Reasons To Spay Your Female Cat
1. No more kittens – A visit to any cat shelter should convince you that we dont need any more kittens brought into the world. Whats worse is that kittens as young as 5 months can become pregnant themselves and some will not be able to give birth naturally. The cost of a Cesarean is high and may happen unexpectedly so the next reason.
2. Reduces the chance of unexpected veterinary bills – Seriously, a C-section can cost a four-figure sum!
3. Reduces exposure to disease – Female cats in heat only have one thing on their mind, and theyll make sure every Tomcat in the neighborhood knows. Tomcats will flock from miles away and your usually well-behaved female kitten will make every effort to escape.
Tomcats can carry diseases such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukemia Virus due to promiscuous contact with other cats. Even if they dont pick up these diseases, your female cat may be exposed to cat flu viruses, which are unpleasant at best.
4. Reduces the risk of cancer and other diseases of the reproductive organs – Mammary cancer is reduced by 90% when a female cat is spayed at a young age. Mammary cancer is nearly always malignant in cats, so its vital to reduce the risk. To do this successfully, they need to be spayed before their first heat cycle, which can be as early as 5 months. Cancer of the reproductive system is rare but nasty, and the risk is eliminated by spaying.
Addresses Feline Welfare Issues
This is one of the results of unmitigated population growth in cats. If there are too many kittens getting born, there may be not enough people to adopt them and care for them. These cats will live in back alleys, thriving on whatever scraps of food they could find. It exposes them to many diseases and a lot of dangers.
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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What To Expect When Your Cat Gets Home
When your female cat is spayed, their uterus and ovaries are removed through a small incision in the abdominal wall so that your pet is no longer able to become pregnant.
Typically when a male cat is neutered the testicles are removed to prevent the production of sperm. This means that they will no longer be able to father kittens.
Following these surgeries, your cat will need a little extra love and attention to ensure that they recover well.
Incision Site
It is very important to prevent your cat from licking or chewing at their incision site. Your vet may recommend an e-collar or recovery suite to block your pet from being able to reach the area.
Female pets will have a mid-line incision in their abdomen, male cats will have two incisions, one on either side of the scrotum.
It is important to check your cat’s incision site daily. There should be no sign of redness or oozing, and swelling should be minimal. In some cases, males may appear as if they still have testicles. This swelling is normal and should gradually reduce throughout the recovery period.
Why Should I Spay Or Neuter My Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
There are many health benefits to spaying and neutering. For example, your Cavalier King Charles Spaniel will not only be unable to produce puppies , but theyll also be much less likely to suffer from several types of cancer.
The fact that your female Cavalier will no longer have seasons or attract unneutered males may also appeal to some owners. In a PetMd study, it was revealed that while spaying female dogs has many health benefits, such as a reduction in certain cancers, neutering a male dog may be less beneficial to their health.
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Will My Cats Personality Change After Being Fixed
Other than the previously mentioned behavior changes, spaying or neutering your cat is unlikely to change his or her basic personality, though male cats may become more docile following neutering. Cats playfulness and general levels of activity, excitement, and vocalization do not typically change following spay/neuter surgery.
Best Age To Neuter A Kitten
On the average, kittens reach sexual maturity around 6 to 9 months of age. This means they are now fully-capable of reproduction. Since one of the inherent aims of neutering is to induce infertility or sterility in the cat, neutering should be done before the kitten achieves full sexual maturity. Thus, the best age for a kitten to get neutered or spayed is before it reaches the age of 6 months.
Unfortunately, no two kittens will have the same exact growth rate. Some kittens can reach their reproductive maturity by around 4 months of age, while others may become sexually mature only upon reaching 12 months of age.
Given the variability of feline growth rates, veterinarians now recommend pediatric neutering. This allows veterinarians to perform the surgical procedure in kittens that are as young as 6 weeks. There are people who object to such recommendations, of course. They say that it exposes the young kitten to needless harm. Early neutering can also lead to several developmental problems.
In 2017, the American Association of Feline Practitioners endorsed neutering kittens at 5 months of age. This was the recommendation of the Veterinary Task Force on Feline Sterilization and released through the North American Veterinary Community Conference, also in 2017.
There is another criterion for the surgery, however. The kitten should weigh not less than 2.2 lbs at the time of the surgery. If these two criteria are met, then the kitten is safe for early neutering.
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Does Spaying Cause My Cat To Get Fat
Spaying does decrease the metabolism of your cat and may lead to a more sedentary lifestyle. This will cause your cat to put on weight however, if you monitor their body condition and make appropriate adjustments to their nutrition and lifestyle including regular exercise time you can prevent this weight gain.
Why Do Your Cats Need To Be Vaccinated
Ans: Massive use of vaccination prevents death and disease in millions of animals. The vaccine is still the safest way to protect your animals from todays most widespread diseases.However, vaccines contain live or dead bacterial matter, helping the immune system fight them later. With few exceptions, animals that have been vaccinated become resistant to the disease upon exposure to it.
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The Benefits Of Getting Your Female Cat Spayed
It’s estimated that in as little as seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce approximately 420,000 kittens. Having your female cat fixed can make a big contribution to lowering the number of unwanted kittens living in your community.
Aside from preventing unwanted kittens, having your female cat spayed has a number of health benefits. For example, if your cat is spayed before her first heat cycle, she is less likely to develop malignant mammary tumors later in life.
Spaying can also help keep your cat from developing an infection of the uterus, and developing cancers of the reproductive organs.
Spaying might also help eliminate several unwanted female cat behaviors such as heat-induced howling, increased and overly intense affection, intense rubbing on objects, marking territory with urine, and the desire to wander.
About Spaying & Neutering
Spaying or neutering your pet, otherwise known as “fixing” your animal, are elective surgeries that involve sterilization.
The ASPCA , estimates that about 6.5 million animals end up in shelters or rescue systems annually across the United States. Of those animals, less than half are adopted as pets, meaning that millions of healthy cats and dogs are euthanized each year because there is no space for them.
An effective way for you to do your part in reducing the number of unplanned puppies and kittens born every year is to book your pet’s appointment at a spay and neuter clinic.
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Benefits Of Neutering Your Male Cat
Population Control
While male cats don’t actually have kittens themselves, one unneutered male cat in your neighborhood can make many female cats pregnant. That’s why neutering male cats is as important as spaying females when it comes to population control!
Health Issues
Neutering your male cat may help slow the spread of serious cat diseases such as Feline immunodeficiency virus and Feline leukemia virus that are often spread between cats during fights. Neutering can help to reduce cat aggression and may mean fewer injuries from fighting. Neutered males also tend to stay closer to home which helps to reduce their risk of being injured by vehicles.
Deter Undesirable Behaviors
Unneutered male cats typically spray inside the home more than neutered males and may be aggressive towards their owners. Having your male kitten neutered while young can help to prevent these behaviors from starting. Also, male cats who are not neutered, frequently roam over large areas in search of unspayed females to mate with. These males will spray to mark their territory and often fight with other male cats which can be bothersome, noisy, and smelly.
Pediatric Spay And Neuter Is Safe
Research shows that kittens spayed or neutered before 12 weeks of age have fewer complications from surgery than those over 12 weeks old. Also, since theyre young and spry, kittens rebound much faster after the surgical procedure than cats over 6 months of age.
All surgery involving anesthesia includes certain risks. Pediatric spay and neuter is just as safe as spay and neuter surgeries for adult cats.
Learn more by checking out Protocols: Pediatric Spay and Neuter in our Veterinary Resource Center.
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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.
Accredited Organizations Support Pediatric Spay And Neuter
Professional animal welfare and veterinary organizations agree: Pediatric spay and neuter is best!
Some of the organizations that support pediatric spay and neuter include:
- Alley Cat Allies
- American Association of Feline Practitioners
- American Humane
- American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
- American Veterinary Medical Association
- Humane Society of the United States
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When Should You Get Your Cat Fixed
The biggest debate about this topic is when the procedure should be done. Some professionals say that it can be done earlier in a cats life, and others think it is the responsible decision to wait.
The general consensus is that a cat should be spayed/neutered by the time they are 6 months old or when your veterinarian has instructed you to do so. Always listen to the advice of your veterinarian when it comes to the health and wellbeing of your cat.
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The Many Benefits Of Spaying Or Neutering Your Cat
Female cats that are spayed before their first heat have a reduced risk for malignant mammary tumors later in life.
Spaying also helps to reduce your cat’s chances of developing an infection of the uterus, and of developing cancers of the reproductive organs.
Undesirable behaviors in female cats can be reduced with spaying, including increased and overly intense affection, intense rubbing on objects, marking territory with urine, the desire to wander, and heat-induced howling.
Neutering male cats also offers a number of benefits. It reduces unwanted behaviors such as cat aggression and roaming which can help to reduce your cat’s risk of injury.
Your male cat’s risk of developing testicular and prostate cancer are also reduced with neutering.
Cat overpopulation is a serious problem. Spaying and neutering help to reduce the number of unwanted cats in your area.
More cats are born each year than there are homes available for them. Homeless cats frequently wind up on the streets, and can ultimately end up being euthanized in shelters.
The benefits of spaying or neutering your cat cannot be overstated. Contact Paws and Claws Veterinary Hospital today to schedule your kitten’s procedure today
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Early Spay/neuter In Private Practice
Most practices have defined kitten wellness protocols and schedule appointments for vaccinations and parasite control for kittens from about 6 weeks to 4 months of age. Early spay/neuter involves simply adding one more appointment 2 to 3 weeks after the last vaccination. In that manner, cats are fully immunized before being admitted to the hospital for surgery and sterilized before becoming sexually active.
Reasons To Spay Or Neuter Your Cat
Spaying or neutering is one of the greatest gifts you can provide your pet and your family. These routine medical procedures not only help control pet overpopulation, but they may also prevent medical and behavioral problems from developing, allowing your cat to lead a longer, healthier and happier life.
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What Is The Best Age To Spay A Kitten & When Is It Too Late To Neuter A Cat
Getting your kitten spayed or neutered not only prevents the birth of unwanted litters of kittens, these common veterinary surgeries can also help to protect your cat against some serious health conditions. Today, our Davidson County vets discuss the best age to have your kitten fixed as well as the benefits of having your cat spayed or neutered.
Reduces Risk Of Certain Diseases
Spaying a female cat can help reduce the risk of pyometra and tumors of the mammary glands. Neutering male cats can help prevent the spread of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukemia Virus. Male cat sterilization lessens their predisposition to go into a fight with other cats. This helps them stay protected against these viruses.
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Benefits Of Spaying Your Female Cat
Population Control
Your tiny little kitten may actually be mature enough to have kittens of her own before she is even six months old. By spaying your female cat before she is mature enough to have kittens, you help to reduce the population of unwanted cats in your neighborhood.
Not only that, female cats can have as many as four litters a year. When we consider that the average litter can range in size from two kittens to as many as ten kittens, that is a staggering number of unwanted cats.
Animal Health
Spaying your kitten before she has her first heat can help to reduce her risk of pyometra as well as mammary tumors. It’s also important to note that female cats carrying infectious diseases can pass serious conditions on to their kittens who go on to spread the disease even further. Pregnancy and the birth process can be risky for young cats, and costly to their owners.
Save Wildlife
It is estimated that cats in the USA kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds each year. Keeping the numbers of homeless cats to a minimum can help to save the lives of countless birds and other wildlife.
Deter Nuisance Behaviors
What Is The Vaccination Schedule Of Kittens & Cats
All kittens require vaccination to keep them healthy. By keeping far from the viral disease, we have divided two types of vaccinations.
- Core Cat Vaccinations: Core cat vaccinations protect against common and particularly dangerous diseases and are recommended for all kittens and adult cats.
- Non-Core Vaccinations: Non-core Vaccination is not necessarily suggested for all cats. Instead, these vaccines are recommended only for those cats or kittens with a high risk of infections. In the case of noninvasive vaccinations, your cats lifestyle should be assessed to determine the risk of disease and whether the risk associated with vaccination outweighs the risk of your cat getting the disease.
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What Happens During Spaying And Neutering Surgery
Spaying is the surgical removal of a female cats ovaries and uterus, while neutering is the removal of a male cats testicles. While both operations are conducted routinely with few complications, only licensed veterinarians are allowed to perform them.
Prior to surgery, your veterinarian may carry out a complete physical examination of your cat or draw a sample of his blood for analysis. To minimize pain and discomfort, both spaying and neutering are conducted while your cat is under general anesthesia.
Following surgery, your veterinarian will instruct you on how to care for your cat while he is recovering. Most cats are back to normal within a few days. The surgery site usually heals within two weeks and any skin stitches are removed at a follow-up appointment with your vet.