Sterilizing our feline friends has undeniable benefits, but also brings changes that can become problems if not managed properly. The right diet is essential to caring for our feline friends after neutering.
BENEFITS OF STERILIZATION
Let’s start by saying that almost all domestic cats, male or female, are sterilized as adults, unlike dogs. Without going into detail, let’s look at the benefits of neutering our cats
Male: In outdoor cats, sexual maturity is expressed through roaming and frantically searching for females, sometimes spending days away from home. They fight with other males over territory and females. They mark their territory by spraying urine with a strong, persistent odor. In addition, fighting or mating can predispose them to the spread of infectious diseases such as FIV and FeLV.
Female: Once sexually mature, a female cat starts going into heat regularly during a couple of periods each year. The signs of heat are obvious, with restlessness and continuous vocalizing (even at night). Females may also run away in search of a male. They are also more prone to mammary tumors if not spayed, as well as pyometra (uterine infections) and unwanted pregnancies.
So, ultimately, the veterinarian recommends sterilizing cats to reduce the risks associated with reproductive activity and improve living with them.
BUT WHAT DOES STERILIZATION MEAN?
Castration in animals means making an animal incapable of conceiving, in animals by suppressing sex hormones. This can be done surgically by removing the testicles in males or the ovaries in female cats, or pharmacologically (chemical castration), the latter being a method rarely used in cats.
Female cats are spayed at around 6-7 months, while males are generally neutered later, at around 8-11, given the influence of testosterone on muscle mass and the urogenital system.
ARE THERE ALSO POSSIBLE NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES?
Neutering causes hormonal changes that reduce basal metabolic rate. In addition, these cats are more sedentary, as they no longer roam in search of a mate or to defend their territory. The energy requirement of these cats can decrease by 15 to 30%, so it is advisable to reduce the calories in their food to prevent them from gaining weight.
A decrease in metabolism and weight gain are the primary drawbacks. However, obesity is a predisposing factor for other conditions such as diabetes, pancreatitis, and the most common lower urinary tract diseases (FLUTD). These conditions, the best-known of which is cystitis, can be obstructive or non-obstructive. Males are much more prone to obstructive cystitis, which is very dangerous. In cystitis, cellular debris and bladder crystals that form combine with urine to create a sludge that is the most common cause of mechanical urethral obstruction (PLUG), and thus the dreaded urinary blockage. In such cases, the kidneys can suffer serious damage because increased bladder pressure stops renal flow. In females, whose urethras are wider and shorter, this is very unlikely, and cystitis is non-obstructive.
SO WHAT SHOULD BE DONE?
Give them food with low energy density, high-quality protein sources and formulated to maintain a physiological urinary pH. It should be noted that good-quality wet food often has these characteristics, but if we want, we can choose food for sterilized cats off the shelf.
Have as many litter boxes as there are cats (one extra would be better).
Encourage water intake (water fountains, adding water to food). Encourage play and environmental enrichment to prevent a sedentary lifestyle and stimulate metabolism
References
-Factors associated with hematuric struvite crystalluria in cats (J. Feline Med Surg. 2019 Oct;21(10):922-930)
– Current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats (Vet Med (Auckl). 2015; 6: 171–180)
Dr. Simone Falci