Does the cat mark in the apartment? Castration of cats and care after surgery. Cat after castration

Why do cats continue to mark even after surgery?
What should I do if my cat continues to mark his territory after castration?
Should cats be neutered?

Do cats mark in the house where they live after castration?
This question interests many pet owners who want to forget once and for all about the problem associated with an unpleasant odor from a cat in a living room. During castration, the cat's testes, which produce sex hormones, are removed, as a result of which he ceases to mark the territory in which he lives. But there are isolated incidents when an animal, even after surgery, continues to misbehave in the house, which greatly upsets its owners. So will a cat stop marking after castration ?

Causes

The surprise that a castrated animal continues to mark its territory is quite justified. But everything has its own reasons, after studying which, the fact that the cat’s disgrace continues after the operation will no longer seem so illogical:

Cryptorchidism . This is a deviation when for some reason one testicle does not descend into the scrotum and remains in the cat’s abdominal cavity. Thus, during castration it was not affected and, as a result, the sexual development of the cryptorchid pet did not stop (the marks, accordingly, continue and will appear until a repeat - already abdominal - operation). This option is possible due to the doctor’s inexperience or error.
Fight for territory . If a pet marks for the sake of “appropriating” territory and objects even after castration, this may be due to the presence of other animals in the same apartment, mainly also of the cat breed. Here there is already a struggle for leadership and for possessions, which the cat cannot refuse by nature, despite castration. It is unlikely that it will be possible to wean the animal from marking; you just need to wait for some time until the hormonal storms calm down after the operation.
Castration at puberty . Ideally, a cat should be neutered between the ages of 8 months and one year. But if the pet has become “sterile” after having experienced all the delights of the notorious month of March, you should not expect the marks to immediately disappear immediately after castration. It can take from 1 to 6 months (everyone is different) until the hormonal levels return to normal. Again, nothing can be done here, all that remains is to wait patiently and diligently wash the apartment and things from the cat’s amber. But if six months have passed and the situation has not changed, the neutered pet needs to be shown to a veterinarian and examined for hormonal disorders.
Stress, depression . Cats do not like global changes; stability is very important for them. Therefore, any major changes in their lives can lead to a stressful state (the appearance of a new family member, moving to another place of residence, etc.). The cause of depression can also be the lack of human love for the cat in your care and loneliness. In such cases, marks can be considered as a way for a neutered cat to attract attention to himself.
A little time passed after castration . After surgery, cats can still continue to mark for 3 or even 4 weeks, and this is not a pathology. The hormonal levels do not normalize overnight; this may take about 1 month, and during this time the neutered pet will continue to persistently mark, no matter how dissatisfied the owners may be.
Diseases . With many diseases of the urethra (urticaria, cystitis, etc.), the animal experiences pain when visiting the litter box. The result of this may be behavioral failures, and then the neutered fluffy continues to mark. In such cases, the pet associates the tray with pain, and the cat deliberately begins to “spray” anywhere (corner, wall, master’s bed, etc.) in the hope that it won’t hurt there. But if the reason lies in the disease, you need to take a closer look to see if there are other signs - lethargy, poor appetite, nervousness when going to the toilet, etc. If there are any, the neutered pet should be shown to a doctor.
Dirty tray . The carelessness of the owners does not oblige the cats to respond to them with cleanliness, and this can also be the reason that a neutered pet continues to mark. An uncleaned cat litter box is unpleasant for its main visitor, and the marks that appear in the house as a result are a kind of demonstration of the cat’s “fi” towards the owner’s sloppiness.

Now that the main reasons are more or less clear and the pet’s innocence has been proven, it’s time to figure out what to do if neutered cats continue to mark their territory.

If you don't have surgery

Sterilization is not a mandatory procedure, and it is done only at the request of the owner. Sometimes a person does not plan to breed their cat with someone, but even the absence of pregnancy will lead to serious problems.

With constant estrus, the animal's strength is depleted, and the risk of purulent inflammation of the uterus increases. This condition often occurs with hidden symptoms. The cat may be a little lethargic, but the owner will not even attach any importance to this. There may be scanty discharge from the vagina.

Note! Surgery for pyometra is the only way to save the animal. But it is more difficult to tolerate, and the cat is more likely to die. In case of breast cancer, the tumor can be removed, but this is a temporary measure that will not provide a complete cure.

Therefore, every owner should think about their pet and make the right choice. Sterilization makes it possible to prolong a cat's life and improve its quality.

What to do when your cat continues to mark

Now that it has become clear whether a cat can mark after castration and why this happens, it’s time to identify the specific source of this “phenomenon.”

If little time has passed since the operation, you just need to wait for the hormonal system to normalize, since the animal will still mark “by inertia.” At the same time, it is unacceptable to punish a cat for offenses, because this will be tantamount to punishment for natural instincts.

If your pet is marking after castration due to stress, you can try to speed it up by calming the animal down and showing him your love.

Joint games and ensuring psychological comfort in general are also important here. And then, after some time, the four-legged pet will be imbued with trust, calm down and stop marking.

Other animals living in the same apartment with a neutered cat may also unwittingly force him to mark. But in this case, the problem will become obsolete when the pet realizes that no one is claiming “his” property.

If a neutered cat is already quite familiar with cats, the awareness that he is a “man” is already sitting deep in his mind. Therefore, such an animal can continue to mark longer than in the case when the operation was performed before sexual experience was obtained .

Noticed obvious signs of disease should not be ignored. In addition to lethargy, lack of appetite and other symptoms, sudden trips to the toilet not in the tray, but in any other place, should also alert you. The sooner you can show your pet to a doctor, the more problems you will be able to avoid. The doctor will prescribe treatment for the cat, and gradually the baby will stop marking.

In the case of cryptorchidism, nothing can be done on your own. Only one more operation will save him.

Advice: if you cannot identify the reasons why a neutered cat is marking its territory, you can contact a specialist - an animal psychologist who will help you understand the problem.

General information about castration

Castration is a surgical operation to remove the testicles (testes) of a cat. This is the only procedure that guarantees control over a cat’s sexual desire and related problems.

The operation is performed under general anesthesia, which requires certain preparation.

Even if the cat looks absolutely healthy, 2 weeks before castration you need to carry out parasite prevention and show your pet to a veterinarian.

Before castration, the cat must receive a full course of vaccination or revaccination.

The veterinarian examines the cat for breathing and heart problems. If the doctor has any doubts, he will recommend contacting a veterinary cardiologist.

The cat's blood must be taken for analysis. Contraindications for the use of anesthesia are:

Reduced hemoglobin - indicates anemia, which can cause severe complications when recovering from anesthesia and rehabilitation after surgery.

Rapid erythrocyte sedimentation indicates oxygen starvation of cells and low immune defense of the body. Red blood cells carry blood throughout the body, and their rapid sedimentation indicates rapid death.

An increased number of leukocytes may indicate an infection or virus that is already attacking the cat’s body. Anesthesia will significantly reduce the body's immune defense, which will allow any illness to develop into an acute form.

To tolerate anesthesia normally, the cat must be healthy and have an adequate weight for its build. The veterinarian will prescribe a diet for your cat if he is obese or malnourished. In the second case, if the weight loss is not caused by a serious illness, the situation is a little simpler. The cat needs to be kept on a diet rich in carbohydrates, and after the operation, transferred to a special food for emaciated animals. In the case of obesity, weight loss should occur gradually. Too sharp burning of fat tissue literally poisons the body with decay products.

Behavioral techniques for weaning off marking

There are several techniques that can be used both for a neutered cat and for a “full-fledged” one if the pet stubbornly marks. Sometimes such methods really help, so why not try if all means are good in achieving the goal?

catch a cat at the moment of a “crime”, quickly grab it by the scruff of the neck, lift it into the air, while emitting an angry hiss (similar to what cats do when they want to scare the enemy);
continue to hiss, constantly looking into the cat’s eyes (you cannot look away - this will be perceived by the animal as recognition of his leadership and victory);
lightly flick your fingertips on the nose of the offended pet, continuing to hiss.

Usually the cat’s reaction to such measures is a manifestation of guilt (“apologetic” plaintive meow, looking away to the side, tail between its legs). But you need to understand that a neutered pet will not stop marking the first time . You may have to show your pet in this way more than once who is the true master of the house.

What do you need to do?

You need to catch the cat at the scene of the crime, take it by the scruff of the neck, raise it to your eye level, growl menacingly at it and even hiss. The cat can’t even imagine anything more humiliating. After that, you can let him go, but not just like that, to consolidate the effect of education, growl after him, and even throw him with a slipper.

The next step is to remove the applied marks; there should be no trace left of them, not only visible, but felt. Tags must be removed using special means; just a soap solution will not remove the smell.

What is the essence of cat marks?

After sterilization, your cat can continue to do the following:

approach a wall or furniture;
raise your tail high and shake it;
release a small amount of urine.

Marks in an apartment from a sterilized cat can mean protection of one’s territory, preserved sexual instinct, or discomfort when staying indoors.

If a cat lives in the neighborhood, the female senses this and marks the corners to attract an individual of the opposite sex. The rest of the time, she can simply defend the territory from foreign animals, which she senses by smell. If you are bringing a new pet into your home, be prepared to purchase a separate litter box and designate a different area for feeding. At first, you may even have to place the cats in different rooms to make the animals feel safe.

Representatives of cats may begin to mark their territory due to the appearance of strangers in the house. If you leave a sterilized cat on vacation with a person whom the pet has not seen before, she may experience stress and for this reason leave marks. If the animal is under severe stress, the veterinarian may also prescribe sedatives. Funds are also prescribed when moving to another home, renovating or purchasing new furniture. It happens that over time the pet’s behavior returns to normal without outside help.

Sometimes animals tend to leave marks when they have urolithiasis. To rule out health problems in your cat, you need to bring the animal to the veterinary clinic for examination once a year.