Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
What Is Neutering?
When a male cat is neutered, both testicles are surgically removed. In
doing so, the main testosterone-producing organs are taken out of the
body.Testosterone is responsible for:
•
The terrible odor of tomcat urine
•
Wide facial jowls
•
Thicker skin
•
Increased territoriality
•
Marking territory by spraying
•
Aggressive tendencies, including fighting between male cats
•
The tendency to roam farther from home
•
Stud tail, a greasy spot at the base of the tail
All of these problems are eliminated or at least decreased by neu-
tering.A male can no longer produce sperm without testosterone, so he
is infertile, as well. And the cat has no chance of developing testicular
cancer and a much lower chance of developing prostate problems.
Will Neutering Change Your Cat's Personality?
Neutering does not change any of the good aspects of a cat's personal-
ity. It can take the aggressive edge off an animal, but an affectionate male
will love you (perhaps even more) after being neutered. The evening
after surgery your cat could still be feeling the effects of anesthesia and
may act differently, but that wears off on its own by the next day.
The beneficial effects of neutering are not seen immediately, and if
you neuter a kitten who has not reached puberty, you will not see any
changes. Neutering a young animal prevents behavioral and odor prob-
lems. If you neuter a cat who has reached puberty, it will take a few
weeks for behaviors and odors to change as the testosterone level
declines.
Owners sometimes ask me whether their cat could have a vasecto-
my instead of castration. Although one of the purposes of neutering is
to prevent reproduction, the main reasons are to decrease the undesir-
able behaviors associated with testosterone. If a cat had a vasectomy,
testosterone would still be present and so would the associated undesir-
able behaviors.
