When Should You Get Your Cat Neutered

What Are The Health Effects Of Spaying Or Neutering A Cat

Of course, while spaying or neutering procedures are routine and considered safe, risk cannot be totally eliminated from every surgical or medical procedure. For example, cats who have been spayed or neutered do tend to gain weight if their diets are not adjusted accordingly. Neutered male cats are also at increased risk for developing urinary blockages.

The benefits of neutering or spaying almost always outweigh the risks. However, you should always ask your vet which choices are best for your pet.

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.

Difference Between Spaying And Neutering

The primary difference between spaying and neutering is in the gender of the cat. Female cats are spayed, and male cats are neutered or castrated.

• Neutering/Castration: This procedure is much simpler than spaying the female. Two small incisions are made into the scrotum, where the testicles are removed. This surgery is typically done under a light anesthetic and doesnt usually need stitches.
• Spaying: Spaying a female cat is a more complex procedure that usually requires a full general anesthetic, including a breathing tube . A small incision is made in the abdomens midline, where the ovaries and uterus are removed. The incision is always sutured up.

Both surgeries require preparation on the owners part beforehand and aftercare. And the outcome for both is complete sterilization, so the females wont be capable of becoming pregnant, and the males wont be able to impregnate any females.

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Are There Benefits Of Getting Your Female Cat Spayed

Getting your cat spayed will prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which can be highly fatal in cats. Beyond that, its cost effective and will help both of you live in harmony together. She wont go into heat every three weeks and ruin your rug, and shell be less likely to wake you up meowing at the top of her lungs for a male companion.

What If I Dont Spay Or Neuter My Cat

Some people choose not to neuter their cats. If you decide to keep your cat intact, bear the following points in mind:

• Unneutered cats roam away from home more often, so theyre at increased risk of being hurt in a traffic accident if you let your cat outdoors.
• Male unneutered cats are more aggressive than their neutered counterparts.
• Female cats go into season once every three months. While in season, theyre noisier, more anxious and far more demanding.
• Unspayed female cats have up to three litters per year, with as many as six kittens in each litter and that can get expensive.
• Many unspayed female cats develop mammary cancers by the time theyre six or seven years old. If you decide to leave your female cat intact, check her regularly for lumps and speak to your vet if youre concerned.

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Spaying Or Neutering Your Cat: What To Expect

Your little baby is all grown up and about ready to be spayed if shes a girl or neutered if hes a boy. Naturally, as a pet parent, youre feeling a little worried.

But while any surgery has its risks, spaying and neutering are common procedures that most veterinarians have had lots of practice doing. February is Spay/Neuter Awareness Month, so its a great time to learn more about what happens when your cat goes through this process.

What should you expect before, during, and after the operation? Here are a few things you should know to prepare for the spaying or neutering procedure.

Any Complications To Be Aware Of

It would be best to get your cat neutered before it is a year old if possible. After this time, hell be more likely to continue spraying because of the testosterone levels in his body and the repetition of a previously learned behavior.

You should have a litter box with a low entry and line it with paper to avoid litter becoming attached to the incision. Just for about 24 hours after the surgery.

You can expect a certain amount of constipation but contact your vet if your cat hasnt pooped after 48 to 72 hours.

More importantly, while we mentioned this early, it bears repeating as its crucial. If your cat doesnt urinate within 24 hours after the surgery, you need to bring him to your veterinarian immediately, as it could indicate a severe complication.

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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.

Why Its Important To Spay Your Female Kitten

1. Heats are unpleasant to experience

An unfixed female will go into heat repeatedly until impregnated. Her heat could last 1-2 weeks, and sometimes theres little to no break between heats. Depending on the time of year and your temperature controlled, artificially lit home, she could be in heat almost constantly.

Its very unpleasant to watch your poor girl roll around and scream incessantly in desperation to be bred. Youll want to use earplugs for a couple of weeks and will want to do anything to make it stop. Many females spray just as much as males, too.

Youll also have to guard the doors and windows, as shell be desperate to escape in order to find a male.

2. Unaltered female + no pregnancy = deadly infection

Every time a female cat goes into heat, her body is preparing itself for kittens. The uterus wall will thicken in preparation for pregnancy. If shes not impregnated, the uterus becomes a breeding ground for bacteria, and can quickly turn into a life-threatening condition called pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus.

If its open pyometra , you will see pus or discharge and should bring her to the vet immediately. They may be able to do an emergency spay and save her. But if its closed, the infection is trapped inside and youll have little to no warning. The uterus could rupture or the infection could spread throughout her body, and she could go from being fine to on deaths doorstep in a matter of days.

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How Are Spaying And Neutering Different

When we talk about getting a cat ‘fixed’ what does that actually mean?

Spay

When we fix female cats it’s called spaying. Spaying means that the vet surgically removes the cat’s uterus and ovaries, or sometimes just the ovaries, so that your cat is unable to have kittens.

Neuter

Male cats are neutered or castrated when we get them fixed. This means that the vet surgically removes the cat’s testes so that your cat is no longer able to father kittens.

When Is The Best Time To Spay Or Neuter Your Cat

Christina is a copywriter and a loving cat mom to an adorable Bombay named Zetta.

• Christina Rasmussen
• The 13 Best Cats for Kids

Getting a new feline friend is exciting with so much to check off your checklist. To make sure they live a long and happy life, you want to make sure your kitty is as healthy as can be. If youre welcoming a new cat into your home, you might be wondering whether or not its time to spay/neuter them.

While both are common procedures, there are a number of misconceptions about them. In this article, well walk you through the benefits of spay/neuter surgery, the best time to do it, and how to get started.

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Does Early Neutering In Cats Causes Urinary Tract Obstruction

The most common argument that supports delaying neutering in male cats is that early neutering can cause urethral obstructions. This is a myth and a false one, and multiple studies prove that neutering for young cats is safe and secure. None of the research or scientific studies have proved the incidence of urinary obstruction among young neutered male cats.

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.

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Spaying Or Neutering Your Cat

Having your cat spayed or neutered can provide a number of benefits for your cat’s health, prevent unwanted litters and curb undesirable behaviors. But what specific benefits does it offer your beloved pet, what is involved in the procedure and when should you have it performed on your kitty? Here, our West Chester vets explain the details of spaying or neutering your cat.

What Is Spaying Or Neutering

To determine the ideal time to spay or neuter your pet, it is particularly important to understand what these services are. Spaying is when you have a female pet sterilized by having their ovaries and uterus surgically removed. Neutering is essentially the equivalent for male pets and involves the surgical removal of the pets testes.

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When Is The Best Time To Neuter A Cat

Some time ago, it was usually advised to neuter male cats once they reached 9 months of age. But nowadays the tendency is to do it after only 4 or 5 months. Much will depend on whether there is an un-spayed female cat at home.

The breed of your cat will also be crucial in determining when to perform the procedure. Your vet will advise you on the best time for the intervention after taking this information into account.

Do You Want To Adopt A Female Kitten

If you’ve got an un-neutered adult tomcat and you want to adopt a female kitten, it will be necessary to get the tomcat neutered beforehand.

A non-neutered adult male cat can be brutal with a younger female cat, even when they’re not in heat. He can cause much damage when trying to force himself upon her. Female adults know how to properly defend themselves against harassment, but younger cats do not.

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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:

Do You Want To Adopt Another Male Adult Cat

In this case it will be essential for both cats to be neutered before they’re put together, unless you fancy being on the news after having to change all your furniture, lights and valuable objects from your shelves as a result of a brutal war held between both cats.

Putting two un-neutered, adult male cats together in a limited space is a foolish idea. It’s plausible on a farm, but not in a flat.

This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.

If you want to read similar articles to When Should You Neuter a Male Cat?, we recommend you visit our Other health problems category.

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Reduce Unwanted Kitten Euthanasia

The other big benefit is a reduction in the number of kittens looking for new homes. If there is one thing that cats are good at it is getting pregnant and producing kittens. Did you know that over half of cats admitted to animal shelters are kittens.

Now you might think that if your cat had kittens you would easily be able to find homes for them. Unfortunately it is not always this simple. I know how hard it can be as we often end up re-homing stray kittens at the vet clinic and it can sometimes take a really long time to find them homes even when they are incredibly cute and well behaved.

This shows in the figures with over 40% of kittens coming from owned cats. So that’s 40% of all the kittens in shelters coming from the unintentional breeding of pet cats whose owners could not find them new homes.

As much as I would like to say that all these cats then found forever homes the reality is that around 30% of shelter cats are euthanized. That is a huge proportion.

It Does Not Produce Health Problems In The Kitten

One of the reasons why some veterinarians do not recommend neutering a cat earlier than 6 months of age is the risk of health problems. However, the VTFFSs review of scientific literature showed that early neutering does not cause any health issue in the growing cat. It does not affect the kittens physical and musculoskeletal development. Early neutering also does not lead to problems in the cats behavior.

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Spaying And Neutering Are Cost Effective

The long-term costs you could incur by not spaying or neutering your furry friend can be excessive. Treating cancers of the reproductive system can be quite costly, as is caring for a new cat litter. Additionally, unaltered pets can be more destructive and may engage in serious fights with neighborhood strays, often requiring pricey treatments.

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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Read More About Neutering Your Cat

Neutering is a surgical procedure, undertaken to prevent both female and male cats from reproducing. In males the testicles are removed this is the main source of the hormone testosterone, so levels of this hormone fall after the surgery.

It is common practice for the ovariohysterectomy technique to be used for cat spaying in UK. However individual practices have their own protocols in place, and both methods of cat spaying – ovariectomy and ovariohysterectomy are an accepted technique for spaying of female cats. Once spayed, your cat will no longer be able to fall pregnant, and will also not have any seasons. If you have further questions about the procedure, please do speak with your local Vets4Pets vet.

In all cases, neutering involves a general anaesthetic. Your cat will come into the practice in the morning, stay for the day to have the operation, and in most cases will be reunited with you the same day. Although all surgical procedures come with some risk, neutering is the most common procedure undertaken at our vet practices, and the techniques are very safe. Neutering cats is also a relatively quick procedure, especially males, which helps keep the risk low.

There are some alternatives to the cone available, such as specially designed onesies, which may be more suitable to your cat. Some owners also fashion protective wear out of human clothes such as babygrows, but care should be taken in these cases as they may be easier for your cat to get around.