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There are many good reasons to have your cat neutered. However, one often hears that indoor cats and male cats in particular can gain a lot of weight after neutering. Here you can find out what to look out for after neutering your male or female cat.
With castration, the organs that produce egg or sperm cells are removed - in the cat these are the ovaries, in the cat the testicles, The changed hormone balance can be an advantage that neutered cats become a little calmer and more balanced. It also prevents the reproduction of the animals. Castration not only affects your cat's mating behavior and increases its life expectancy, it also affects their metabolism and appetite. Experts believe that a castrated animal only needs 75 to 80 percent of the amount of feed and energy (calories) it needed before neutering due to these metabolic changes, Coupled with less exercise and increased appetite that means that many cats (especially hangovers) gain weight after castration, At frst, overweight cats look fluffy and cuddly, but overweight cats can also lead to health problems, Cats who are signifcantly overweight have a higher risk of developing diabetes mellitus (diabetes) or urinary tract diseases. Since obesity is un healthy for your house tiger, it is important that you adjust your cat's food to his or her new needs after neutering. Here you should weigh your cat regularly, every two weeks and at the latest every four weeks, This enables you to check whether the feed and the amount of feed are appropriate for their energy requirements.
Another good tip to prevent overweight is to motivate your cat to exercise more. Since few of us go for a walk with their cat, this is admittedly not as easy as with dogs. But there are still several ways to get your cat more active.
Playing is at the top of the Iist, as short games of 10-15 minutes a day help your cat burn more calories, For example, you can have them hunt for a ball or the point of a laser pointer, or have them busy with a game fishing rod. Another option is to use toys with which your cat has to "work out" its own food and thus ensure more activity. At the end of the day, of course, what game your cat enjoys the most is what counts. Because if it's not fun, even the most expensive toy will be left behind.
If your cat is a purely domestic cat and there is no small outdoor enclosure available, then you can try to make your apartment more exciting for your cat. New scratching posts, additional water bowls, indoor fountains or a seat by the window can all create more curiosity and thus a little more movement for your cat.
The ideal cat food after castration is a low-calorie food that your cat has received before. You can't just give the velvet paw less of the previous feed, otherwise it will consume fewer vitamins and minerals. This in turn can lead to deficiency symptoms and possibly illnesses. Happy Cat has therefore developed tasty recipes with fewer calories and sufficient essential nutrients for castrated cats. The "Sterilized" product line consists of three delicious varieties with pre-Alpine beef, Atlantic salmon and pasture lamb. The low-calorie dry food is filling and tasty despite the low-fat recipe, If you also offer your cat wet food, then also rely on a higher protein and the lowest possible fat content.
It is also important not to spoil your cat with treats too much, Because treats are also part of the food that ends up in the bowl and too many of them unfortunately start. So if your cat is used to getting more treats by begging, their increased appetite after castration can quickly lead to a high caloric intake. You can stop begging again by either giving her your full attention or no attention at all, instead of treats, That is, if you have the time, you can pet them or - if you don't have time - you can ignore them with a heavy heart.
Alternatively (or f you just can't stand your cat's begging gaze) it makes sense to offer your cat snacks that are not very substantial, However, since all snacks should also be included in the total amount of feed, it is usually the most uncomplicated if you simply feed a portion of the feed ration from your hand as a reward.