When to get your cat spayed or neutered

[talkingpeanut]

I think the problem of overpopulation of cats lies in human, not cats or other animals. There are many homeless kids, so should human stop making babies until every kid has a home?

I'm not sure what this means. Humans have an option as to whether they want to reproduce for the most part. Cats don't. It is therefore up to humans to be responsible and to get their pets spayed and neutered.

 

[Willowy]

I think the problem of overpopulation of cats lies in human, not cats or other animals. There are many homeless kids, so should human stop making babies until every kid has a home?

I've seen farm situations where the cat population gets so high that they all die of a disease, or start to starve because there isn't enough food for everyone. I don't think the overpopulation problem lies with humans (unless you mean people who haven't controlled their pets breeding, that is true. But I think you mean that humans are only perceiving it as a problem when it isn't really a problem. That I don't agree with). Overpopulation means that there aren't enough resources for everybody.

And, well, yes, if human children were dying because nobody adopted them, it would be pretty selfish to keep having kids and refusing to adopt. But that's not how it is with humans. In the US it takes a huge amount of money, time, and effort to adopt a child. They aren't suffering for lack of homes. The children in foster care who haven't been adopted usually are not even available for adoption because their parents' court case may still be pending. Or they may have special needs that not many people feel qualified to handle. Even in other countries, well, the recent scandals involving children taken from their parents kind of indicates that the situation isn't as dire as some people make it sound. It's just not the same situation at all.

Besides, there are only so many kids a human can have before her uterus calls it quits. Most women can't have more than 5 or 6, some particularly fertile ladies can have maybe 20, and humans do not become fertile until they're teenagers. And of course most people don't want that many so they use birth control, which is not something a cat can choose for herself. Cats can easily have 10 kittens a year, sometimes more, and become fertile at 4-6 months. So the cat population can grow much MUCH faster and larger than the human population.

 

[molly92]

Well yeah, maybe but I still agree with my stance that animals need their hormones to develop properly (my 3 vets agree too). Neutering too young does not allow time for the testicles to descend and can causes the urinary system to not develop properly. That is from my 3 wonderful vets.

Research has shown that early neutering is very safe and is not associated with negative effects, male or female. Here are some sources on the topic:

http://rockymtnlabradoodles.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/Early-Spay_neuter.pdf

http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2004.224.372

http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2004.224.372

http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/11787153

Quoting from the last study:

Early-age neutering does not stunt growth  in dogs  or cats  (a once-held belief), but may alter metabolic rates in cats. The anaesthetic and surgical procedures are apparently safe for young puppies and kittens; morbidity is lower and recovery is faster than in adult animals. To date, adverse side effects are apparently no greater in animals  neutered at early ages (7 weeks) than in those neutered at the conventional age (7 months).

 

[oldgloryrags88]

Research has shown that early neutering is very safe and is not associated with negative effects, male or female. Here are some sources on the topic:

http://rockymtnlabradoodles.com/newsite/wp-content/uploads/Early-Spay_neuter.pdf

http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2004.224.372

http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2004.224.372

http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/11787153


Quoting from the last study:

No. I am still with my 3 different vets. Altering that young ruins large animals like English Mastiffs and Ragdolls. I've had English Mastiffs since 2002 and Ragdolls since 2004. No vet would alter them at 7 weeks. That is way too young on any animal. You don't preform hysterectomies on a 8 week old baby do you? 6 months for females and 7-8 months for males is the youngest I'll do.

 

[Primula]

To confuse babies with dogs & kittens makes no sense. I agree with Molly92 - if the vet is agreeable I like to spay/neuter kittens at 8 weeks. No later than 12 weeks. The younger the kitten the easier the procedure is on it. At 6 months a female cat can have already birthed & will definitely have gone into heat more than once already.

 

[talkingpeanut]

No. I am still with my 3 different vets. Altering that young ruins large animals like English Mastiffs and Ragdolls. I've had English Mastiffs since 2002 and Ragdolls since 2004. No vet would alter them at 7 weeks. That is way too young on any animal. You don't preform hysterectomies on a 8 week old baby do you? 6 months for females and 7-8 months for males is the youngest I'll do.

I don't know about ruining animals... I do know that females are able to reproduce by 6 months. If you keep your cats totally inside, you can afford to wait. If not, early intervention is the way to go.

 

[oldgloryrags88]

I don't know about ruining animals... I do know that females are able to reproduce by 6 months. If you keep your cats totally inside, you can afford to wait. If not, early intervention is the way to go.

I agree with that.

 

[hellocat]

You replied the thread I posted.

 

[tabbytom]

You replied the thread I posted.:lol3:

Oh, that one :lol3: Just sharing

 

[hellocat]

I love to read or listen to people's sharing. 

 

 

[miagi's_mommy]

Miagi was neutered when I got him from a private rehome.. he was about a year when I got him. Tiger was already neutered when I adopted him at 5 years old.

Angel was spayed at 3 months, my choice. I think it's beneficial to have cats fixed, the cat overpopulation problem is really bad and it's better for their health overall.