Some American and English researchers highly appreciate early castration. Cats and dogs in USA have become a problem - there's too much of them. One of aspects is shelter for animals that resolves the problem of their reproduction. According to order in force, dwellers of shelters must be castrated, though figures indicate that mostly this statute is not in progress. So-called "castration before assignation" means operation at age of 8 weeks. But this conflicts with the customary methods and goes against many specialists' opinion. First research of gonadoctomy (surgical ablation of sex glands) in dogs was held under control in Florida University. It was registered that postoperative changes in sterile females at 7 weeks differed little from that in not operated ones from the same parents. The preliminary results of simultaneous research held presently on cats show almost the same. Purebred animals that fall short of breed standards and ones with inherited defects, if sterile, don't have problems in finding a new owner. If sterile, it is also easier to get a new home for an underbred male cat. About hundred shelters for animals in different states of USA by now practice early sterilization (somewhere this method is applied to six week old kittens). Shelters in Chicago supply information on 24.000, Fort Lauderdale - on 6.000 and Gainesville - 3.000 conducted sterilizations in early age during last two years.
Today surgical method is the only effective sterilizer. Though many different chemicals and other alternative methods of sterilization were proposed before, all of them occurred to be unacceptable and ineffective. Animal owners should know that at surgical sterilization it is very important to choose a correct anesthetic. Though at 8 weeks puppies and kittens have no absolute immunity, surgical operation is held easily, and most animals may be returned to their holders at the day of operation. One doesn't have to leave the animal in shelter or clinic and, hence, it is less exposed to infection. Beside this, the danger of bleeding in cubs is less than in adult animals, the operation is less traumatic and the patient comes to oneself easier. The risk of postoperative edema is much lower, the operation is easier and, so, cheaper. The probable lifetime of patients exposed to early sterilization is longer due to a decrease of risk of tumors, as well as inflammation of uterus, diseases of prostate and adenomas. Since sterile animals tramp much rarely, they much rarely get under cars. Moreover, sterile cats and dogs are usually less aggressive.
The opinion that sterilization of kittens causes diseases of urethra is dead wrong. Kitten's urethra is virtually the same as in an adult male, so in case of early sterilization the danger of abnormal urination doesn't increase. The exceeding of magnesium in food is believed to be the main reason of these disorders. But this problem is scarcely being serious with the advent of dietetic food, low in magnesium, as well as up-to-date methods of urine oxidation. Until now there is no any scientifically confirmed data in press that show that early sterilization results in increase of hazard of abnormal urination. In Great Britain, for instance, puppies are sterilized while they are blind. It was noticed that the rate of animals suffering incontinence among sterile females is 4% higher than among entire animals. Therefore from the point of urology the more detailed analysis is required. Many animals after early gonadoctomy were observed to have elongated limbs, and cats to have more fluffy hair, however their holders haven't worried in this respect for they haven't pay attention to this. Some females showed predisposition to dominance of some hereditary characteristics owners have never complained about. The possible overweight is easy to control by means of diet. Of cause overfeeding leads to obesity both in sterile and entire animals.
On the other hand, sterile animals are less expensive to keep. They have healthier organism, they require less medical care and are free of sexual frustrations. They don't produce animals that have the chance to become homeless or doomed to sufferings. One may easily say that such cats can be reckon as more opportune pets; they in fact doesn't hang about and so can hardly do damage, not mentioning that they more rarely run to risk of injuries caused by other animals and people. Of cause all these questions need more statistical data.
By the way, the urine of sterile males has no unpleasant smell. Your nurslings won't bother your neighbors with "cat concerts". Sterile females won't "go crazy" (otherwise in spring and autumn such things may happen every 3 weeks), won't call for males and ask to go outside.
Translated by Tatiana Karpova (Moscow)
(MSU, Biology faculture, Dep. zoology and ecology).