Do Spayed/neutered Cats Still Go Into Heat
No. Since ovaries produce estrogen and ovaries are removed in the spaying process, a female cat cannot go into heat after being spayed. Neutered male cats may still be able to go into heat and even impregnate a female cat up to six weeks after their surgery, so itâs important to keep them away from other cats until they are completely healed. After itâs healed, a male cat cannot go into heat after neutering surgery.
Preparing Your Cat For The Procedure
Prepare your cat or kitten by removing food and water the night before surgery or as advised by your vet. An empty stomach will ensure that your cat doesnt vomit or choke whilst under general anaesthetic.
Keep your cat safe the night before the operation by not allowing it to go outside. You dont want to have to cancel or delay surgery because of a last-minute injury.
You Cant Alter A Kitten
You can totally alter a kitten. As long as the cat is eight weeks old and weighs at least two pounds, you can have your kitten spayed or neutered. In fact, thatâs really the best time to do it. If you wait until their hormones start going crazy, you miss out on some huge potential medical and behavior benefits of altering.
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How Much Does Cat Urinary Treatment Cost
Is your cat not peeing? Does the urine look abnormal? These may be signs of many types of urinary tract disease.
Urinary issues are all too common in cats. Urinary tract infections affect both male and female cats, while urinary blockages effect primarily male cats. Issues can also be caused by seemingly no reason at all, called Feline Idiopathic Urinary Tract Disease.
Male And Female Cats Are Less Likely To Get Cancer
Spaying your female cat helps reduce the risk of uterine or breast tumors, which, according to ASPCA, are cancerous in 90% of cats. Basically, spaying your female cat crosses a big disease off of the “ways to die” list, or at least moves it to the bottom.Neutering a male cat offers similar protection from testicular cancer and prostate problems.
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Why Should I Get My Cat Neutered
There are lots of reasons why its a good idea. Heres just a few:
For male cats:
- Neutering reduces their chance of catching feline immunodeficiency virus , an incurable disease similar to HIV in humans which is spread by saliva usually from bite wounds during fights.
- Unneutered cats that are confined can become frustrated and may try any escape route including out of your top floor window.
- Neutering cats reduces their urge to roam and fight so theyre less likely to go missing, get hit by cars, or get hurt.
For female cats:
- Spaying cats, especially if its done when theyre young, greatly reduces the risk of them getting breast cancer and infection of the womb . Both of these can be fatal.
- Pregnancy and birth can carry significant risks to a cat.
For you:
- A female cat can produce up to six kittens, three times a year. Thats a lot of mouths to feed.
- It can be very stressful trying to make sure your cat doesnt get pregnant and, if she does, youve got the worry of caring for her through her pregnancy, birth and the rearing of her litter. And thats before the challenge of finding good homes for the kittens.
- Female cats that arent spayed often come into season over and over again, which means they can be almost continuously in heat. This can be exhausting and usually attracts a queue of amorous and vocal tomcats to the house.
- Unneutered male cats tend to urine-mark their territory, including your house, with a powerful and unpleasant scented urine.
For cat-kind:
What Is Included In The Cost Of Spaying And Neutering
As mentioned earlier, the full cost of a spay or neuter procedure varies depending on where you go. In general, the price for spaying or neutering typically covers the procedure itself as well as anesthesia. But every location will bill differently, and many charges associated with the surgery arent always included in the base price.
For example, the following may appear separately from the surgery on your bill:
-
Pain medication
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A cat carrier or e-collar
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Is A Neutered Tomcat Less Likely To Run Away
Its true that tomcats that are not spayed are more likely to run away and find another home. They can be very fickle, spending a lot of time outdoors.
After being neutered a tomcat will often have a lot less desire to roam around. Every cat is different, but generally speaking it will become more of a homebody than before.
What Happens After The Surgery
Some people worry that their cats personality will change. This isnt true but you might see a fall in certain behaviour roaming, mounting, fighting or spraying urine.
People also worry that their pet will get fat. Neutered animals might have slightly lower food requirements so you just need to feed them a little less.
Page last updated 22/03/2021
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Why Get A Female Cat Fixed
When in heat, a cats behavior changes drastically. Females become very vocal, clingy and sometimes even aggressive as theyre overstressed by their hormones. Spaying them prevents this behavior.
Your cat will also be healthier, as fixed females have fewer chances of developing mammary cancer, uterine tumors, and ovarian cancer. Theyre also less likely to get pyometra and breast cancer.
When To Spay Or Neuter Your Pets
It is generally best to perform dog or cat neutering or spaying when animals are young and healthy. Healthy pets can be sterilized as young as 8 weeks if they weigh more than 2 pounds, but dogs are commonly spayed or neutered anywhere from 2 to 9 months. Most shelters will perform cat and dog neutering and spaying as close to 8 weeks old as possible so the pet can be adopted into their forever home as soon as possible.
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How Long Does It Take A Cat To Recover From Spaying/neutering
Dr. Mar points out that animals are incredibly resilient and cats are no different. âThe first 24-48 hours your cat may be a bit painful and tired, which is expected after any surgery,â she explains. âHowever, pets are given pain medications before or during surgery in order to ensure your pet is not in pain when they wake up.â The pain medicine is generally taken for three to five days after the surgery. Neutered cats will recover much faster because removing an external organ such as the testicles does not open up the abdominal cavity and require stitching the way itâs done with spaying.
Spay Or Neuter Recovery
While many cats can be brought back to their normal selves within ten minutes, dogs may take a little longer. Just like human surgery, the animal will experience some post-surgical discomfort.
Young animals will heal the quickest, but all pets will feel a bit groggy for the next couple days. At Affordable Animal Hospital, we will provide medications to minimize pain throughout the recovery process.
Complications include inflammation, infection, opening of the incision, swelling, and bleeding. For each of these issues, the experts at Affordable Animal Hospital are experts are rapid treatment.
During your pets recovery, your role is to maintain a close eye, washing carefully for changes in behavior or signs of distress. You must note the healing process and keep an eye on swelling or infection. Your dog or cat should be kept comfortable and confined for the first week.
Contact Affordable Animal Hospital immediately for any of the following:
- Your pet becomes very tired and does not snap back for two or more days
- The incision becomes abnormally swollen or discolored
- The stitches become undone for any reason
- Bleeding
- Difficulty urinating or defecating
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Common Myths Surrounding Cat Neuters:
What Is The Difference Between Spaying And Neutering
When we discuss getting a companion animal ‘fixed’, we are using a blanket term that refers to both the spaying of femal animals and the neutering of male animals.
Spaying Female Cats
When we spay a cat, the uterus and ovaries, or occasionally just the ovaries, of the female cat are surgically removed.
After the spaying procedure has been done, she will not be able to have kittens.
Neutering Male Cats
Neutering involves removing the male cat’s testicles.
When your male cat is neutered, he will be unable to father kittens.
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Reasons For Neutering Female Cats
- Population control. It is important to neuter a female cat before she can have kittens herself. This happens very quickly depending on breed, time of year born and individual development. The first season usually occurs around six months but can be earlier. Queens can have up to three litters in a year.
- Control of nuisance. Female cats will call regularly, about every three weeks during sexually active times of the year if they do not get pregnant. Having entire female cats in an area will attract entire males with the attendant problems of spraying, fighting and caterwauling.
- Welfare issues. Unwanted kittens may not be cared for and are likely to suffer from various infectious diseases such as cat flu or worse. There are unlikely to be enough new homes available for them.
- Health issues. Female cats which are not neutered are more likely to suffer from pyometra later in life and with mammary tumours. Queens with infectious diseases may pass these on to their kittens. Pregnancy and birth are also not without risk.
- Wildlife issues. Cats with kittens will hunt more actively and if they are not being fed will need to catch more wildlife to feed their kittens.
Why Is It Important To Spay And Neuter Cats
Spaying and neutering cats prevent unwanted pregnancies and homelessness. According to the ASPCA, 6.5 million domesticated pets are surrendered or found homeless every year. Cats suffer tremendously in this equation.
Cats breed heavily, which is why having strays around can quickly lead to unwanted pregnancies. Indoor cats arent exempt, either, particularly if you have multiple cats living in the same home without being fixed. Cats reach sexual maturity around 6 months old, so you might wind up with a litter if you dont act early.
Spaying or neutering your cats is a responsible action taken by loving pet owners. Unless youre a breeder, youre risking putting kittens out into an unforgiving world. Many people want a cute kitten until it starts to grow up and become a burden.
Luckily, in recent years, more information and affordable options have been given to owners everywhere. So, instead of worrying about financial implications associated with this surgery, owners can find options that work best for them.
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Why Is My Male Cat Spraying
When it comes to cats spraying, male cats are often the culprit. Although it is possible for female cats to start spraying at any time, its usually very rare. Male cat spraying happens a lot more regularly, especially with unneutered male cats. This is mainly due to their territorial nature and male behavior which weâll discover later.
If you have a male cat that has just started spraying, then determining why theyâve started should be your first priority. If you donât do anything and try to ignore it, then the smell will only get worse. Punishing them also isnât a good idea, it wonât make them stop and it will only ruin your relationship.
Hereâs how to determine why your cat has started spraying, and how to stop them.
Pros & Cons Of Spaying & Neutering Cats
Its time to start thinking about spaying or neutering your cat. But, you are not quite sure if it is the right thing to do. If youre wondering whether you should just leave your cat as nature intended, consider the positive and negative aspects of spaying and neutering before making your decision.
Spaying The Positive Side
Spaying removes the risk of pregnancy.
Pet overpopulation is a serious problem and by allowing your cat to have litters, you are adding to the problem. Finding homes for your new family additions is not as easy as you may think. Even if you choose to keep the kittens, you will have the additional cost of vaccines, parasite control, toys and food for several pets. In addition to costs, the health of the mother can be in jeopardy during delivery. Some new mothers can have serious complications delivering kittens and can even develop health problems during nursing. All these potential problems can be avoided by spaying your cat.
Spaying makes for a calmer cat.
Without the drive to mate, your cat may be quieter and wont be prone to cat calls and the incessant need to seek out a mate. The spayed pet no longer attracts males and their annoying advances and serenades. Spayed cats are also easier to get along with. They tend to be more gentle and affectionate.
Spaying keeps your cat healthier.
Spaying The Negative Side
Spaying means sterilization.
Spaying may cause weight gain.
Neutering The Positive Side
Neutering removes the risk of pregnancy.
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How Can I Find Low
The Petsmart Charities database is a good place to start looking for low-cost options near you. You may also want to see if there are any local, county, state, or breed-specific programs that could help cover the costs. Or, if youre taking in a feral cat, there may be free and low-cost programs available as well.
Another option to consider is vet schools: They may run low-cost clinics for individuals with low incomes. If you arent near a traditional low-cost option, like a clinic, pop-up option, or animal welfare organization, contact your local veterinarian. See if they offer any discount programs or if theyd be willing to arrange a payment plan.
Prevent Your Cat From Seeing Other Felines
Some cats resort to spraying when they see intruders into their territories.
For this issue, the first thing that you need to do is to cover your windows with a curtain or blinds. This will limit the chances of your tomcat seeing other cats from your windows.
If the other cat belongs to one of your neighbors, consider talking to them about keeping their pet indoors. On the other hand, if you do not know the owner or if the cat is feral, consider investing in a cat-proof fence.
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Low Cost Spay And Neuter
The decision to spay or neuter your pets is critical for their long-term health. Spaying is the removal of the uterus and ovaries of a female pet, while neutering is the removal of testicles in a male pet. Both procedures are heavily supported by the veterinarian industry and Affordable Animal Hospital, and we have established a low-cost program to help all pet owners in Southern California spay and neuter their pets.
Benefits Of Spaying And Neutering
There are numerous health-related reasons to spay or neuter your dog or cat.
Spay surgery can significantly decrease the risk of mammary cancer and uterine cancerwhich are malignant in 50% of dogs and 90% of catsand eliminates the risk of mastitis from nursing. There is a reduction in the risk of mammary tumors compared with un-spayed dogs. Spaying also eliminates the risk of pregnancy complications like spotting, false pregnancy and pyometraan infection in the uterus that requires emergency intervention. You can further reduce the chance of your female pets contracting these diseases by taking them to Petco to be spayed before their first heat cycle.
There are a few vital reasons for neutering your dog or cat. Neutered males are at a reduced risk of prostate problems and have no chance of testicular cancer. Neutered cats generally live twice as long as intact cats. Neutering can also reduce aggressive behavior that would otherwise result in fights and injuries and sexual behavior that can result in sexually transmitted diseases.
Spay surgery from Petco can eliminate heat cycle-related issues in cats like howling and scratching, as well as messy stains and protective aggression over their litter from both cats and dogs.
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