Spaying a Cat

As people are getting to know about the issue of pet overpopulation and how millions of dogs and cats are put to sleep every year at animal shelters, many of them are planning to spay and neuter cats as well as dogs. While neutering is the process where the testicles of the male is removed, spaying, which is medically called ovariohysterectomy is a surgical procedure where the ovaries as well as uterus of the female cat or dog is removed. With this procedure, the cat or dog loses the ability to produce any litter. Other than this, there are many other benefits of spaying cats and dogs. However, here we will discuss the topic, including the benefits, procedure, aftercare, recover time, etc. So, if you have a feline at home and want to know more about spaying, take a look at the information that is given below. Read more on cat neutering.

Information

As I have said earlier, spaying pets does have various benefits, apart from controlling animal overpopulation. Female cats who are not spayed go through a heat cycle, at least twice in a year's time. When they are in heat, it may become difficult for the owner to keep her confined at home and she may try to sneak out to find a mate. Other signs of cats in heat are bleeding, demanding attention by wriggling and howling, etc. This can be quite frustrating for the owner, more so when he/she realizes that the cat is pregnant at the end of the heat cycle. Hence, spaying your cat is a great way of stopping this kind of behavior as well as the production of unwanted kittens permanently.

Moreover, it has also been observed that spayed cats live an healthy as well as long life because they are not prone to diseases like mammary cancer, uterine infections, reproductive cancers etc. like the ones that are not spayed. Also, as spayed cats are less likely to wander out of the house, they will not get infected with diseases from other cats and have very less chances of getting hit by a vehicle. As there are so many advantages of spaying, let us try to know more about this procedure.

Spaying Age
According to expert opinion, the right time of spaying is six months. However, there are veterinarians who advise owners to get their cats spayed as soon as eight weeks of age. As far as research goes, there are no known side effects of getting the cat spayed at an early age. Nevertheless, if one is unsure, it would be better to wait till six months to spay their cats. Another question that most people have in their minds is that whether it is fine to spay their cats while she is in heat. Though it is better to conduct this surgery when she is not in heat, spaying in heat does not hold any side effects. However, the surgery may become a little more complex due to the engorgement of the large blood vessels and tissues. Due to this, the spaying cost will also increase considerably.

Spaying Procedure
You will have to make prior appointment with the veterinarian and fix a date for the surgery to be done. The doctor may ask you not to feed your cat for at least 24 hours before the operation. This simple surgery is done through the stomach (just under the belly button) by giving general anesthesia. Once the incision is made, the vet removes the ovaries which is mainly responsible for the heat cycle and then, the entire uterus. After this, the vet ties off the cervix and either make the skin stitches or close it with buried stitches. Though this is not a very complex surgery, there have been cases where complications have come up after the operation. Hence, most hospitals keep the feline at the hospital for a night to monitor her recovery.

Spaying Aftercare
Once your cat is home after the surgery, it is important to follow the proper aftercare instructions so that she heals quickly. During the first few days, your cat may be groggy and inactive. This is a part of the recovery process and is important for the stitch to heal properly. During the recovery time, keep your feline confined to a small area where she will not be disturbed by other pets. Though she will be at her feet in a day or two, the stitches will only be removed after 10 - 14 days only. Some other things that you are likely to observe during the recovery time are mild swelling and soreness. Your pet may not be too inclined towards food. However, you need not be worried about it as she would be back to normal in a few days. If she is not, do not waste time in consulting the vet as soon as possible. Another thing is that cats are likely to lick the place where the surgery is done and it is necessary to put a stop to this can cause the stitches to open. One can control this by applying bitter ointments around the area or by putting an Elizabethan collar on the cat.

These are some of the important details that you ought to know about spaying. Some people think that spaying their cat can make her fat and lazy. However, this is not true, rather after the surgery the cat's metabolism goes down and if she is overfed and is inactive, it is likely for her to become overweight. Therefore, utmost care should be taken while feeding the cat after she is being spayed. Now, as you know quite a bit about spaying, I hope you will not waste any time in getting your cat spayed. Remember that by spaying your cat, you are not only preventing the birth of unwanted litter, but also protecting your pet feline from innumerable cat health problems or illnesses.