Feel free to laugh at me here, but I just learned what neutering/spaying procedure is... YIKES!!!

I always thought that, like humans, Tubal Ligations and Vasectomies is the way to de-sterilize pets. But tonight I read that vets remove the testicles/ovaries of cats to neuter/spay them.

You gotta be kidding! How could such operation not have an effect on their hormones and health?!!! Isn't that very selfish of us, humans? Yes, I understand the downside and hazards of cats overpopulation. But there has got to be a better human option to do that.

Among plenty of articles online, here's one from a reputable source that highlights briefly concerns about removing the testicles/ovaries of pets:
http://www.petmd.com/blogs/fullyvetted/ ... omies-7245

Sadly it highlights that Tubal Ligations and Vasectomies are very expensive to perform, if and only if one finds a vet to perform such operations.

Oh God, I feel so bad

Hassaan, cats and humans are quite different in their anatomy. Don't freak out over this. Millions and millions of spays and neuters have taken place since the beginning of time. It's just how it's done! They want the procedure to be as simple and quick as possible for the fastest recovery for the cat.

To be specific about it; it's the equivalent of an eunuch for humans.

I can understand your squeamishness psychologically; but doing a castration they are removing the hormones entirely - this changes not only their ability to reproduce but also their behaviours.

If they did a tubal ligation for a cat she would still go into heat; be at very high risk for things like Pyrometra; only not be able to have kittens. Even advocates of Tubal Ligation in dogs do not advocate it in female cats for those reasons.

I could see the argument for male cats (though unlike castration there is a risk of failure) and it also carries increased likelihood of spraying and other behavioural things which everyone hates.

Bottom line: people like the way their cats behave and as an owner of fully intact pets; having castrated pets were a lot easier to handle.

I'm not sure with cats but with dogs if you have a bitch that has never had a litter and is left unspayed they are prone to ovarian cancers, so unless you intend to breed them spaying is the way to go

I can't see why cats would be different, that's besides the trauma of living with a calling queen that you have no intention of mating or a tom that can't get out to mate

We do the best so our cats/dogs live happy lives as fully integreated parts of our family, but they are not human, and treating or seeing them as such is detrimental to both them and ourselves