Feline Castrate

What is it?

  • Castration is performed in male cats and is the surgical procedure where the testicles are removed to make them infertile.  Check with a vet when the most appropriate time to castrate your cat is.

What happens?

  • Your cat will need to be checked over by a vet before to ensure they are well enough for their operation.

  • They will need to have been starved overnight, be up to date with worming cover and the surgery site kept clean prior to the operation.

  • They will be in for the day with us (dropped off between 8:30-9am) and go home the same day providing there are no complications.

  • An anaesthetic drug will be given. The area is clipped and cleaned and an incision is made in the scrotum. The testicles are removed and the incision is left open as the incision is very small and stitches can cause irritation.

Why do we do it?

There are many advantages to castrating your cat:

  • Reduces the risk of undesirable behaviours such as spraying, fighting and straying

  • Reduces the risk of diseases transmitted from fighting such as FIV and FeLV

  • Helps control population size

What are the risks?

  • Anaesthetic risks – as with any anaesthetic there is a degree of risk associated. If your cat is otherwise healthy this risk is very small. However, it is possible for your cat to develop hypotension (low blood pressure) in the procedure, have an adverse reaction to the medication used, regurgitate under the anaesthetic which can lead to oesophagitis (inflammation of the oesophagus) aspiration pneumonia (food or liquid breathed into the airways) and even death.

  • Procedure risks – whilst a very common operation, there are some risks associated with a castrate. This includes reaction to our cleaning agents to prepare for surgery and haemorrhage.

  • Post op risks – Risks include infection at the wound site, wound breakdown, swelling of the scrotum and bruising.

  • Long term risks – the calorie requirement in a neutered cat is slightly less and therefore castrated cats are more likely to become overweight. Each cat is different, but reducing their food by 10% after the castrate is a good starting place.

What happens afterwards?

  • The recovery period after the procedure is 7 days. A nurse or vet will see your cat in 3-5 days after the procedure to check that the wound is healing well.

  • It is important in this time to ensure their normal activity is restricted in this time.