When Should Kittens Be Spayed

Is Early Spay/neuter Associated With More Surgical Or Anesthetic Complications

In 2000, Land reported on a survey of 85 veterinarians who had collectively performed approximately 200000 early spays/neuters .12 The veterinarians unanimously stated that early spays/neuters were safer, faster, and easier than the same surgeries in dogs and cats 6 months of age or older.

In a prospective study of dogs and cats, Howe compared short-term complication rates among 3 groups of animals: sterilized at younger than 12 weeks, at 12 to 23 weeks, and at 24 weeks or older.13 Researchers measured complications during anesthesia, surgery, and the immediate postoperative period and classified complications as being major or minor . For incidence of major complications, they found no differences among the 3 groups. However, for incidence of minor complications, they found a significant difference rates were highest among animals in the oldest group and lowest among those in the youngest group.13

How Old Do Cats Have To Be To Get Fixed

So when it comes to how old do kittens have to be to get fixed? According to many veterinarians, healthy cats should get sterilized as young as eight weeks and are over two pounds of body weight. According to a well-known veterinarian, there are mainly three stages for spaying or neutering cats.

• At an early stage, spay/neuter gets done when the cat is of about 6 to 8 weeks of age.
• Or it is done around the second stage when a cat is about 5 to 6 months old.
• After about the first heat, somewhere between 8 to 12 months of age.

Increment in the procedure of spay/ neuter is because it is a humane and effective way to reduce the number of cats living on streets and improve health of those remaining. Not completing the surgery on time can result in overpopulation of cats, becoming a burden of euthanizing unwanted cats.

Spaying A Cat: Everything You Need To Know

Written bySmall Door’s medical experts

Making the decision to spay your cat can bring up lots of questions. What are the advantages of spaying your cat? When is the best time to spay? How do you care for your cat once shes been spayed? In this article, well discuss what you need to know to make this decision, as well as what you can do to prepare for your cats spaying.

In This Article

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How Can You Help Your Cat Before And After Surgery

Most vets ask that your cat not eat or drink for up to 12 hours before surgery to reduce the likelihood of vomiting during the procedure. If your cat goes outdoors or isnt a fan of their cat carrier, consider keeping them indoors so you can easily collect them before the surgery.

A cat spay is generally 30 minutes to an hour, depending on her age and where she is in her heat cycle and the competency of the surgeon, while uncomplicated cat neuter can be done in under five minutes. Cryptorchid cat neuters will take longer and may cost more.

Surgery hurts, so pain medication should be sent home with your cat. When you take your furry friend home, they will be recovering from surgery, so they will need you to monitor them regularly for several days after the surgery.

When you get home, be sure to:

• Provide your cat with a quiet place to recover indoors and away from other animals.
• Prevent your cat from running and jumping for up to two weeks following surgery, or as long as your veterinarian recommends.
• Prevent your cat from licking the incision site, which may cause infection. A cone may be placed on their head to prevent licking.
• Give all pain medications as prescribed, even if your cat seems fine.
• Avoid bathing your pet for at least 14 days after surgery.
• Check the incision site daily to confirm proper healing. If you notice redness, swelling, odor, or discharge, or if your cat has a fever or is acting sick in any way, call your vet.

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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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.

Do Cats Pee After Being Spayed

It is a normal phenomenon if your cat doesnt want to urinate for 24 hours post-surgery.Your pet not going pooing or peeing the day of surgery is common. Since you denied them food the night before the procedure, their system might not currently have any food for them to digest.

In addition, your cats bladder is frequently expressed right before surgery, and/or your pet has already urinated or defecated by then.

During recovery, keep an eye on your cat to ensure appropriate urination and elimination. Urination should be closely watched for the first 24 hours following surgery because ovariohysterectomy risks causing injury to the urinary system.

You can stop keeping an eye on your cats urinating patterns as long as it eliminates within the first 24 hours. Although constipation could happen, most cats should recover from surgery with normal bowel movements.

Depending on how each cat responds to the anesthesia, it can result in soft stools or constipation.

It is a medical emergency if you realize that your cat hasnt urinated in the past 5 days. Contact an emergency clinic or your veterinarian right away.

Contact your veterinarian to find out the next steps in your cats care if you notice diarrhea that lasts longer than 24 hours or constipation that lasts longer than 2 days.

Please refrain from giving your cat over-the-counter drugs or human food products to treat these diseases, as many of these items may contain toxins or have harmful side effects.

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Health Effects Of Spaying Or Neutering A Cat

Talking about risk factors, there is no medical or surgical procedure without risk. Neutered male cats are at higher risk of gaining weight and urinary blockages. A good cat owner should always take the advice of a veterinarian about what is best for their kitten, what benefits are there, and what precautions should be taken after the surgery.

Some post-surgery complications include inflammation or infection in the surgery part swelling under skin at the incision site caused by fluid. Avoid your cat licking or chewing the surgery part as it may infect or result in inflammation there. Make sure to provide an healthy cat food diet for time being. There are various delicious cat foods available in market, choose one of them.

Like any surgery, it is an indeed painful process but, the benefits overpower all side effects and pain during this procedure. Providing proper medication before and after surgery may make this process less painful for your pet. The recovery rate is satisfying for this surgery. Your cat awakes after about 10 to 20 minutes and can walk enough.

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.

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Final Thoughts On Neutering And Spaying

There are many reasons why pet parents should seriously consider spaying or neutering their kittens, including preventing unnecessary euthanization of healthy pets by reducing the number of animals in shelters. When to spay or neuter a kitten is also an important conversation to have, particularly with a vet. Again, kittens are traditionally spayed or neutered at five to six months, but its not uncommon for them to undergo the procedure earlier. The ASPCA promotes spaying and neutering animals who are two months old and weigh at least 2 pounds. It is never too late to spay or neuter a cat, though senior pets will undergo bloodwork before surgery to ensure theyre healthy enough. There is no evidence to support the idea that early-age spaying or neutering increases shyness in an animal. Unwanted behaviors, reducing a male cats tendency to roam, may stop. You may not notice any changes in your cat.

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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.

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Will My Cat Stop Peeing After He Is Neutered

No, cats do not stop peeing completely after they have been neutered.

Peeing is a way to eliminate waste from the body, so why would any cat ever stop urinating altogether?

In the world of cats, spraying urine is not just a mating behavior. Additionally, it is a territorial action. Cats that have been neutered frequently mark their territory by spraying, especially if they feel threatened by visitors.

For instance, if you adopt a new pet, your fixed male cat may begin spraying to let the newcomer know who is in charge.

Your pet is using his odor to convey the above information by spraying urine. Neutering your male cat has a number of additional advantages, including minimizing the amount of sticky, stinky, and persistent pee spraying and helping to manage neighborhood cat overpopulation.

When To Neuter A Cat And When To Spay A Cat

Shes your personal welcome home party, your purring pillow companion and your little lap warmer on a cold winters night. As a responsible pet owner, you want to keep her healthy and safe and thats where spaying comes in. In this post, well reveal when to neuter a cat, when to spay a cat, why neutering and spaying are so important and how to help your kitty stay healthy after a neutering or spaying procedure.

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What Are The Typical Costs To Spay Or Neuter Your Cat

The cost of spay and neuter services for cats depends on various factors, but the biggest is where you go for the procedure. Though private vets typically cost anywhere from $200 to $400 and usually draw blood from your cat prior to the procedure to ensure that anesthesia is safe for your cat, and provide post-operative pain medication. If this exceeds your budget, you can look for a low-cost spay/neuter clinic. Typically run by nonprofits, all surgeries at veterinary clinics are performed by licensed vets and often cost less than $100. Either way, your pets surgeon will be sure to discuss the risks and benefits of spaying and neutering so you can squelch any worries before the procedure.

Tip: One factor that could affect the price of a female cats spay is whether or not shes currently in heat or pregnant, as this becomes a more complicated, high-cost procedure.

The cost of spaying or neutering your cat is far less than the cost of having to care for a litter, or the cost of potential health problems that can occur without the procedure. In fact, many nonprofits offer free spay and neuter services to those who qualify. The ASPCA has a list of low-cost programs across the country, including their own free services for residents who qualify.

Benefits Of Spaying Or Neutering Cats

Spaying a female cat before she has her first heat is considered healthy. It helps to reduce her risk of pyometra and mammary cancers. Female cats sometimes carry infectious diseases that transfer to their kittens and further generations. Those female cats not spayed go in heat frequently throughout the year and attract other neighbouring unneutered male cats. It can be problematic since they tend to fight and caterwaul.

The best age to neuter male kitten is 6 week to 8 weeks. While in male cats neutering is done to prevent the spread of severe cat diseases such as Feline Leukemia virus and Feline immunodeficiency virus that generally spread between cats during fights. The cat neutering also cures aggressive behaviour. And yes, of course, it is essential for population control. Also, unneutered cats are more likely to mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house.

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Early Neutering Of Cats: The Risk Factors And Benefits

Nicola Smith Friday, April 1, 2011

Leading feline welfare bodies in the UK are encouraging veterinary suregons to neuter cats earlier to reduce the number of unplanned litters born that lead to many unwanted cats. Veterinary surgeons have been concerned that early neutering may lead to higher mortality rates from surgery, as well as higher incidences of urinary problems, obesity and growth plate fractures. It has been demonstrated that earlier neutering does not cause any long-term health implications, and that the procedure can be performed safely in young kittens as long as the patient is properly prepared, monitored and recovered.

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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.

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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.

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:

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