Thursday, March 28, 2024

When Should I Get My Kitten Spayed

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Can You Spay A Pregnant Cat

Should I get my cat spayed? | wikiHow Asks a Veterinarian

Spaying a pregnant cat works the same way that it would with non-pregnant animals, with a slight difference. It also involves aborting the developing kittens. Abortion is a highly controversial topic, and its the biggest reason that theres so much uncertainty surrounding spaying pregnant cats.

There are two sides to this argument, but its still a gray area to delve into.

First, aborting a cats pregnancy prevents more kittens from entering foster homes, shelters, and rescues that are already overcapacity. This gives cats already in the system more time to find their forever homes instead of being euthanized.

On the other hand, many people dislike taking lives at all even if the kittens arent born yet and believe that its perfectly acceptable to allow the pregnancy to come to term and spay the female cat after shes given birth.

Regardless of the arguments against spaying pregnant cats, the procedure is often successful and considered safe. The only difference from normal spaying surgeries is the presence of fetal kittens.

What Does A Spay Surgery Involve

This major surgical procedure requires general anesthesia. You will need to fast your cat the night prior to surgery. Most cats return home within 48 hours after surgery. Your veterinarian will advise you how long to withhold food and water, and any other details specific to your cat.

“Most cats return home within 48 hours after surgery.”

The operation is performed through a relatively small incision made most commonly in the midline of the abdomen, just below the umbilicus. Both ovaries are removed along with the entire uterus. The surgical incision will be closed with several layers of sutures. In many cases, skin sutures will be placed, and these will be removed after seven to ten days.

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.

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Are Complications Common With Spaying

In general, complications are rare during an ovariohysterectomy surgery. However, as with any anesthetic or surgical procedure, there is always a small risk. The potential complications include:

Anesthetic reaction. Any individual cat can have an unexpected adverse reaction following the administration of any drug or anesthetic. Such cases are impossible to predict, but are extremely rare.

Another potential danger associated with anesthesia arises if the cat is not properly fasted prior to anesthesia. Anesthetized patients lose the normal reflex ability to swallow during swallowing, the epiglottis, a cartilage flap at the entrance to the windpipe, closes and prevents food or water from entering the lungs. If there is food in the stomach, the cat could vomit while under anesthesia or in the early post-anesthetic period, allowing the food to enter the lungs and cause aspiration pneumonia, a potentially life-threatening condition.

Illness will increase the risks associated with anesthesia. Pre-operative blood work is a useful screening test that may detect pre-existing problems that could interfere with the pet’s ability to handle anesthetic drugs.

To minimize the risks, it is important that all pre-operative instructions are strictly followed and that you report any signs of illness or previous medical conditions to your veterinarian prior to any sedation, anesthesia or surgery.

When Should My Cat Get Spayed

When Should I Get My Cat Fixed?

When Should My Cat Get Spayed? When to Spay or Neuter Your Cat There are three general options: Early or pediatric spay/neuter is done at six to eight weeks of age. Standard spay and neuter at five to six months. Finally, waiting until after the first heat, somewhere between eight to twelve months of age, he says.

Your pet will not be able to have a bath for at least 12-14 days after sterile surgery, therefore if your pet requires bathing we recommend that it be done prior to the day of surgery. The night before surgery your pet must be fasted at least 12 hours prior to admission for surgery or as indicated by your veterinarian. If you are considering making special plans to be with your pet, we suggest you take the day off after surgery rather than the day of surgery. On surgery day, your pet will be with us for the entire day.

How long should a cat fast before surgery? The night before surgery your pet must be fasted at least 12 hours prior to admission for surgery or as indicated by your veterinarian.

Do cats act different after being spayed? During the Cat Spay Recovery Time A day or two of quiet behavior and diminished appetite is the typical feline reaction to having her insides exposed and her crucial reproductive bits removed. In fact, most cats seem more affected by the sedative effects of the anesthetics and pain relievers than by pain.

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Best Age To Neuter A Cat: Everything You Need To Know

Neutering or spaying your kitten can help solve a lot of behavioral issues in cats. These can include territoriality and aggression. Feline sterilization can also help curb the incidence of disease while controlling the population of cats. Though there are a growing number of cat parents who recognize the need for neutering their pets, one question remains. At what age should they have their kittens or cats neutered or spayed?

Do Cones Make Cats Depressed

That cone designed to protect their stitches actually makes your pet depressed. A new study by researchers in the Sydney School of Veterinary Science at the University of Sydney has found the cone, or the ‘Elizabethan collar’ as it’s known in vet circles, does indeed impact on an animal’s quality of life – owners, too.

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How Do I Care For My Cat After Being Spayed

Prepare carefully before leaving the clinic. Allow the cats to recover in an appropriate space. Put safety first. Monitor the cats carefully during the first 24 hours after surgery. Keep the traps clean. Feed and provide the cats with water after they regain consciousness. Hold cats until they recover.

How Old Is Your Cat

When to spay or neuter your cat

The age of your cat is one of the biggest health concerns regarding pregnancy. You might want to keep the kittens for moral reasons, but if your cat isnt healthy enough to carry them to full term, youll be risking the unborn kittens lives and that of the mother. For cats that are too young or elderly to give birth, the safest thing to do is terminate the pregnancy.

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What Is The Best Age To Spay A Kitten

So when can a kitten be spayed? There is debate among veterinarians about the time to spay/neuter your cat.

There are three different times in which you can spay a kitten.

First, Early or pediatric spay/neuter is done at six to eight weeks of age.

Second, Standard spay and neuter at five to six months. Finally, waiting until after the first heat, somewhere between eight to twelve months of age.

As someone who has had kittens neutered at nearly all the ages, I want to give you guys my opinion.

Phoebe, was spayed after her first time in heat. And honestly, I do not recommend it! At the time I had just found her and did not realize she was about to go into heat. But knowing what I know now, I would definitely spay my cats prior to their first time in heat. This allows them to not have to go through the stress of being in heat.

Cats Protection Advise Neutering Your Cat At Four Months Of Age Or Younger Find Out More About Kitten Neutering In Our Guide Or Find A Vet

Often, cats are neutered too late in life which unfortunately contributes to the number of unwanted cats in the UK.

If you dont want to find yourself with extra cats and extra cost, we recommend that your pet cat is neutered at four months of age or younger. It is important that the procedure is done before the cat begins puberty, preventing any unplanned pregnancies.

Want to know more about what kitten neutering involves? Watch our video. Search below to find a vet on our neutering database or learn more about neutering in our Help and advice pages.

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Benefits Of Spaying Your Cat:

There are many benefits of neutralizing or spaying your cat. All these reasons are enough to opt for a spaying method as it will lead to a healthy lifestyle for your cat.

  • Many times your cat might attract unwanted attention from other male cats. By spaying your cat, you will reduce the chances of your cat getting unwanted pregnancy.
  • Spaying eradicates the chances of showing rancid behavior your cat might show during the time of mating. When cats desire to mate, they yawl, cry in pain, and pee all over the place as an indication. Their desire to mate can be neutralized by spaying.
  • Spaying eradicates the chances of them from developing breast cancer before the first heat of mating is sensed.
  • Pyometra is a type of infection that spreads in the uterus. The treatment is expensive and can even be life-threatening for the cats. Spaying eliminates the chances of your cat ever contacting the pyometra infection.

Spaying or neutralizing your cat doesnt indicate that your cat will be sexually frustrated. It only indicates that their sexual urge will be suppressed as their estrogen receptor will be removed by the procedure. They can focus on their own being more than having to focus on reproduction. You can find a free cat spaying near me in order to get this procedure done.

Getting Your Female Cat Spayed

Why Is It So Important to Spay and Neuter Cats?

To stop your female cat from having kittens, she’ll need to have a simple operation known as ‘spaying’ before she turns four months old. This is also known as ‘fixing’, ‘neutering’ or ‘being done’.

When your cat is about four months old, she’ll start to attract the attention of tomcats, who’ll want to mate with her. This is why it’s important to have her spayed before she reaches four months, so she doesn’t get pregnant while she’s still a kitten herself.

You may have heard that it’s good for female cats to have a litter of kittens before they are spayed, but this isn’t true. Once she’s been spayed, your kitten will be able to do all the things cats enjoy doing, like going outdoors, climbing trees and playing.

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Why Should I Spay Or Neuter My Kitten

Kitten owners often ask us about spay and/or neuter procedures, the cost and reasons for spay and/or neuter. We recommend that all kittens that are not going to be bred be spayed or neutered both for their own health and to prevent overpopulation.

The Basics

Neutering is a term that simply means to remove the reproductive organs. In females the term is spay and the uterus and ovaries are removed. In males the term is castration and the testicles are removed.

Today this is safe, routine, preventative care. We use the most modern anesthetic protocols and monitoring equipment to minimize anesthetic/surgical risk. We provide pain management before, during and after surgery. We perform blood tests to ensure normal organ function prior to administering anesthesia, and we deliver fluids during all surgical procedures to maintain blood pressure and hydration status.

Animals are admitted to the hospital between 8 and 9 am and are discharged between 3 and 5:30pm. We want to ensure our patients are all wide awake before going home.

Overpopulation

The animal population is exploding. Each year millions of unwanted pets are born and then euthanized. This is a tragic and preventable situation.

Humane Society of the United States Pet Overpopulation Estimates

The Biggest Myth: Its Too Expensive

Factor in any additional cost for treating diseases that do not occur in neutered pets and the cost of neutering, by comparison, is minimal.

Other Myths:

Please Neuter

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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Can I Neuter My Cat At 2 Years Old

Is there a point where a cat is too old to be spayed or neutered? The honest answer is no. No matter what the age, with caution and preparation, even cats in their late teens can successfully be altered. In most every instance, the veterinarian will require blood work before doing surgery on a mature cat.

Why Should I Spay My New Kitten

Why Spaying your Cat Matters?

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.

What Is Spaying A Kitten

First, lets start with what spaying a kitten really is.What does it mean to spay a cat? Or neuter a cat for that matter? Spaying and neutering is the removal of the reproductive organs within your pet. For females, it is termed spaying, and males neutering.

This prevents your pets from having kittens in the future. Spaying and neutering are procedures that are required to be done by a professional licensed veterinarian.

If you would like to read more about spaying, you can read the full article about why you should spay your cats, here. You can learn about what spaying, or neutering, really is and why you need to do it for your pet.

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When To Spay A Cat

Vets recommend spaying a cat before she reaches 5 months of age. Spaying at this young age makes the procedure more effective at preventing reproductive illness, especially breast cancer or infections.

Pet parents of outdoor cats may want to have their pet spayed even earlier. Experts recommend spaying as young as 8 weeks for female cats who will spend time around other cats or outdoors.

For personalized cat care advice, including recommendations about spaying, become a Fuzzy member today and enjoy 24/7 access to our online vet chat. Members of the Fuzzy vet team are standing by to answer feline health questions of all varieties.

Early Spay/neuter In Animal Shelters

Pin on Cat Health Guide

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 .

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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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