What is done during neutering?

Are the testicles removed altogether, or just the sperm cords cut, or both?

And what about spaying? I thought the ovaries and uterus and it all was removed?

Does this depend on the vet?

In Norway most families will do nothing about their males, and get a prescription once-a-week birth control pill for the females... Of course the pill doesn't always work, and the males roam around...

When castrating, the testicles are removed - this is an easy procedure, though occasionally the vet finds that one has not descended and then surgery has to be more extensive, to find the missing organ. In spaying, normally the vet removes ovaries and uterus, though there are a few vets who only remove the ovaries.

The testicles are taken out = castration, and Kimbulu wrote in another post, also the sperm cords cut. The little bag is left, and therefore it is not always apparent at first glance if a male cat is neutered or not.

An in the females the whole; ovaries and most of uterus removed = castration.

This is the usual nowadays.

But once upon a time it was quite usual to only cut of the cords = sterilisation.

Many people still say sterilisation, but 99,99 times it is castration.

Originally Posted by HappyViking

In Norway most families will do nothing about their males, and get a prescription once-a-week birth control pill for the females... Of course the pill doesn't always work, and the males roam around...

Click to expand...

That's weird, here in the netherlands vets advise against giving the pill unless it's absolutely necessary. And isn't the pill way more expensive than spaying in the long run ? I spend 90 euros (= price of spaying) on anticonception for myself in about three years, are cat pills cheaper ?

This link explains it well and has pictures too: http://www.thepetcenter.com/sur/Spayandneuter.htm

Originally Posted by Mimosa

That's weird, here in the netherlands vets advise against giving the pill unless it's absolutely necessary. And isn't the pill way more expensive than spaying in the long run ? I spend 90 euros (= price of spaying) on anticonception for myself in about three years, are cat pills cheaper ?

Click to expand...

I don't know about cost, since I never owned a cat in Norway other than our family cats, that my parents payed for.
And it's been 10 yrs since I lived there, it could be that the "rules" have changed since then... But it still seems like cats are not usually treated much, e.g. not taken to the vet etc. Dogs are common to vaccinate, but not cats, at least not in the area where I grew up. Too bad!

Originally Posted by HappyViking

But it still seems like cats are not usually treated much, e.g. not taken to the vet etc. Dogs are common to vaccinate, but not cats, at least not in the area where I grew up. Too bad!

Click to expand...

It is a fact that more people take their dogs to the vet then cats. I aked a number of vets about this and they all anwsered the same thing.

Here is what is done during neutering:

The vet removes the tomcat's testicles, which causes an immediate and traumatic reaction. The tomcat (even under anesthesia) can tell, right away, that he is NO LONGER MANLY. He sinks into despair as his future yawns before him, one bereft of jockstrap gags and dirty jokes in the alley with the boys, and from that moment on, he is completely lost, fit only for sitting by the fire and feeling like a wussy.

Also, when the vet closes the incision, he uses a needle coated with a chemical called GETFATBOY. This is a powerful and fast-acting treatment which will ensure that the minute your tom comes out from under the anesthetic, he will want to start eating way more than he needs so that his haunches will soon resemble standing rib roasts and he will make you groan when he jumps up onto your lap. Don't fight it, just rename him Hogkitty and be done with it.

Most importantly, the neutering will induce a syndrome called NOMOREPOONTANG, and your tomcat will never, ever be able to get a queen pregnant again. He will feel deeply cheated and it will be YOUR FAULT. You will have tampered with his delicate psyche, and now you must PAY.

*please note sarcasm*