Spaying And Neutering Is Very Very Safe
Any loving pet owner is right to be concerned about putting their beloved cat especially a very young kitten through an elective surgery. What are the risks?
Science is as concerned with this question as you are. One study followed 263 cats who were over three years, comparing cats who spayed at less than six months of age to those who were fixed when they were six months or older. The study concluded that there was no increase in infections or behavior problems in cats who were spayed or neutered when they were younger.
Another study looked at complication rates from the surgery. It compared cats who were spayed or neutered at 12 weeks, at 12-23 weeks, and at 24 weeks. The rate of major complications was the same in all three groups. The oldest group had more minor complications . The youngest group had the fewest complications.
You might be concerned about the use of anesthesia with a young kitten. But you should know that anesthetic drugs are safe for use in kittens as young as six to 14 weeks old.
There are steps your vet can take to minimize the surgical risk to very young kittens. While it is customary for food to be withheld from a cat for a number of hours prior to any surgery, your vet might recommend that food is withheld for a very minimal amount of time from a young kitten to prevent hypoglycemia .
Side Effects Of Spaying A Female Cat
The side effects of spaying cats are overwhelmingly positive, such as reduced disease risk and positive behavioral changes. However, no surgery is completely without risk, andalthough very uncommoncomplications can sometimes occur.
Herniation may result if there is a breakdown in the abdominal wall, although this is rare. Uterine infections can occur if an ovariectomy is performed, but the uterus is left behind. In some cases, small portions of the uterus may be left behind, even during an ovariohysterectomy, which can then cause an infection. However, uterine infections are extremely rare if both ovaries have been removed.
More commonly, minor complications can arise from cats licking at the wound site, and inflammation of fluid buildup can occur.
Before And After Your Kittens Procedure
- Ask your vet how much to feed your kitten the day of the procedure
- Your girlBAE may have a tender tummy at the site of her incision
- Give your kitten a clean, quiet place to recover away from other pets
- Keep an eye on their incision site to make sure its healing
- Recovery can take up to 2 weeks
- If anything looks red or swollen, if your kitten seems depressed, or if theyre vomiting or have diarrhea, call your vet right away
- Immediately contact your veterinary team if you have any concern
How Banfield can help
Were all about kitten health and happiness. Whether you want to spay or neuter your kitten, or if your plans include future breeding, were here with medical guidance and support. Our Early Care Plus Optimum Wellness Plan® package for kittens under 6 months old actually includes a spay or neuter procedure along with exams, vaccinations, and more. Is your cat over 6 months old? No problem you can easily add the procedure to any cat OWP.
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Does It Matter What Age You Neuter Your Kitten
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Controversy Over When To Spay Or Neuter
Some veterinarians consider early spaying or neutering of kittens unsafe. Those opposed to performing the procedure before kittens reach puberty argue that doing so could cause stunted growth, obesity, behavioral changes, urinary incontinence or bone fragility. According to Dr. Margaret V. Root Kustritz, most of these fears are unfounded and no correlation has been found between the age a cat is altered and the final body weight and amount of body fat or the incidence of bone fractures. Dr. Lila Miller of the ASPCA reports that researchers at Texas A& M University found no increase in cats physical or behavioral problems” at least three years postoperatively.
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Why Is It Essential For Cats To Be Spayed Or Neutered
Female cats reproduce very frequently and in large numbers, the reason for overpopulation in cats leading to the idea of spay/neuter. This procedure to control population and euthanization. Pet cats live and interact with our family.
Young cats have the lowest risks and are less likely to have severe complications during surgery. And it makes spaying/neutering a requisite procedure as it increases their chance for longer and healthier life and helps decrease their aggressive behaviour.
Does Spaying Cause A Cat To Gain Weight
Spaying a cat does may their metabolism to slow down slightly. As a result, spayed cats are more at risk of gaining weight. However, you can help keep your cat healthy by making adjustments to their diet if required and introducing more activity and exercise into their daily routine to prevent obesity.
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Does Spaying Or Neutering Hurt My Cat
Like humans, cats are given anesthetics during operations. Cats are completely unconscious while theyre spayed or neutered, so they dont feel any pain. A long-acting pain relief injection administered immediately after the procedure eliminates post-surgery discomfort. Your vet will give you anti-inflammatories and painkillers to give to your cat at home, too.
Generally speaking, cats bounce back quite quickly after theyre neutered. Male cats usually only need painkillers for a day after castration. Female cats usually need medication for three days after being spayed.
What Does Fixing Your Cat Mean
Spaying and neutering, or fixing, are terms used to describe surgeries that prevent cats from reproducing. Spaying is the name of the surgery to remove the uterus and ovaries from a female cat, although the technical term is ovariohysterectomy. Neutering is the name of the surgery to remove the testicles from a male cat, and is also called castration.
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Benefits Of Having Your Female Cat Spayed
One female cat and her offspring can potentially produce a few hundred thousand kittens in as little as seven years. Having your female cat fixed can significantly contribute to lowering the number of unwanted kittens living in your community.
Looking past the prevention of unwanted kittens, having your female cat spayed can also yield a handful of health benefits. for example, there’s less risk of your cat developing malignant mammary tumors later in life if she’s spayed before her first heat cycle.
Spaying may also help keep your cat from developing a uterine infection, and cancers of the reproductive organs.
Having the procedure done may also help to eliminate several unwanted female cat behaviors, including increased and overly intense affection, marking territory with urine, heat-induced howling, the desire to wander and intense rubbing on objects.
Spaying And Neutering Cats Post
Many veterinarians recommend to cat owners that spaying or neutering their cats should be part of a general health care plan, but controversy exists about when to perform the surgery. Veterinarians traditionally advised people that the optimal age for the procedure was about six months old, despite a lack of scientific data establishing an ideal age for the surgery. Dr. Dave Sweeney, a proponent and veterinary practitioner of early pediatric spaying and neutering — especially for shelter kittens — believes pet owners should have their young, unfixed kittens spayed or neutered when they are no older than 16 to 18 weeks old. Kittens enter puberty at around four months old, so waiting any longer increases the risk of an unplanned, unwanted pregnancy, he says.
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What Age Should You Spay Or Neuter Your Cat
Spaying or neutering your pet is one of the cornerstones of pet ownership in the United States. ASPCA statistics place the U.S. pet cat population at anywhere between 74 and 96 million and there may be as many as 70 million strays fending for themselves. Unfortunately, the ASPCA also estimates that 41 percent of cats who enter shelters cannot find a home and end up being euthanized. Breeders, shelters and rescue groups team up with vets and their staff to stem the tide of cat overpopulation but its bound to be a continuing battle for the foreseeable future.
If you find yourself with a new kitten in your household, spaying or neutering is something youll need to be thinking about soon. But at what age is it appropriate to spay or neuter a cat? More importantly, why should you consider having the procedure done at all?
What Age Cats Should Be Fixed Before They Are Spayed
All cats should be spayed or neutered before they reach their first birthday. This will ensure that they will not produce kittens, and it will keep their lives and health more stable. They will also be much happier with fewer stressors in their lives. It is important to spay or neuter your cat, and it can be especially important to get them spayed or neutered before they turn one year old. It is best to do this when they are still a kitten. This will ensure that they are calm and not stressed during the procedure, and it will keep them from becoming over-anxious and nervous. They can also grow up to be more calm and confident, since they wont be able to become pregnant or give birth.
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Why Should I Spay/neuter My Cat
There is more than one good reason, so we leave you with a complete list:
When Should You Have Your Cat Fixed
Each pet is unique and your vet will be able to offer advice on when you should have your cat spayed or neutered. However, we typically recommend spaying or neutering kittens at around five to six months old. Adult cats can also be spayed or neutered.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet’s condition, please make an appointment with your vet.
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What Is The Recovery Time For A Spay/neuter Surgery
Although all surgeries have some degree of discomfort associated with them, recovery from spaying and neutering, especially in cats, is usually very fast. Youd be amazed at how fast your cat seems to bounce back and return to his/her usual self.
After surgery, pain and inflammation relief medications can be maintained as long as necessary.
Therefore, its normal that during the first 24-48 hours they appear a little drowsy or more unstable, but they tend to return to normal behavior and activity in just a few days. And total recovery, including complete healing, usually takes less than 10 days, although it varies between cats.
Spay/neuter Your Pet Aspca
- Summary: For cats: It is generally considered safe for kittens as young as eight weeks old to be spayed or neutered. To potentiially avoid the start of urine spraying
- Matching search results: Your veterinarian can also provide post-operative instructions for you to follow. Although your pet may experience some discomfort after surgery, your veterinarian can take measures to control pain. Depending on the procedure performed, medication
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Spaying And Neutering Make Your Cat Easier To Live With And More Content Living With You Too
Facts first: one-third of cat relinquishments to shelters are related to the sexual behaviors of intact cats. We already know that cats in shelters dont have good odds. Can you imagine the likelihood of a cat with behavioral problems getting adopted?
The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association states that spaying and neutering reduces the likelihood that cat will be given up to a shelter for behavioral reasons. Even if there were no other reasons to spay and neuter your cat, that should be enough.
If youve ever lived with a tom cat, you can skip ahead to the next section. I dont have to convince you that living with intact cats can be a nightmare.
What do intact cats do? They are very creative about finding ways to escape the house, for one. Males fight, and both sexes spray urine. Intact cats vocalize a lot! Females go into heat for four to five days every three weeks during breeding season and during this time they yowl and urinate frequently, sometimes all over the house.
One of the advantages of Feline Fix by Five Months is that you prevent your cat from ever reaching sexual maturity and developing the habit of urine spraying. Once a cat starts spraying urine, it can be a very difficult behavior to change, even if you decide to spay her then.
For more information about urine spraying, read this post, Why do cats spray or mark with urine?
Spaying A Cat Procedure: What To Expect
First, make an appointment with your veterinarian. Your vet will perform a physical examination to make sure your cat is in good health, and may perform bloodwork to ensure your cat will be fine under anesthesia. This is a great time to ask about any concerns you may have regarding the procedure.
Most hospitals will have you drop your cat off in the morning on the day of surgery. Barring any complications, they will discharge your cat the same day once she has recovered from anesthesia and your veterinarian is satisfied with her status.
Your cat may be groggy and uninterested in food for the rest of the day this is normal. Your veterinarian will provide your cat with appropriate pain management before discharge and will most likely send you home with more medication to keep her comfortable. Increasingly, veterinarians will give injections of timed-release pain medications prior to discharge, which means you wont have to administer any medications at home.
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How Late Is Too Late To Spay Or Neuter A Cat Or Kitten
Advocates for early spaying and neutering point to benefits, such as the decreased risk for mammary tumors in female cats and decreased overpopulation. However, its important to know experts also say adult cats can safely undergo spay or neuter procedures, too. If your cat is seven years of age or older, the vet will order pre-surgical bloodwork to ensure their kidneys and liver are strong enough to undergo anesthesia. As long as the bloodwork checks out, its perfectly safe to send your pet in for the surgery.
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Should You Even Neuter A Male Kitten Reasons Not To Neuter Your Cat
Not at all, according to animal campaigner Michael Freeby, whos been named Karen Expert by Parade Magazine for the 2020 holiday edition! A music video Freeby art-directed was recently nominated at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards and is currently nominated at the 2021 TDY Awards!
I would not want to be neutered.
Michael Freeby
Freeby is strongly against kitten neuter. He says, Dont neuter them! I would not want to be neutered so I feel that neutering is cruelty, to say the least.
But what do the experts say?
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Neutering May Extend The Life Of Your Male Cat
The Banfield State of Pet Health report showed that neutering seems to be associated with a longer life for male cats, too. Neutered males had a life expectancy of 11.8 years, versus only 7.5 years for intact males.
How does neutering extend the life of male cats? For one, it eliminates the risk testicular cancer and reduces the risk for prostate cancer.
It also reduces aggression in male cats, and with it, the desire to roam and fight. If your intact male cat is allowed outdoors, or escapes, hes more likely to be injured in a fight, or even in traffic, as his mind is only on one thing.
Feline AIDS and leukemia are spread between cats through bites, and these bites can be the result of sexual competition.
So, neutering reduces both the urge to mate and the urge to fight about it, and reduces the likelihood that your cat will contract one of these often-fatal infections.