translated from Spanish: Specialist recommends sterilizing cats before puberty

August is the so-called “cat month”, because the increase in light hours that occurs in spring in our hemisphere, stimulates the ovarian and sexual activity of the feline female. This is why the female feline is classified as seasonal polyestric
Veterinary physician Rodrigo Pulgar, professor at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Universidad Santo Tomás explains that it is necessary to consider that the female feline reaches puberty between 6 and 9 months of age and with a weight between 2.3 and 2.5 kilos.
“Once ovarian activity is triggered the stralal (sexual) cycles are repeated every”14 to 18 days, therefore, the jealousy is repeated every 2 to 3 weeks and unlike the bitch do not bleed. During these jealousy the female searches for the male (due to the high”estrogen concentrations in her blood). If this happens on the roof of a house, for example, there will arrive males who will even fight in dispute for the female, which generates these noises that can become annoying at any time of the day, but especially at night which is where they prefer to mate” Holds.
What care do you have to take with them during August?
Cats of both sexes should be sterilized before puberty, thus preventing them from having sexual behavior. The vaccination and deparasiveness of felines should be checked if they leave the home, as contact with sick animals is critical when they reproduce, in addition to the possible spread of diseases as serious as feline AIDS.
When leaving, cats can complete biological cycles of parasites that are even dangerous to humans, so it’s critical to prevent them from leaving, as well as keeping them dewormed.
Can you avoid neutering or sterilizing them?
All cats, both males and females, must be neutered. This prevents them from reproducing and, therefore, risking injuries, bites, outrages and infectious diseases by contact with sick animals.
Is there a difference in behavior between male and female?
Basically, it is the female that when it enters heat attracts the male to the copula. However, it is important to consider that the male after puberty begins to mark their territory with urine, which can be very unpleasant for owners, for example when they do it on their furniture. This is avoided by castration.
After this period, do you have to take them to the vet for review?
If the cat did not have sexual activity it may not be necessary, but if it had it is advisable to perform a clinical examination and rule out any signs of injury. The cats have cross-induced ovulation, so if the copula was indeed performed, it is likely that it will become pregnant. In view of this, sterilization should be scheduled as a matter of urgency or gestation controls.
What to do with “indoor” cats? Do they have the same behavior?
Because indoor cats are subjected to a relatively constant artificial light regime, in addition to heating, they can be jealous even in winter. Also the presence of a male can stimulate the sexual activity of the female.
In general all cats, including indoor cats, must be sterilized, thus avoiding sexual behavior or escaping from the home. In addition, entire males are prevented from marking territory with urine.
Is it always in a house to take special measures for them during August?
If they are sterilized should not show sexual behavior, if they are whole you must maximize the caution by preventing them from leaving the home throughout the spring.

Original source in Spanish