If your cat or cat is neutered or spayed, there are some rules that need to be followed when keeping and feeding them.
Neutering puts your cat at risk of urinary tract diseases.
Urolithiasis is a disease in which concretions (stones) form in the kidneys and urinary tract. The stones that form in the bladder of a neutered cat are very difficult to pass due to the unique structure of the urinary system, i.e. the S-shaped urethra. Removal of these stones from the body of a neutered cat is almost impossible because the urethra is so narrow.
The cause of urinary tract stones can be infection, metabolic disorders (mainly salts), changes in the acidity balance, protective colloids that keep salts in a soluble state, physico-chemical condition, parathyroid gland activity, insufficient retinol and calciferol in the diet, water hardness, supplementary feeding and many other things.
Prematurely done everytraction can cause the cat’s urethra to remain underdeveloped, i.e. very narrow. Therefore, any problems in the ureteral system, whether stones or simply inflammation, are more likely to cause urethral obstruction in neutered cats than in unneutered cats.
So, the first rule of thumb for feeding a neutered cat or a spayed cat is: to protect your beloved pet from urinary calculi, feed a diet low in calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Excessive levels of these substances lead to the formation of triphosphates, the most common type of stone. Therefore, in order to prevent the formation of stones, you will have to exclude fish from the castrated cat’s diet, which is the main source of these trace elements.
Alternatively, you can buy special food for neutered cats. Such food usually contains components that acidify the urine, which is a good prophylactic against the formation of urinary tract stones.
One of the reasons for the formation of urinaryOne of the reasons for the presence of stones is that neutered animals urinate less frequently. So here’s the second rule: your neutered cat must drink plenty of water. This is even more important if he eats only dry food. The ratio of water to dry food should then be 3:1. If your neutered cat still does not drink enough water, then you can either soak the dry food in water or switch to a natural food.
Choose a feeding method: industrial food (dry or canned food) or natural food (can be combined with canned food).
When feeding natural food, the cat’s diet should include meat (beef, poultry), offal (heart, lungs, chicken stomach, liver), porridge and vegetables (carrots, cabbage, etc.). Be sure to include kefir and cottage cheese in your pet’s diet.
When feeding dry food to a neutered cat, choose one brand of food and feed only that brand. Although there are many special foods available for neutered catsFor neutered cats, please note that there is no particular difference between food for neutered and non-neutered cats. Therefore, when choosing a food, pay attention to its composition and not to its general description.
If you wish to supplement your cat’s diet with canned food, it is preferable that the canned food and the dry food are from the same manufacturer. The brand of the canned food is of no particular relevance when feeding a natural diet.
Do not overfeed your pet. After neutering, cats become more phlegmatic due to changes in their hormonal background. Their interest in cats has been replaced by an increased focus on food. So now you have to feed your pet frequently but in small portions. If the neutered cat’s weight is increasing, switch to a low-calorie food. And don’t give in to pitiful requests for something tasty.
For cats (and not only neutered cats), once a week off-loading (hungry) days are very useful.
Neutered cats often suffer from deterioration of the teeth and gums.