “Stop Intimate”.

There are two types of medical castration:

1. The use of hormones internally (in the form of drops, tablets, sugar cubes) or externally (drops on the withers). The essence of the method when taking drugs orally is a short-term effect on the animal’s hormonal levels and suppression of sexual desire. Usually used at the beginning of the “cat wedding” period. The drug "Ovostop" (new in this area) is applied to the withers and has a long-term effect (from 2 to 6 months). It prevents the onset of estrus in cats and suppresses sexual desire in cats.
2. Subcutaneous implants (capsules with the drug) are an innovative method of contraception for animals. An example of a drug is “Suprelorin”. The essence of the method is that a capsule with long-acting hormones is implanted under the skin of the cat, which very slowly dissolves, releasing the active substance (it affects the pituitary gland, the production of the hormones FSH and LH is inhibited, spermatogenesis stops and the level of testosterone in the blood drops). After 6 weeks, infertility sets in and lasts for six months. The procedure must be carried out exclusively by a veterinary specialist.

The undoubted advantage of chemical castration is the reversibility of the process and the complete restoration of the pet’s reproductive functions. However, you should not use these methods for a long time and more than 3 times in a row, since there is a high probability of developing side effects (disorder of the reproductive cycle in breeding cats, development of inflammatory processes, cancer).

Important! Before using any hormonal drug, you must carefully read the instructions and follow the specified recommendations on dosages and timing of use.

Veterinarians strongly recommend that owners of animals who use hormonal contraception undergo examination every 2 years for early detection of characteristic pathologies.

Radiation castration

Another method of non-surgical castration is dosed irradiation of the cat’s gonads with a radioactive substance. This leads to an immediate decrease in sexual activity, up to complete extinction.

This method carries a high risk of developing malignant tumors in the future, so it is practically not used for domestic animals.

When is the best time to castrate a cat?

Veterinarians do not approve strict age limits. The main thing is that the male is not too young, that is, before puberty, and not too old. Seven months to seven years is best.

The characteristics of the breed must also be taken into account. Some breeds of cats mature significantly later than others. It is better not to use anti-rut medications - firstly, they have serious side effects, including cancer. Secondly, the problem cannot be solved with tablets and drops. The cat will continue to mark and rush outside, calling out females with screams, so the question of castration will still arise in full force after some time.

It is best to perform the operation from seven months to seven years

Myths about castration

There are many myths about castration, here are the most common:

1. After castration, the cat will become fat and clumsy. If you take care of feeding it, do not leave a bowl of food in the public domain, and ensure your pet has an active lifestyle, this will not happen.
2. The cat will stop going out and catching mice. Behavioral reactions characteristic of predators do not depend in any way on the gonads and testosterone. Hunting behavior in cats is regulated by natural instincts. If a cat caught mice on the street before castration, then this skill will not disappear.
3. Cats live shorter lives after castration. On the contrary, long-term observations show that if a cat is sterilized, he will live 1-4 years longer.
4. All castrated cats suffer from urolithiasis. With proper feeding and annual preventive checks (urinalysis), this can be avoided.
5. Neutered cats will look small and frail and will not be able to fend for themselves and defend their territory. A cat's phenotype is determined by genetic predisposition. The operation can affect the size of the pet only if it is performed at a very early age (5-6 months), then it is likely that the cat will grow small.

Castration and sterilization of cats today is so advertised and accessible that many people perceive it as an intrusive service from veterinary clinics in the pursuit of profit. This is partly true, since such operations are performed in clinics every day and repeatedly.

It is more correct to look at this procedure from a different point of view and imagine what could have happened in basements and on the streets if there had not been such a simple and inexpensive operation as castration. The worries and financial expenses of cat owners would increase significantly.

Postoperative care for a neutered cat

Any operation is always stressful. After it, you need to make sure that nothing prevents the animal from resting after such a shock. Ideally, it is better to place the cat in a corner in advance where no one will disturb him. In the first hours after the intervention, it is necessary that one of the owners be next to the operated patient while the animal recovers from anesthesia. Having more or less come to his senses, the patient will rush to lick his wound, or try to climb somewhere higher. Neither one nor the other should be allowed.

The cat needs to be provided with a warm and calm place.

Doctors usually recommend treating the incision site with hydrogen peroxide. Complications after manipulation are extremely rare, so there is no reason to worry, but if alarming signs appear, it is best to inform a doctor and ask him for advice.

When the dope ends, the pet will want to eat. You can give him special diet food and plenty of water (and not only after anesthesia, but always in general). Under no circumstances should veterinary cat food be mixed with offal, meat or scraps from the owner’s table!

The cat should be fed with special dietary food (it is best to check with your veterinarian)

It is important to understand that after the intervention the pet will behave unpredictably for some time. Some cats behave as if nothing had happened within a few days, while others become lethargic and prefer to lie down. The culprit is psychological discomfort.

This is one of the reasons why you should not castrate free-ranging cats. Habits will not go away, whether there was an operation or not. In the postoperative period, the animal will be immobilized and completely helpless; there is a high risk of getting an infection. And in the future, a street cat will also have problems communicating with its own kind.

How to feed a neutered cat

Consequences

As a rule, castration of animals takes place without negative consequences, but no veterinarian will give you a complete guarantee of the absence of complications. Each cat may have its own problems:

Will a castrated cat suffer without the opportunity to mate?

There is a widespread opinion among animal owners, especially men, that castrating a cat is the same as humiliating him, depriving him of the meaning of life, and committing unheard-of cruelty. It is a myth. If we speak in terms of feelings, then the cat will only be glad to get rid of a constant source of stress and danger. We must not forget that during the rutting season, individuals’ sense of danger and self-preservation instinct are greatly dulled. This is where the desire to rush out of a window from a high floor comes from, even if the cat previously felt danger and stayed away from the windows. You cannot humanize the beast: reproduction and communication with cats is not the meaning of life for him, but the realization of his sexual instinct. You should not attribute love of children to the animal, saying that the veterinarian will deprive him of the opportunity to have a family. If this were so, cats would not seek to destroy the litter of a female who has barely given birth!

Why spay and neuter your pets?

And the suffering within four walls, where there is no opportunity to meet pussies, will only be stronger.

More details about the importance of the procedure can be seen in the video.

Video - Castration of cats. What does the owner need to know?

Changes in behavior

There are only two ways out of such situations. First, distinguish who is who and allow you to walk freely and satisfy your sexual desires. Second, pay a visit to the veterinarian to deprive your pets of the opportunity to continue their race. Which of these methods is more correct is up to you to decide.

You will see that being responsible for those we are lucky enough to tame can be not only very troublesome, but also pleasant. Such care for our little brothers can bring a sincere smile to your face and bring a lot of positive emotions.

Is it harmful?

It is widely believed that removal of the testes is harmful, dangerous to health and life, and provokes many incurable diseases, including cancer. If you analyze in detail and delve into the medical aspect, it will become clear that these fantasies are completely unfounded.

Methods of castration

Of course, the intervention will not leave its mark on the body. The following consequences are undoubted:

1. Restructuring of hormonal levels.
2. General decrease in motor activity.
3. Increased appetite.
4. Increased risk of gaining excess weight.

It is the last three factors that are especially serious in terms of the risk of developing urolithiasis. From the moment you recover from anesthesia until the end of your life, the cat will have to follow a diet. Overeating and eating cheap, low-quality food with flavoring additives is unacceptable. This is the only way to keep your pet safe. Also, the risk of developing urolithiasis increases if a male is castrated too early - before seven months.

After castration, you need to carefully monitor your cat's diet.

Contraindications and disadvantages

Contraindications for cat castration

has a lot, starting with
anesthesia
.
At the same time, the price of castration of a cat
will be a decent amount of money - from 1,500 rubles and above.

In addition, there are medical contraindications to the procedure:

• heart and kidney diseases;
• age
  ,
  castration of a cat
  in old age is very poorly tolerated by animals.

Of course, this operation is not carried out for exhibition animals that are planned to be bred. There are a lot of disadvantages to the operation, but its biggest disadvantage is that the animal does not lose interest in leaving marks on the opposite sex, it is simply not capable of having offspring.

Therefore, the situation when a cat marks after castration

, quite common. In addition, after the operation the cat will need special care and diet.

A castrated cat is deprived of an important aspect of his life.

As already mentioned, intimate encounters among animals are dictated only by instincts. Cats don't need marriages.

The most ardent supporters of the identity of feline and human experiences decide that if you buy a girlfriend for your pet, you can forget about the procedure. The approach is incorrect and naive. Firstly, the most serious question is what to do with the offspring? No sane, loving owner would allow himself to drown, and the problem of giving away kittens is not always easy to solve. Secondly, a cat’s sexual appetite requires satisfaction sometimes up to several times a day. And if you remember what wild screaming and howling are accompanied by intimate meetings with cats, you can imagine what kind of “peace” awaits the inhabitants of the apartment.

Castration of a cat

Differences by gender

The most accurate way to determine the sex of an animal is through sexual characteristics. Before performing the inspection, you must wash your hands using an unscented product. Hands should be warm. Next, you should pet the pet to establish contact with the kitten and make sure that the mother cat does not mind her child being examined.

You should also pay attention to the distance between the genital organ and the anus: in cats it is about 1 cm, in males it is much longer. In addition, cats there have quite thick hair, while cats do not have it.

You can also gently feel the location of the testicles with your index and middle fingers. Peas can be felt on the cat, measuring a maximum of 5 mm. The main thing is to act very carefully and not injure the kitten.

As for character, this also has its own characteristics. Small kittens behave the same, but when pets reach puberty, differences in behavior begin to appear due to hormonal changes:

1. Cats are much cleaner than cats. They lick their fur for a long time, will not eat from a dirty bowl, and will choose a clean and cozy place to sleep.
2. Female cats are more active, female cats are calm and lazy, and while the cat is hunting, the male prefers to take a nap and soak up the sun.
3. Cats are more capricious. Many consider them affectionate, however, they prefer to be petted during the period of heat; in other cases, they sometimes allow themselves to be petted out of politeness. Cats are lazier and allow themselves to be picked up. This does not mean that they are more affectionate, they just have a calmer temperament.
4. During estrus, the behavior of animals also differs: the cat meows loudly and for a long time, trying to attract cats, rubs against furniture and actively sharpens its claws, so a scratching post should be a mandatory attribute in the house where the pet lives. Cats have special glands on their pads, so by sharpening their claws, the cat marks its territory. Males mark their territory with a sharp and unpleasant odor. Cats constantly get into fights over cats, but cats never fight over cats. A castrated cat can be identified by its larger head and thicker skin. Uncastrated males are more aggressive than castrated males. To castrate or not to castrate a pet is up to the owner to decide.
5. The gender difference in the cat family can also be seen in their gaze: cats have a bold and confident look, while cats have a wary look.
6. In kittens, you can also tell the difference when eating: a male kitten laps milk with its tail up, a female kitten with its tail down.

We suggest you read: What breed is the largest cat on earth?

When recognizing the gender of a pet by its character, one should not forget about the characteristics of the breed. Many pets are aggressive or obstinate, regardless of their gender. For example, a British cat, on the contrary, is more active than a female. He has a purposeful character and is in a state of constant competition with his brothers.

Sphinxes also have their own behavioral characteristics:

• Cats are more independent than cats. Often cats choose one person to whom they obey and express their affection, remaining indifferent to the rest of the family.
• Sphynx cats strive to show their superiority and establish dominance in the house. Males are lazier and give way to females.

A castrated cat will get urolithiasis

You can hear fears about urolithiasis everywhere. Many cat owners are convinced that an operated animal will definitely get sick. Not everything is clear here. Castration itself does not lead to urolithiasis. KSD occurs if the cat drinks sparingly, eats the wrong foods and is often susceptible to infectious diseases.

After the intervention, metabolism undergoes a restructuring. Normally, the menu of an operated animal contains as little protein and mineral components as possible. This is why there are dietary foods without salt or flavoring additives.

Symptoms of urolithiasis in a cat

Any “goodies” rich in calcium, phosphorus or magnesium are prohibited, especially fish products. Let the cat drink a lot (the daily drinking requirement is 60–80 ml per 1 kilo of body weight). Also, a neutered pet has an excellent appetite and begs for supplements. But you cannot follow his lead: it is very easy to disrupt your metabolism and the consequences in the form of obesity and the formation of deposits are guaranteed.

How to distinguish a pet by its habits and character

There is no way to immediately distinguish, based on habits and character, whether a kitten is a boy or a girl who has come into your home. To do this, you will need to wait until their puberty, which occurs at seven to a maximum of nine months. Before this, all the actions and actions of the animal, regardless of its gender, will be based on instincts, and, in addition, it is important to understand that the baby needs some time to get used to it, feel cozy and comfortable.

Please note that distinguishing a cat from a cat at a young age by behavior is very difficult. All babies love to play, sleep, they like to be affectionately scratched behind the ears, stroked, and when they misbehave, they immediately try to hide somewhere far away.

Therefore, you should not rush to make hasty conclusions and call the animal on the second day, without figuring out what its gender is, “Vaska” or “Murka”.

A castrated cat's character will deteriorate

Assurances that intervention will make the cat harmful, mischievous or apathetic are true to the contrary. Getting rid of the seminal glands will deprive your pet of aggression, he will become more good-natured and calmer. He will continue, as in childhood, to run after toys and sunbeams and hide from his owner. The main thing is not to overfeed. And aggression and outbursts of rage are characteristic of adult, uncastrated males.

Getting rid of the seminal glands will deprive your pet of aggression

Additional signs

Also, an external sign by which one can distinguish between boy and girl kittens is their color:

• There are practically no tricolor males in nature;
• the happy owner of the red color is exclusively the male gender of these animals;
• Only girls are born with tortoiseshell coloration.

This feature is directly related to their genes. So, there is a specific gene that is responsible for rich black and red color. It is found only on the X chromosome. And, as everyone knows well from biology, the gender of a kitten, a girl or a boy, directly depends on the combination of these same chromosomes. For cats it is XY, for cats it is XX.

Cat behavior after castration

For the first 5-6 hours after the haze of anesthesia wears off, the animals get restless and rush about. Fussiness and loud, plaintive meowing are a sign that the anesthesia is beginning to wear off, and this is most often associated with dizziness, pain and nausea. You can talk, stroke, calm the fluffy, let him know that you are nearby and support him. These troubles will go away on their own. But if your cat suddenly has a sharp rise in temperature, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Meowing is a sign that the anesthesia is beginning to wear off.

Eye problems are likely. During surgery, they are open in cats. After it, they were covered with film for some time. Therefore, a pet recovering from anesthesia should sometimes be pulled on the eyelids, stimulating tear production, and then lubricated with tetracycline ointment for several days.

In the first few days after leaving the clinic, the cat will be sick and his temperature will drop significantly. Therefore, it is better to prepare a warm bedding or rug for the animal to lie before the operation. If the apartment is cool, the cat is covered with a warm blanket.

Attention! After the anesthesia wears off, the animal’s movements are uncoordinated; it walks with a sluggish, staggering gait, often trying to climb higher. You should not let him do this because of the risk of falling and injury.

In the first days it is necessary to closely monitor the cat

Cats behave differently after manipulation. Someone is lying down quietly, someone opposite is meowing protractedly. Pain can be reduced with painkillers, having previously discussed this with the doctor who performed the operation.

Afterwards, the behavior of the neutered pet is relatively stabilized. It is better to let him sleep during this period and not disturb him again. Sleep normalizes well-being and restores the body.

Around the fifth day, the behavior of the operated cat will change. The beast may be in some shock - after all, he previously saw the genitals under the tail, where are they now? Psychological help will also help here - talk to the pet, pet it and calm it down.

Video - How a cat is castrated

Castration methods

There are several ways to castrate cats, namely:

1. Surgery to remove the gonads (sex glands) is a classic option. Testes are removed from cats. Neutering a cat involves removing the ovaries.
2. Sterilization of a cat without castration is ligation of the spermatic cords, and the animal retains the behavior of a “ladiesman” and all its habits, but it cannot impregnate the cat.
3. Medical castration is the suppression of desire in a cat through the use of hormones.

Important! The choice of method for castrating a cat depends on the wishes of the owner, but he should study the positive and negative aspects of each method.

Doctors will “kill” the cat

You should not be afraid of losing your mustache during the intervention. This operation has been on stream for a long time, your favorite is not the first and he will not be the last to go to the table. He will not feel pain or trouble, and nothing threatens his health and life if the animal does not have serious contraindications.

Immediately after the manipulations, the pet still marks, is capricious, behaves lethargically and depressed, and may pee on the sofa or chair. Owners often blame the surgeon for this. This is groundless: the hormonal background of the beast simply has not yet had time to rebuild, you should be patient. A maximum of three months will pass and you will forget about the stench of the marked territory and the screams, the cat will become affectionate and docile.

During the operation the cat does not feel pain or discomfort

So it turns out that castration has only one drawback - the loss of breeding value by the male, if he is purebred.

Checking the floor carefully

When examining a kitten immediately after birth, precautions must be taken. To avoid harming your baby, follow these tips:

• Follow the rules of hygiene: cats should not be handled with dirty hands, or immediately after contact with other animals. Always wash your hands before visiting children;
• It is impossible to tear the kitten away from feeding. Wait until the baby eats, and then take him away;
• You need to act carefully so as not to agitate the cat. Some females experience real stress after giving birth, so it is undesirable to disturb them. Even if the cat is in high spirits, do not make noise or make sudden movements near the babies;
• Despite frequent advice on “probing” the sex of kittens, this is strictly forbidden. Palpation can damage the genitals of newborn kittens, which will lead to irreparable consequences;
• You can only examine the kitten for a minute. The cubs freeze quickly, so they need to be returned to their mother as quickly as possible.

That's all you need to know to determine the sex of a kitten. Now you know how to distinguish a cat from a cat. If you have questions, you can ask us.

When determining the sex of a pet, the following precautions should be taken:

1. Under no circumstances should you separate your pet from eating.
2. You must not grab the animal roughly by the scruff of the neck and paws, or lift it by the tail.
3. You should not irritate the kitten and the mother cat.
4. Do not touch the kitten or put pressure on the genitals.
5. Carrying kittens in your arms - babies freeze quickly and should not be separated from their mother for more than a minute.
6. This issue must be approached in detail; you cannot act hastily so that the pet does not receive physical or psychological trauma. If the animal is frightened, it is better to postpone clarifying this issue until a more appropriate moment.

We suggest you read: Can a cat get pregnant from a castrated cat, you will be surprised

How to DETERMINE THE SEX of a newborn kitten

Where is it better to castrate a cat: clinic or private visit

Recently, an increasing number of cat owners are calling a specialist to their home to carry out manipulations. This has a number of advantages:

1. Calm environment . Without stress, the cat will behave calmly and not be nervous. In the clinic, patients, waiting their turn to see a doctor, scream, cry, try to run away, and bite. The animals' hair falls out and saliva drips. This can result in a disruption of the blood supply to the heart, brain and kidneys, which will significantly affect postoperative well-being.
2. The risk of infection at home is lower - after all, the clinic is waiting to see a line of worried owners with coughing and sneezing animals. No one can say for sure what kind of infection is in the air. And this is what healthy animals breathe in. Even if your furry is vaccinated, you should not relax, because no vaccine gives a 100% guarantee.
3. Sterility can be ensured at home, and besides, there were no other patients at home with possibly threatening diagnoses, therefore, the cat has nothing to be afraid of.
4. Doctor's qualifications . Clinics that value their reputation send doctors who have worked in their specialty for at least three to five years. But of course, this will not be an eminent surgeon of “seven spans in the forehead”, and for such a simple operation he is not needed. Luminaries are required if, say, heart surgery is underway.

Benefits of animal sterilization

However, doctors still insist on carrying out the manipulation in a clinical setting - this will ensure proper monitoring of the cat and timely assistance in case something goes wrong.

So, there is no need to be afraid of castration. There is no need to hesitate in asking yourself this question. After all, surgery is one of the ways to protect your pet. The only thing you should seriously think about is which clinic to go to.

Distinguish by external characteristics

Many lovers of these animals claim that you can always identify the cat in front of you by some external characteristics. This especially applies to the body and face of your little friend. Naturally, in order to distinguish the sexes, you need to know and love these animals well; for a person who has a very vague idea about these babies, such a method, whether harmful, can provide significant help. But still:

• usually has a fairly wide muzzle and nose;
• his physique is large and powerful;
• If an adult, neutered cat comes into your house, then its head will be large, and its skin and paws will be thick.

• often has an elegant, incredibly graceful and beautiful body;
• The muzzle is most often elongated.

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Although, of course, you don’t need to rely entirely on such characteristics to recognize the cat in front of you. Because there are breeds that have their own unique characteristics, which can confuse you when it comes to differentiating the genders. For example, all Scots and Britons usually have a large muzzle, but sphinxes are distinguished by angular and small heads.

Should pets be neutered in old age?

An elderly cat is neutered for medical reasons.

During an examination at a veterinary clinic, your veterinarian may recommend intervention if your pet:

1. suffers from urinary incontinence;
2. irreversible changes in the testes were diagnosed;
3. the onset of development of prostate inflammation has been identified;
4. behavior changed dramatically, becoming overly aggressive.

Cats older than 7-10 years are more often at risk of complications during anesthesia and surgery, require more thorough postoperative care, and take a long time to recover.

Closeness with a person as a distinctive feature

You can also distinguish male and female kittens by the way they receive affection, love and attention from their owners. Thus, the male sex goes into arms with great pleasure, allows itself to be stroked, scratched on the neck, ears, and purrs with happiness. He always meets the owners at the door from work and sees them off if they are going somewhere.

Girls, on the other hand, are more likely to endure and allow some attention to be shown to them, but very soon they break free and run away.

This is how they show their strong and independent character. This is not at all surprising, since the female sex is initially, by nature itself, determined to give absolute dedication exclusively to their children. And ladies become affectionate only when they have offspring.

© shutterstock

On the other hand, girls can be distinguished by the fact that they behave like real guards in a house or apartment. They feel that guests or neighbors will come soon and report this with a growl, even before the doorbell rings. It is a very common opinion that the female sex is more attached to housing than to the owners themselves.

External distinctive features

It is also possible to distinguish a cat by its external characteristics. You should pay attention to the color of the animal . It is so inherent in nature that the gene associated with the tricolor or tortoiseshell color is associated with female chromosomes. Therefore, if a kitten has white, black and red colors in its color, then it is more likely to say that it is a cat. This color is practically never found in cats and, as a rule, such males are not able to give birth to offspring. Red coat color is more common in males. But both male and female cats are black.

As they get older, kittens begin to differ in body type: males, as a rule, have wider bones and a larger head, while females are more graceful, with a neat muzzle. Of course, there are exceptions depending on the cat breed.

How to find out the gender of a kitten

Any adult knows the difference between a cat and a cat. The main difference is the external genitalia. Males have testes (testes), females have a genital slit (vulva). But such differences are noticeable only in adult pets, when the testes have already descended into the scrotum and become visible. While the males are still small, it is extremely difficult to recognize them by this sign, because you will still notice 2 holes under the tail. Therefore, there are other signs that allow you to recognize who is in your hands: a boy or a girl.

The easiest way to determine the sex of a kitten is when it is still very small (when there is no thick coat of fur that prevents a close look). You just need to act very carefully so as not to harm the baby. Take the baby with washed hands, wiped dry, making sure that the mother cat is not against your manipulations.

Place the baby on your palm with his tummy and very carefully lift his tail. You need to evaluate the shape of the natural holes and the distance between them. This will be the main difference between a cat and a cat.

So, in the male you will see 2 rounded holes, the distance between which is approximately about a centimeter. Many people compare this arrangement of holes to a colon. Between these “points” testicles will appear in the near future. Sometimes, with very careful palpation, you can find “peas” in this place. Just don't press too hard or disturb the baby. If you press hard, you can injure the kitten.

In the female, the distance between the holes is very small, they are practically adjacent to each other. In addition, the lower hole will be “elongated” (after all, a genital slit). Therefore, this arrangement is compared to an exclamation mark, only upside down.

With age, the distance between the “points” in males increases and is “overgrown” with hair. In females, such “fouling” is not observed, and the distance between the holes becomes about a centimeter.