To Neuter or to Not Neuter... (Always Neuter)

 I delayed Miso's castration for a long while. I was afraid because online I could only find people talking about their doubts, and I would watch videos by vets that would leave me just the same... Afraid. It took courage to book that castration appointment.

Neutering can be scary for everyone in the household, of course, it is a surgery. I kept talking about it with everyone: friends, co-workers and my parents. My parents were against it because they said that they had read that cats that were never the same after castration. I feared that Miso would become different and lethargic because of the neutering. My mum was also freaking me out saying that it was a pity that he would never get to father kittens. And first of all, tomcats do not really act like a parent when they father kittens, so that is really just something that came from her guilty moral way of looking at it. Neutering is the best way in which to keep your male cat safe from testicular cancer, and other common ailments that happen when you do not neuter your cat. If not neutered, your male cat will spray your furniture with a stinky liquid that marks his territory. And yes, this will happen every time your male cat is in heat, which happens often. Unneutered cats also display territorial behaviour, acting a bit more aggressive than they should and maybe fighting with other pets in the house. If your cat is an outdoor cat, and not neutered, it runs rampage fighting other outdoor or stray cats, and if male, impregnating female cats, and if female, coming back home with a litter to deliver soon. You obviously do not want that, so neutering is necessary.

After considering each and every option available, I decided to go through with it. I paid around almost £200 for the entire procedure. It was that much because I also chose for Miso to be blood-tested for other conditions that may complicate the procedure and to be microchipped the same day. I dropped him off at the vet practice in Fort Kinnaird, Vets4Pets at 8AM and went to get him around noon. He was fine, better than fine actually. He took off the cone I had purchased to keep him from licking the wound and started acting very energised. He was acting so hyper and playing so much that it was worrying me, so I called the emergency phone number they provided me at night to report his unusual behaviour. They told me to limit his running space and take away toys that would make him hurt himself like the cat condo, which he was jumping from a lot. I did that and the entire household was stressed for like two weeks. I had to report the state of the wound to the vet practice via email and everything was healing correctly. It was super stressful keeping him from messing with the surgery wound, which was a tiny cut on one of his testicles. I would provide an image, which I have, but I feel like it will not be nice to look at for some.

Miso some time after his neutering

This was my baby weeks after the procedure. As full of life as ever and looking super beautiful as always. If you are thinking of neutering your male cat, do it! Unless you are a breeder and need your male cats to reproduce, neutering is always the best option for your pet cat.

See you soon for more thoughts from a first time Ragdoll cat parent!

Heaven 🐱