Do cats gain weight after neutering or spaying?

Cats go through a number of changes after neutering or spaying - is weight gain one of them? Find out the truth about this statement and find out what to do.

First of all, I have a moral obligation to remind you that, at Cosas de Gatos, we are absolutely convinced that the best thing you can do with your pet cat is to sterilize it. In fact, I've talked about spaying or neutering before.

That said, it is important to know what the consequences of neutering are and to act in time to minimize any problems. The advantages of castration outweigh the disadvantages, especially if you are informed.

An overweight or obese cat is a cat that has a greater tendency to suffer from certain diseases, so it is our responsibility (and its owners) to prevent it from gaining weight. If castration can lead to weight gain, we need to understand what happens and what to do.

What happens after castration?

There are few studies that are sufficiently thorough and meticulous to confirm that spaying or neutering leads to weight gain. One of the most interesting and conclusive is the one reported in this link, conducted in 2014 by the Medical University of California.

In this study it is emphasized that, since there are many other factors that influence weight gain, it is difficult to evaluate the degree of influence of castration.

In any case, some common behaviors have been found that could lead to a relationship between neutering and weight gain in cats, confirming that neutering is a contributing factor to the development of obesity in cats.

Hormonal changes and increased appetite

The factors that influence weight gain are very different: the activity of the kitten, the age, the environment... and neutering can be one of these, especially due to the hormonal changes it entails.

As explained in this study from the National Veterinary School of Nantes, castration causes immediate hormonal changes in the cat, such as an increase in prolactin (PRL) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), both involved in tissue development fat and glucose intolerance.

In conclusion, this study confirms that castration rapidly alters hormonal balance and hyperleptinemia is apparently a consequence of excess weight.

Neutered cats lack the stimulation caused by sex hormones in fertile cats. This hormonal change usually also leads to an increase in appetite and a logical decrease in physical activity. Studies like this one from the University of California have confirmed the relationship between increased appetite and decreased physical activity in neutered cats.

We all know that the formula + food and - exercise is a time bomb. It is therefore not surprising that many neutered cats tend to gain weight.

Prevention and control

Given the changes that sterilization causes in most cats, the best thing to do is to have some control and keep an eye on our cats.

The first thing to do is control the amount of food they eat, which is often difficult. To do this, we may need to make some changes, such as reducing the amount of food and feeding it at certain times of the day. This is a different approach for ad libitum feeders, where the cat self-regulates, but is necessary when quantities need to be controlled.

Another thing is to see what type of food we are feeding and whether it has the necessary nutrients for the age and activity of our cat. If you have any doubts, consult your veterinarian or a feline nutrition specialist.

Finally, encourage your cat to exercise. The best way to do this is to play with the cat.