In humans, we don’t usually castrate them because it throws their hormones out of whack, and causes all kinds of issues, but wouldn’t that also be the case for some animals, since their hormones systems are fairly similar?

Why is it that that we remove the testicles entirely, rather than giving them vasectomies like we do for humans?

  • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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    7 months ago

    You raise an interesting point with regard to TNE males in feral cat communities. Normally we like the fact that neutered males don’t spend all their time fighting and fucking and marking their territory. But if you had a vasectomied male or six around, you might get fewer of the fertile females impregnated by the fertile males you haven’t caught. Like when we release sterile male mosquitoes. It would be more difficult and expensive but maybe more effective in reducing the population.

      • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
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        7 months ago

        Yeah, probably true. It would take a critical mass of sterile males to make a real difference. But neutered males aren’t trying at all, so females in heat are only mating with fertile males now. If a percentage of the fucks were not going to produce kittens, they might have smaller litters at least. Also if the sterile males were successful at fighting off fertile rivals. Again, neutered males aren’t trying.

      • philpo@feddit.de
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        7 months ago

        Until you ask someone with basic knowledge of feline physiology.

        …Cats are intentionally promiscuous and can have litters from multiple fathers. It won’t change a thing. Unless you sterilize almost all male cats. Before that it doesn’t change much - and as vasectomies are far more cost intensive you can actually sterilize less of them. So more fertile male cats will stay in the population.

        Besides it is actually kind of cruel as a significant portion of non-castrated feral male cats get injured during these fights - so it adds an unnecessary layer of suffering as well.

        And of course it makes the males basically unadoptable when they are not castrated and end up in a shelter- males are really really unpleasant pets unless castrated. Better do it right - or even better make sure that people don’t let their pet cats don’t go feral at all. Because even a castrated feral house cat does wrack havoc on the ecosystem.