How Will Spaying Affect My Cats Diet
As soon as your cat has been spayed, youll start to notice changes in her behaviour including her feeding habits. Her appetite can increase by 20-25%, but her actual energy expenditure reduces by 30%. This means its very easy for your queen to over eat and store the extra energy as fat.
If you decide to spay your cat while shes still a kitten, she will still be growing and therefore needs a food which supports this without encouraging her to put on weight unnecessarily. Specific food, formulated for sterilised kittens, is one of the best things to feed her at this point.
Should I Get My Cat Spayed
Its up to you whether you decide to get your queen spayed, or whether you want her to have kittens in the future. There are a number of benefits to sterilising your cat the most important is that it can significantly increase her lifespan.
Spaying can also:
- Reduce the likelihood of your queen fighting with other cats
- Reduce the likelihood of STIs spreading
- Limit the number of stray cats which occur with unwanted litters
- Reduce the symptoms of being in heat, which can be noisy and irritating for owners
Will Neutering Make My Cat Fat
No, neutering your cat wont make them fat. However, afterwards, your cat may not need as many calories to maintain a healthy weight. Make sure your cat is fed an appropriate amount of a complete diet thats right for their life stage so they stay slim and healthy. In fact, you can buy special food for neutered cats, which have the correct balance of nutrients and calories for them. If youre concerned your cat is putting on weight after neutering, talk to your vet or vet nurse about the best ways to keep them an ideal body condition score.
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At What Age Should I Spay Or Neuter My Cats
Submitted by: Philip A. Bushby, DVM, MS, DACVS
In June of 2017, the AVMA formally endorsed the consensus document put forth by the Veterinary Task Force on Feline Sterilization for Age of Spay and Neuter Surgery, which recommends cats not intended for breeding be gonadectomized by five months of age. This joined endorsements from other veterinary medical and cat breeding associations including the American Association of Feline Practitioners, Association of Shelter Veterinarians, American Animal Hospital Association, Winn Foundation, Catalyst Council, Cat Fanciers Association and The International Cat Association. Feline Fix by Five is a campaign promoted by the Marians Dream Foundation to share this recommendation that has garnered such broad support. FFF was born out of awareness that cats can be reproductively active by 4 to 5 months of age, yet most veterinarians recommend spay/neuter of cats at 6 months of age or older. The result of this mismatch between age at which cats can become pregnant and the recommended age of sterilization is demonstrated any time one walks into a local animal shelter.
For more information on Feline Fix by Five go to: .
For more information on the AVMAs position on spay neuter go to: .
To view a video describing the importance of spay neuter of cats by 5 months of age go to:
Esther Mechler, Personal Communication, October 25, 2017.
I Have Unneutered Female And Male Cats In My Household What Should I Do To Avoid Unwanted Pregnancies
If you have an unneutered male and female in the same household, have them neutered as soon as they reach 4 months old. If this isnt possible, and your female cat comes on heat, its essential to keep your cats apart at all times to stop them from mating. Please remember that related cats will mate, including brothers, sisters, fathers and daughters.
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What If I Think My Cat Is Already Pregnant
Most cats dont display physical symptoms until two or three weeks into a pregnancy. If you suspect a pregnancy, get in touch with your vet as soon as possible. Some vets neuter female cats while theyre pregnant, ending the pregnancy and preventing future pregnancies at the same time. To find out more, ask your vet about their policies regarding spaying.
At What Age Should A Female Cat Be Spayed
The more common age for a female cat to be spayed is during or after six months of age. It is possible, however, to spay a cat as early as two months of age. Despite the belief that this can stunt growth evidence suggests otherwise since there have been no documented effects on this nor on the development of the skeleton. It must be noted that at this age, the animal is more prone to complications following the general anaesthetic. The same is true for elderly cats although veterinary practices will ensure a health check is carried out and if the cat passes then there should be little or no complications during the operation.
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Should Female Dogs Be Spayed
Most veterinarians recommend spaying a female dog before her first heat cycle.
But before a dog is spayed or neutered, it’s very important that the vet, whether at a private practice, a spay/neuter clinic or a shelter, give the animal a complete checkup to ensure he or she has no health issues, Brown points out.
Ways to Prevent Mounting
female dog
Spaying a dog refers to the removal of a female dog’s reproductive organs, while neutering refers to the procedure that’s done for males. When a female dog is spayed, the vet removes her ovaries and usually her uterus as well. Spaying renders a female dog no longer able to reproduce and eliminates her heat cycle.
Common Questions About Spaying And Neutering
Q: What is spaying and neutering?
A: Spaying and neutering are common surgical procedures performed by veterinarians. These surgeries prevent dogs and cats from producing litters of puppies or kittens.
Q: What happens during a spay surgery?
A: During a spay surgery, a female animal has her ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus removed.
Q: What happens during a neuter surgery?
A: During a neutering surgery, a male animals testicles are removed.
Q: Shouldnt I allow my female pet to have one litter before spaying her?
A: No. There is no medically proven benefit. Spaying a pet before her first heat can significantly decrease her risk of breast cancer and provide other health and behavior benefits .
Q: Why should I neuter my male pet if he cant give birth?
A: Its simple: It takes two to tango! Neutering males also has many health and behavior benefits.
Q: How old should my pet be to have spay or neuter surgery?
A: Kittens and puppies can be safely spayed or neutered at 8 weeks of age. Optimally female pets should be spayed before their first heat as early as 6 months of age for dogs and 5 months of age for cats.
Q: Can pregnant cats and dogs be spayed?
A: Yes. Spaying during pregnancy is slightly more difficult. But it is better than producing more animals who could potentially end up in shelters and be euthanized.
Q: Can cats be spayed if they are nursing kittens?
Q: At what age do unspayed female cats and dogs stop giving birth?
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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?
When Can I Get My Cat Spayed
Whether male or female, you can get your cat sterilised around puberty. For queens, this is at six to seven months old, although it can be done safely from the age of three months. Female kittens tend to have their first heat cycle when theyre six months old youll notice a change in their behaviour as they meow a lot, rub up against your legs or furniture, and adopt a mating posture whenever their back is touched.
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Is 4 Months Too Early To Neuter A Cat
Most shelter vets agree that animals can be neutered between the ages of 6 to 8 weeks, or when the kitten reaches 2 pounds. Most vets will not attempt to neuter a kitten less than 2 pounds. In a new campaign designed to promote neutering, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary advocates kittens be neutered at 12 weeks.
Whats Involved In The Cat Neutering Process
Both operations are carried out under general anaesthetic. Every surgical procedure has some risk but modern techniques are very safe.
Because it involves surgery, there will be some discomfort but cats are given drugs to control this and most of them are up and about just a few hours after theyve had their operation.
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Are There Other Benefits To Spaying My Cat
The most obvious benefit is the prevention of unplanned pregnancies. There is no behavioral, medical, or scientific reason for letting your cat have a litter before she is spayed.
“There is no behavioral, medical, or scientific reason for letting your cat have a litter before she is spayed.”
Once a cat reaches puberty, usually at around seven months of age, she will have a heat or estrous cycle every two to three weeks for most of the year, unless she becomes pregnant. She will be ‘in heat’ or receptive to mating for approximately one week in each cycle. During heat, she may display unsociable behavior such as loud and persistent crying and frequent rubbing and rolling on the floor. She may also urinate outside her litterbox as a marking behavior. This behavior coupled with her scent, will attract male cats from miles around. Removal of the ovaries will stop her estrus cycles.
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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How Can Pet Insurance Help
While spaying or neutering your cat can reduce the risk of certain illnesses like uterine and testicular cancer, theres still a chance they can get sick. And if that day comes, having pet insurance can help you say yes to the best care even when its costly.
Learn how Pumpkins cat insurance plans can help protect your kittys health when it matters most.
*Pumpkin Pet Insurance policies do not cover pre-existing conditions. Waiting periods, annual deductible, co-insurance, benefit limits and exclusions may apply. For full terms, visit pumpkin.care/insurancepolicy.Products, discounts, and rates may vary and are subject to change. Pumpkin Insurance Services Inc. is a licensed insurance agency, not an insurer. Insurance is underwritten by United States Fire Insurance Company , a Crum & Forster Company and produced by Pumpkin. Pumpkin receives compensation based on the premiums for the insurance policies it sells. For more details visit pumpkin.care/underwriting-information and pumpkin.care/insurance-licenses.
Why Should I Have My Cat Spayed
It is recommended that all non-breeding cats be sterilized. Several health benefits are associated with spaying your cat. First, spaying eliminates the risk of ovarian and uterine cancers. Second, breast cancer is the number one type of cancer diagnosed in intact female cats. If your cat is spayed before her first heat cycle, there is less than ½ of 1% chance of developing breast cancer. With every subsequent heat cycle, the risk of developing breast cancer increases. After about 2½ years of age, ovariohysterectomy offers no protective benefit against developing breast cancer.
Unspayed female cats also carry the risk of developing pyometra a fatal condition of the uterus that requires surgery to treat.
Finally, cats with diabetes or epilepsy should be spayed to prevent hormonal changes that may interfere with medications.
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More Reasons To Fix Felines By Five
Responsible pet ownership and spaying/neutering also:
- Helps the community by reducing the number of unwanted cats
- Reduces risks of hoarding and overabundance of cats
- Frees up shelter resources that can be used to help more animals
- Prevents risks of infections in the environment
- Potentially minimizes the risk of Toxoplasma being shed in the environment in outdoor stray cats
Whats more, spaying and neutering can help you!
- It can save money on emergency reproductive disorders like an infected uterus
- Spaying and neutering can save you time on trying to find homes for 6-8 kittens
- It can save you money on a veterinary visit to test all your kittens for feline kitty AIDS , deworm them, and give them their first 2 shots before you adopt them out
There are several reputable organizations that endorse and support early spay neuter in cats, and these include:
- Alley Cat Allies
- Cat Fanciers Association
- Winn Feline Foundation
When in doubt, discuss this with your veterinarian and keep your cat healthy and happy. But try to Beat the heat and Fix Felines by Five!
Spaying And Neutering: The Bottom Line
Spaying and neutering can help keep your cat healthier and safer and you dont end up with more kittens than you can count. To be on the safe side, get your cat spayed or neutered before theyre six months old. If youre wondering when to spay a cat or when to neuter a cat, speak to your local veterinarian.
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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.
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
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Benefits Of Spaying Or Neutering Your Cat
According to Dr. Jennifer Coates, veterinary advisor with petMD, spaying a female cat before her first heat cycle virtually eliminates the risk of mammary cancer. She says that this condition is especially serious in cats since feline mammary cancers tend to be very aggressive in comparison to other species.
Spayed female cats also cannot develop ovarian and uterine cancers or a potentially fatal uterine infection called a pyometra, Coates adds. Other health-related issues related to spaying include negating the possibility of the complications that can occur with pregnancy and birthing.
For male cats, Coates says that the benefits of neutering are primarily behavioral, although the procedure does eliminate the possibility that a cat will develop testicular cancer as he ages.
Anyone who as ever tried living with an intact male cat will tell you that the vocalizations, escape attempts, roaming, fighting and urine spraying associated with normal tom cat behavior can get old really quick, she says.
Feline AIDS and leukemia can both be spread between cats through bites, often spurred on by sexual competition, says Coates. So, reducing the urge to mate also reduces the likelihood that your cat will contract one of these oftentimes fatal infections.
Does Early Neutering Increase The Potential For Urinary Tract Obstruction
The most frequent argument in support of delaying male cat neutering is that performing this procedure before the cat is sexually mature predisposes the cat to urethral obstructions. The myth that neutering a cat before it reaches sexual maturity results in a smaller penis and predisposes the cat to urinary tract obstruction has been proven to be false. In a 1996 study, Root et al. demonstrated no difference in urethral diameter between cats neutered at 7 weeks, neutered at 7 months, or left intact.15 None of the short-term or long-term studies have shown increased incidence of urinary obstruction among neutered male cats.
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