When To Get Kitten Spayed

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.

Feline Age Vs Human Age

Cat owners often wonder how their cat compares to humans when it comes to age. Is being 7 years considered old for a cat? How about 14? How old is my cat in human years?

The average lifespan of humans in developed countries is around 80 years old. For cats, itâs around 15. However, cats mature faster than humans do, so at the age of six months, a kitten is not as helpless as a toddler would be at the age of three. Hereâs an infographic that can give you an idea about your own cat:

So, is 7 considered old for a cat? If by âoldâ you mean elderly, then not just yet. Most cats can still be considered as being in the prime of their life at that age. However, many veterinarians consider cats to be elderly or âseniorsâ at 8-10 years. Any older, and your cat can officially be considered an âold-timerâ.

Just like with people, individual cats age at different rates regardless of their biological age. Talk to your veterinarian and work out an adequate care routine that works for your kitty.

Comments? Leave them in the comment section below. Questions? Please use the cat forums for those!

Are There Any Risks Or Complications

Healthy young animals have the lowest risks and are less likely to have any serious complications. However, it can be much harder to keep young active animals quiet after surgery, so they are more likely to have simple post-surgical complications.

Older animals, or those in heat, especially those with additional health issues, have a higher risk and are more likely to have complications. If you have any concerns about your pets health or if she is on medications for a medical condition, please let the veterinary staff know ahead of time so your animal can be treated appropriately.

Some of the most common post-operative complications include inflammation or infection of the incision, opening up of the incision, swelling under the skin at the incision site caused by fluid, and bleeding. These complications can be caused or made worse by the pet licking or chewing the skin at the incision or by not keeping the pet quiet as directed after surgery.

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What Are The Benefits Of Spaying Or Neutering Your Cat

Now that you have a better idea about when your cat should be sterilized, its important to highlight the benefits of the procedure. While you may want your kitten to one day experience the joys of motherhood or are afraid your male cat may feel less masculine if hes neutered, the spay/neuter surgery provides different health and behavioral benefits that can help your kitten live a longer and healthier life.

Female cats that are spayed before their first heat for example, have a reduced risk for malignant mammary tumors later in life, which is diagnosed in 95% of female cats. It also reduces the risk of your cat developing infections of the uterus and cancers of their reproductive organs. Additionally, it removes the possibility of complications that can occur with pregnancy and birthing. Spaying female cats also prevents heat cycles, which can last several months, and eliminates yowling, crying, and other erratic behavior.

For male cats, the benefits of neutering are mainly behavioral. However, the procedure does eliminate the possibility of testicular cancer and other prostate problems later in life. Neutering your male cat will reduce his inappropriate behaviors , marking inside your home, and fighting with other males.

Why Should I Spay My New Kitten

Dr. Phil Zeltzman is a traveling, board-certified surgeon in Allentown, PA. His website is www.DrPhilZeltzman.com. He is the co-author of Walk a Hound, Lose a Pound .

Kelly Serfas, a Certified Veterinary Technician in Bethlehem, PA, contributed to this article.

• When is the best time to spay my kitten?
• What precautions are taken during anesthesia?
• What is the post-op care at home?

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian — they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.

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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.

Early Spay/neuter In Animal Shelters

Ensuring that all cats are spayed or neutered before adoption eliminates the risk of adopted animals producing more kittens. Many shelters will not spay/neuter kittens that weigh less than 2 pounds or are younger than 8 weeks other shelters, however, will do so provided that the kittens are healthy, active, and in good body condition .

Figure 2. Pediatric patient undergoing spay.

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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

Why Neuter A Male Kitten

Having debunked the myth of the intact satyromaniac cat and his endless series of fecund nymphomaniac partners, the question remaining is not when to have a male kitten neutered, but why. Regardless of how many kittens a male cat foists upon the world, theres no question that cat overpopulation is already a problem. Its a problem because it encourages the spread of communicable diseases, whether they are bacterial, viral, or because of secondary infections that result from untreated fighting wounds. Its also a problem because of the sheer number of cats that are euthanized every year in the United States alone.

There are more homeless and feral cats wandering around out there than we can possibly enumerate. Yet we do have something of a grasp on the number of strays that are put to sleep in shelters. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that around 6 million kittens and cats enter these facilities on a yearly basis, and around half 3 million cats are euthanized. One intact male living in your home will not substantially affect those staggering numbers. Just the same, are you, as a cat owner, okay with adding even a handful of cats to the total?

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Reasons To Neuter Your Male Cat

1. Reduce unwanted kittens and reduce exposure to disease – Reasons 1 and 3 above apply to males and females. Additionally, new young tomcats in the neighborhood may threaten other cats. Typically, these older Tom cats wont hesitate to fight for territory or other females. This can increase the risk of contracting FIV and/or FeLV from fighting and biting, not to mention receiving a nasty cat bite abscess too. These also require a vets visit so reason number 2 above also applies!

2. Un-neutered Tomcats will stray further away from home – These cats will risk crossing busy roads to find females and sadly may be the victim of a road accident.

3. Tomcats may start to scent-mark their home – This stinks and is very hard to remove. Ive heard reports of cats spraying beds, walls, and even a fruit bowl. Yuck!!

Spaying Vs Neutering: Understanding The Difference

Female cats are spayed while male cats are neutered. Both elective procedures entail removing the cats reproductive organs: the ovaries and uterus for females, and the testicles for the males.

Getting your cats spayed or neutered does more than help prevent an unplanned litter of kittens. The surgeries can actually lead to longer life expectancies for both cats and dogs. Bierbrier points out that spaying cats can help eliminate the risk of urinary tract infections and lessen the chances of malignant breast tumors.

Spaying and neutering also helps cut down on the homeless pet population, she says. Pregnancies lead to more kittens being surrendered to shelters, and some of those cats might be euthanized if they cant find a home.

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Have A Mom Cat And Kittens Time To Get Them Fixed

If you had a Mom cat have kittens in your yard this year, its time to get Mom and kittens fixed!

Kittens can be fixed as early as 2 months/2 lbs.

Females can go int heat as early as four months.

If you take kittens away and dont spay Mom- she may go into heat faster.

Moms can get pregnant while nursing kittens.

Moms will keep nursing after being spayed.

The take away message get all cats and kittens that you are feeding or that a friend or neighbor is feeding, spay/neutered ASAP!

Submit this form for help getting outdoor cats fixed.

Should You Get Your Cat Fixed

About 3.2 million cats arrive at US animal shelters annually, according to the ASPCA .

Spaying or neutering your cat is the absolute best way to help reduce the number of unwanted cats in the Baltimore area.

That said, the benefits of spaying and neutering your pet don’t stop at controlling the population. Having your kitten fixed can help to curb many undesirable cat behaviors and help to reduce the risk of your cat developing numerous serious health issues.

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Female Cat Behavior After Spaying: What To Expect

Vet approved

If youre new to owning cats, you might not be familiar with what people mean when they suggest spaying your female cat. Or you might be concerned about the effects of the procedure on your beloved feline. Either way, its always reassuring to know what to expect from the surgery.

Here are the answers to commonly asked questions to help new cat owners understand the spay surgery so they have a better idea of what to expect.

Recommendations For New Kitten Owners

Adding a new kitten to your family is a lot of fun, but it is also a big responsibility. Your kitten will need to see your veterinarian for vaccinations, deworming, and flea control. Proper nutrition is essential for growth, so choosing the right food is important. Spaying or neutering offers health advantages. All kittens should be microchipped to provide identification in case she escapes.

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Why Should I Spay Or Neuter My Cat

Simply put, neutered cats stay safer, tend to experience fewer health problems and dont produce unwanted kittens. Undesirable behaviours like spraying, nervousness, roaming, demanding behaviour and noisiness are reduced or eliminated even in adult cats.

Other reasons to neuter or spay include:

• Reduced fighting and straying
• Reduced risk of feline leukemia and feline AIDS
• Spayed female cats have a lower risk of uterine infection
• Spayed female cats develop mammary cancer less often
• Neutered cats develop hormonal imbalances less often

During The Cat Neuter Recovery Time

Most often youâll see absolutely nothing. Again, most after-effects are medication-related, not neuter-related. After all, feline testicles are tiny little things that tend not to have a lot of nerve endings associated with them â not at the age most kittens get neutered, anyway.

If there are any adverse, veterinary visit-worthy events to observe, they tend to be related to post-operative bleeding. Any bleeding or excessive licking should be cause to bring your recently-neutered cat to the vet for a follow-up visit.

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Five Weeks Old Kitten

Showing their independence, Darling, Denby, Corduroy, Tweed, and Wembley are beginning to demonstrate their individual personalities: Darling is a talker Denby is always up for adventure and a good wrestle Corduroy is brave and confident Tweed is sweet and loves belly rubs and Wembley is a cuddle bug and full of silly mischief.

Corduroy, brave and confident!

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What Are The Health Benefits Of Spaying A Cat

Ans. Spaying your cat also has a number of health benefits. Female cats who have been spayed are roughly 40% to 60% less likely to develop mammary cancer than cats who have not been spayed. Spaying also removes the risk of developing tumors in the reproductive system as well as the risk of infection in the reproductive tract. Feline leukemia and feline AIDS are more common in cats who mate or fight . Both of these diseases are only found in cats and are, sadly, incurable. Your cats risk of developing either of these diseases is greatly reduced when they are spayed.

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How Old Should A Cat Be For Spaying

If you own a female cat, you’re likely aware of spaying’s benefits, from preventing the lady kitty from becoming pregnant to reducing pesky urine spraying behaviors. Pediatric spaying — getting a cat fixed before sexual maturity — has some advantages over spaying in adulthood. Think minimizing breast cancer risk.

Cat Neutering Or Spaying Aftercare

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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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Do Cats Put On Weight After Being Neutered

This is often said not because the procedure itself is conducive to putting on weight. But more so because the cat stays indoors for a while afterwards, and becomes more of a home cat after.

Its up to you as their owner to provide plenty to do around the home to keep their exercise interesting. Maintain the portions of food carefully too, dont over feed a cat. They are usually more than happy to eat way too much.

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What To Feed Your Cat After Spay Surgery

Your cat should be interested in food after surgery, although it may take 12-24 hours for her appetite to return after anesthesia and the stress of the procedure.

Continue to feed your cat according to your veterinarians instructions. If you are concerned about your cats appetite, please contact your veterinarian, as some oral medications can cause decreased appetite and nausea .

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