Study adds early behavior data on deslorelin use in cats

A new questionnaire-based study in Veterinary Sciences adds early behavioral data on cats treated with deslorelin implants, a non-surgical, reversible sterilization option that’s drawing more interest in feline practice. In the multicenter study, pet parents of 66 cats completed surveys after surgical sterilization or after pharmacologic sterilization during the first two weeks after implantation and again at three months. The authors found that the early “flare-up” phase was more noticeable in females than males, while the later downregulation phase was associated with declines in reproductive behavior, urine marking, intact male urine odor, excessive vocalization, and disobedience. Compared with surgically sterilized cats, downregulated cats were reported to have larger decreases in several undesirable behaviors, though the study relied on pet parent questionnaires rather than direct behavioral observation. (mdpi.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the study helps fill a practical counseling gap around what pet parents may see after deslorelin implantation, especially in the first days to weeks. That’s relevant as WSAVA’s 2024 reproduction guidelines frame medical and surgical reproductive control as part of a broader, individualized decision-making process, and as deslorelin’s use in cats has expanded in some markets, including an EU indication extension for male cats in 2022. The findings also reinforce a key clinical point: temporary hormonal sterilization may reduce nuisance reproductive behaviors, but clinicians should prepare pet parents for a possible transient flare-up, particularly in queens. (wsava.org)

What to watch: Expect follow-up discussion around how these questionnaire findings translate into real-world counseling, candidate selection, and longer-term comparisons with surgery in larger feline cohorts. (mdpi.com)