What is a castration?          

A castration involves the surgical removal of the testicles from the scrotal sac of your cat. The medical term for a castration is an orchidectomy. It is also referred to as a neutering or a sterilization.     

Why should I have my cat castrated?

There are a number of advantages to having your cat castrated:

  1. Your cat will be unable to impregnate a female cat; there can therefore be no unwanted  kittens.
  2. Sexually driven behaviours such as
    1. roaming
    2. fighting
    3. urine spraying are reduced or eliminated.  
  3. Your cat is less likely to need veterinary treatment due to cat fights, barbed wire cuts, car  trauma  and other hazards associated with roaming and fighting.  
  4. It reduces the risk of transmission of certain diseases such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) otherwise known as Feline AIDS  which is transmitted by biting.  
  5. Castration often reduces the strong urine odour  associated with male cats.
  6. Castrated males may still enjoy hunting, so this should not be a sole reason for wanting to castrate your cat.

Will the procedure negatively affect my cat in any way?

  1. Your cat may be more prone to obesity due to a slowing of the metabolic rate.
  2. Some theorise that castrated cats may be more prone to developing urinary tract problems but this has not been proven.

What is involved in the castration procedure?

  1. Castrations need to be performed under general anaesthesia.
  2. Your cat will be given a pre-operative physical examination prior to going under anaesthesia.
  3. A castration is different to a vasectomy. A castration involves the removal of the testicles whereas a vasectomy involves “tying off’ the little tube (vas deferens) that carries sperm from the testicles to the exterior.
  4. Vasectomies are not traditionally performed in veterinary practice.

What can I expect following the procedure?

  1. Immediately following the castration your cat may have some swelling around the scrotal sac. The swelling should subside within a couple of days.
  2. If you are concerned about your cat’s condition at any time please contact your veterinarian immediately.
  3. It may take some time for the hormone levels to subside before changes in your cat’s behaviour can be noted.    

Printed here with permission of Bayer Animal Health

Bayer Health Care
27 Wrench Road, Isando, 1601.
P.O. Box 143, Isando, 1600.  
Tel: (011) 921-5573  
www.bayeranimalhealth.co.za   .