Castration of my cat

Since September 2014, in Belgium, cats and kittens that change owner must compulsorily be castrated. But castration has advantages for every cat.

What happens when my cat is castrated?

During castration, your cat is made infertile by surgically removing or tying off the testicles or ovaries. This is done under full anaesthesia. For a female cat, the vet immediately checks whether he sees any abnormalities in her uterus. If he finds any, he also removes the uterus.

After castration, the vet keeps your cat under observation for a few hours. On the same day you can take your cat home again.

Is my cat immediately infertile after castration?

This differs between male and female cats. Female cats are immediately infertile after the procedure, males are not. In males, fertile sperm is still present in the vas deferens for a few days after the operation. It is therefore best to keep your male cat indoors for up to a week after the procedure.

What are the advantages of castrating my cat?

The greatest advantage of castration is that your cat can no longer have kittens.

Other advantages for a female cat:

• She no longer comes into heat.
• She no longer suffers from phantom pregnancies.
• She no longer attracts male cats.

Other advantages for a male cat:

• No more spraying behaviour.
• He fights much less with other males.
• He has less tendency to roam.
• Lower risk of contagious cat diseases because he fights less.

What are the disadvantages of castrating my cat?

The castration of your cat also has a few disadvantages:

• Risk of obesity.
• General anaesthesia.
• The coat may change colour locally.
• Males have a slightly higher risk of bladder and urinary tract problems.

What is the best age for castration?

Your kitten is sexually mature between 5 and 8 months of age. Have your kitten castrated before that time to prevent unwanted litters. It is sometimes claimed that a female cat must first have one litter before being castrated. However, this is absolutely not necessary.

Most vets operate on kittens from 4 months of age. Castrating kittens at an even younger age does occur, but the risks of anaesthesia are then slightly higher.

What is the difference between castration and sterilisation?

The castration of a female cat is often called sterilisation. However, that is not correct. When the fallopian tubes of a female cat are removed, this is a castration. With sterilisation, your cat is made infertile by interrupting the vas deferens or fallopian tubes.

Sterilisation is therefore something different from castration. Both procedures are performed on both female and male cats. An advantage of sterilisation is that it is less invasive for your cat. A disadvantage is that it does not bring about any desired behavioural change.

What alternative is there to castration?

Besides castration and sterilisation, there are other alternatives. For a female cat, the contraceptive pill is an option, given every 7 or 14 days. This alternative is only recommended if you want to temporarily postpone the heat period. The medication has many side effects and increases the risk of tumours in the mammary glands, uterine inflammation and diabetes.

For your male cat, chemical castration via an implant or injection is possible. The implant makes your male cat infertile for six to twelve months by releasing a substance that suppresses the male sex hormone. The hormone injection is also only useful if you want to temporarily suppress the fertility of your male cat. The injection only works for 1 to 2 months.