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He is an example of a breed called a British Blue as you can see they can be a very large breed of cat …

I took this picture of ” Mugsey ” the other day while he was at my clinic for a routine vaccination. Mugsey is an example of a breed called a British Blue as you can see they can be a very large breed of cat. Mugsey is also big because he has not been neutered, its quite rare these days to find an un-neutered adult cat, they are generally much more hunky than male cats which have been doctored and they also have a larger squarer shaped head. I asked his owner why Mugsey had not had his operation, his owner said that his cat had always been a perfect gentleman, never seemed to wandered off, never fought other cats and never pees in the house! As I said before Mugsey is an exception because most people would have their male cats neutered. The advantages and disadvantages of this minor operation are listed below.

What are the advantages?

The correct term for neutering a male cat is castration, cats are castrated for a variety of reasons.

1. Your cat will not be able to father a litter unwanted kittens which is the main reason for castration, there are always cats about needing homes, why add to them?

2. Most un-neutered cats by one year of age will have a characteristic pungent tom cat smell and may start to mark out their territory by spraying strong smelling urine around your home … nice!

3. All cats are inclined to squabble over territory but an entire tom will make it a full time job. It is therefor not uncommon for tom cats to need treatment for bite wounds and abscesses on a frequent basis.

4. Castration lowers the risk of contracting Feline Leukaemia Virus, Immunodeficiency Virus and Infectious Peritonitis Virus. All of theses fatal diseases are believed to be spread in part by mating but also through fighting. Castrated cats will not mate and generally are less aggressive with other cats in the neighbourhood and so their risk of infection is decreased.

5. Most un-neutered tom cats have a tenancy to wander and be a nuisance to neighbours especially if there are entire female cats around. Road traffic injuries and deaths are all too common in entire cats with other things on their minds.

What are the disadvantages?

1. Castration, although a routine procedure, is still a surgical procedure involving a general anaesthetic. A small number of animals will have problems with anaesthetics, perhaps problems the operation itself, and post operative bleeding can occur. These problems are however very, very rare.

2. Castrated cats do have a tendency to put on weight, there is no doubt that a castrated cat requires less food for a given weight and activity level. We suggest reducing the amount fed by 15-20% after the operation.

3. Some vets believe that there is an increased risk of Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease (FLUTD) in castrated cats. In this disease, crystals form within the urinary tract causing cystitis. In extreme cases the crystals can block the narrow urethra of the male cat causing an acute medical emergency. The vast majority of FLUTD cats are treated by modification of diet and a few medicines.

Scott