Update on The Kanal Katz! The Cats Return To The Clinic To be Neutered

The tiny kittens who were dumped in the canal last November have been growing into Kanal Katz, which means they are now ready to be neutered! Neutering isn't just about preventing unwanted litters, but also about ensuring the cat's wellbeing. To discover the health benefits of neutering and how the Kanal Katz are doing, read on.

What is Neutering?

When we neuter a male cat by removing the testes, this is called castration. When we neuter a female cat by removing the ovaries and uterus, this is called spaying.

The kittens (or now cats) were ready to be neutered, so their journey began back to the surgery for their big day.

The hardest part was starving the cats from midnight so they had an empty stomach for their general anaesthetic. Having an empty stomach reduces the risk of them vomiting when the anaesthetic is administered.

After a full examination to check the cat's hearts, chests and temperatures, a catheter was placed into their legs to allow the anaesthetic to be given. Intravenous fluids were also administered during the procedure to give intravenous access should an emergency arise. A small amount of blood was also taken (for a pre-anaesthetic blood test), which tells us if the patient is fit and well for the procedure.

Once the cats were given the all-clear, they had a small sedative (premedication) to help them relax. Premedication also allows less anaesthetic to be used, making the procedure much safer.

The cats were closely monitored throughout their procedure until they were fully recovered from the anaesthetic by our amazing team. The team also pain scored each patient over the day, to ensure they were comfortable, happy and settled during their stay.

Once recovered they had a late breakfast of recovery food which was easy to digest. They went home later the same day!

Although Dickie (one of the kittens) appeared fully recovered from his anaesthetic, it was clear that when he got home that he still had some in his system. So much so, that when he returned to his house he started playing in his water bowl- even though he hates water! This is why all pets should be kept inside following an anaesthetic or sedation as they are under the influence and therefore at risk of getting into an accident.

To stop them from licking the operation site, each kitten was given either a buster collar or buster suit. This is because the cats can cause the operation site to become infected, painful and sore. Cats can even remove their stitches if they're not careful- so it is good to prevent this!

All of them have now fully recovered from their surgery!

The benefits of neutering your cat include -

Disease reduction - such as pyometra, hormonal diseases or prostate issues. Neutering can also reduce fights which can cause feline aids, feline leukaemia and abscesses.
Reduces fights - They are less likely to fight with other cats for access due to sexual urges. Females also no longer attract cats into their territory, which they would normally do when they are in heat. A neutered cats territory is also smaller.
Reduces risks of roaming - neutered cats normally claim less territory than entire cats, therefore their roaming area is smaller.
Reduces marking behaviour - neutered cats are less likely to spray (spray urine in the house as a marker) or mark using their nails.
Reduces the odour of cats urine - castrated males urine doesn’t smell as strong as an entire males urine.
Reduces some cancers - such as ovarian, mammary or testicular cancer.
Reduces the number of unwanted kittens - demand over lockdown appeared high for kittens, but the Kanal Kittens were not the only ones dumped at our door. Good homes are hard to come by and we believe the benefits of neutering your cat greatly outweighs the benefits of breeding them. There are also lots of cats looking for homes and the more kittens that take up these homes the longer cats and kittens are stuck in rescues.
Eradicates pregnancy complications or rejection of unwanted litters - Pregnancies and births aren’t always straight forward, as they can lead to infections, surgical interventions (such as caesareans) and even death. The female cat can also reject the litter, which would mean you may need to hand-rear them (which can be incredibly hard).
Cats that have kittens can have behavioural changes.
Neutering can help reduce behaviour problems such as aggression (but it will not change your cat's intelligence or loveable character!).
It also helps cats lead longer and healthier lives!