What Does Spaying or Neutering a Cat Entail?
Quick answer: Spaying or neutering a cat is a surgery under general anesthesia. A vet removes the ovaries and usually the uterus in females, or the testicles in males. Most cats go home the same day and recover in about one to two weeks.
Sharing a house with an unaltered cat can be very unpleasant. Males are extremely likely to spray, and females in heat can really make a pest of themselves – yowling at all hours and constantly demanding attention. The good news is that spaying and neutering are relatively straightforward procedures.
How a Cat Spay Is Performed
After a physical exam and maybe some pre-anesthetic blood work, the veterinarian or technician will anesthetize the cat. For spays, this usually involves one or more injections followed by an endotracheal tube placed in the windpipe through which the cat will breathe oxygen and anesthetic gasses. Next, the cat’s belly is shaved and scrubbed with antiseptic solutions. During the spay itself the surgeon makes an incision through the skin and abdominal wall; locates, ties off, and cuts free both ovaries and the body of the uterus; checks the abdomen for any abnormal bleeding; and sews the abdominal wall and skin back together. Veterinarians often use absorbable skin sutures that do not need to be removed once the incision has healed.
How a Cat Neuter Is Performed
Routine cat neuters are performed under injectable anesthesia only (i.e., no inhalant anesthetics or oxygen required). Once the pet is deeply asleep and unable to feel any pain, the veterinarian or technician removes the hair from the scrotum and thoroughly cleans the area. The surgeon then makes a small incision over one testicle, ties off and cuts the spermatic cord and blood vessels, and repeats the procedure on the second side. No skin sutures are needed. Pain relief, other than what is given at the time of surgery, is usually not required.
Caring for Your Cat After Surgery
Post-operatively, owners should watch their cats for any abnormalities for about a week. Females may go home with a few days of medication to relieve pain and an Elizabethan collar if licking is a problem.
Article By: Jennifer Coates DVM
Randi Jones is the owner and founder of the Nature Gift Store, an online retailer specializing in nature-themed gifts, educational science projects, live animal nature kits and real butterfly artwork. A biology graduate who fell in love with insects, she founded the company in 2001 to make active learning about nature fun, accessible and engaging for children and adults. Her store offers real butterfly frames, home and garden decor and educational live animal kits, including ant farms, worm farms, tadpoles, ladybugs and hermit crabs, and she runs a bug museum in Washington featuring live animals like Eddie the Iguana alongside other reptiles and insects.
