Effect of GnRH analogs in postnatal domestic cats

The aim of this study was to reproductively assess the clinical and hormonal effects of a GnRH agonist (AG) and an antagonist (AN) administered during the postnatal period in domestic cats. Forty-eight male and female postnatal kittens were randomly assigned to deslorelin acetate 1.6 mg subcutaneous (AG; n¼16), acyline 33mg/100 g subcutaneous weekly for 3 months (AN; n¼16), or control (CO; n¼16) which remained untreated. The cats were followed up (behavioral observation, physical examination, fecal sexual steroid determinations, mating test, and pregnancy diagnosis) up to puberty. Puberty was delayed (weeks) in the AG animals (62.93.5; P0.05)when they were compared with CO kittens (13.40.4). Fifteen (15/16) of the AN and CO animals, and only 11 of 16 cats of the AG group were fertile (P>0.1). No differences were found in body weight (P >0.1) and measurements (P>0.1), libido (P>0.1) and in the appearance of side effects (P>0.1; except a pyometra in an AG female) among groups. In both AG- and AN-treated males (testosterone; P<0.01) and females (estradiol-17b;P