When to get your cat spayed or neutered

[Willowy]

What is the difference in body structure?

In males who are castrated early (this is seen in horses, dogs, and human eunuchs too), their growth plates don't close until later so they grow taller, leggier. This is a documented effect of lack of testosterone during growth. I prefer the thicker cobby look of a later-neutered male, personally.

I haven't found any problems with waiting til 8 months to neuter males. They don't usually start spraying until 10 months or so. And, of course, as long as they aren't around unspayed females over 4 months, because it's hard to know when they become fertile.

 

[oldgloryrags88]

They'd have to do some studies to determine total risk. Rabbits have only recently become housepets so not a lot of studies on spaying have been done. The uterine cancer risk was found early because a university kept a colony of rabbits to study rabbit diseases and that was found to be a major loss factor in older does. So is the risk of spay-related pelvic issues as high as 80%, less than that but still significant, or is it random and not related to spaying at all? No way to know unless/until the studies are done.

I agree. All mine are intact (I breed for pets, meat, and fur).

 

[oldgloryrags88]

I'm actually for early spay/neuter . One of my cats was neutered at 6 weeks (he was over 2lbs). The vet who neutered him was my uncle who has been practicing veterinary medicine for nearly 50 years (he treats livestock as well as pet animals like dogs and cats).

I believe it is better to spay/neuter while they are young, as they heal quickly and it is much less stress on their bodies (especially for male cats since neutering is much less invasive than spaying).

It is a complete myth that the cat will not develop properly if spayed or neutered early.

In large breeds (both dogs and cats) you do not alter that young. It does affect the way they develop. English mastiffs (for example do not mature for 2 years. They can easily be 200+ lbs). No way do you do early altering on them. Ragdolls (for example) can hit 35lbs and grow for 4 years. Again, early altering is bad for large breeds. I use 3 different vets and they all agree with me on this matter.

 

[oldgloryrags88]

The reason to neuter cats is that their urine smells terrible and they are prone to wander and injured.  If you keep your males inside only, that's up to you.  For dogs, I would only worry if they are allowed outside unsupervised.  You wouldn't want to contribute to overpopulation.

Yes. I hate the smell of cat urine, so my male has been neutered. I have nothing against anyone though if they choose to keep intact pets as long as they're under control.

 

[oldgloryrags88]

I'm actually for early spay/neuter . One of my cats was neutered at 6 weeks (he was over 2lbs). The vet who neutered him was my uncle who has been practicing veterinary medicine for nearly 50 years (he treats livestock as well as pet animals like dogs and cats).

I believe it is better to spay/neuter while they are young, as they heal quickly and it is much less stress on their bodies (especially for male cats since neutering is much less invasive than spaying).

It is a complete myth that the cat will not develop properly if spayed or neutered early.

Also, it's been proven that early altering can mess up a male's urinary system and make them more prone to urinary track infections, etc. Maybe that is why my male has had issuses with that since he was 4 months old. He was neutered way too young.

 

[oldgloryrags88]

In males who are castrated early (this is seen in horses, dogs, and human eunuchs too), their growth plates don't close until later so they grow taller, leggier. This is a documented effect of lack of testosterone during growth. I prefer the thicker cobby look of a later-neutered male, personally.

I haven't found any problems with waiting til 8 months to neuter males. They don't usually start spraying until 10 months or so. And, of course, as long as they aren't around unspayed females over 4 months, because it's hard to know when they become fertile.

I agree. I prefer that look with late neutering in cats and dogs.

 

[Willowy]

Also, it's been proven that early altering can mess up a male's urinary system and make them more prone to urinary track infections, etc. Maybe that is why my male has had issuses with that since he was 4 months old. He was neutered way too young.

That one was actually disproved. They found no link between age of neuter and incidence of urinary issues. Breeders were dealing with urinary blockages from the beginning of cat breeding (most people at the time kept their toms outside so they didn't notice if they got blocked, they'd just "disappear", only breeders kept their toms confined), so even full toms can have issues, it just seems to be random.

 

[themomcat]

Male dogs can develop testicular cancer is they are not neutered.  Plus, they can smell a female in heat miles away and will do anything from digging under the fence to hopping 6 ft fences to get to the female.

I got my 2 male mix dogs from the shelter so they were neutered but my brother took 2 male puppy's from a neighbor and he decided not to neuter them.  A few years later, he was walking his dogs on a leash and they ran into another dog owner walking a female in heat and his dogs drug him over to sniff her and then they began to fight each other!  Not play fighting but violently and they tore each other up.  He had to take them to the vet for stitches and he was scolded.

When he moved to a house with a 6 foot privacy fence he thought he was in the clear but they climbed and jumped that fence! He searched for them and was lucky to find one a few hours later several blocks away but not the other one.  A week later, he finally found him at the pound. (he got lucky).

He finally decided to get them neutered to stop them from roaming.

 

[oldgloryrags88]

That one was actually disproved. They found no link between age of neuter and incidence of urinary issues. Breeders were dealing with urinary blockages from the beginning of cat breeding (most people at the time kept their toms outside so they didn't notice if they got blocked, they'd just "disappear", only breeders kept their toms confined), so even full toms can have issues, it just seems to be random.

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.

 

[themomcat]

Ok, I just did some research on when to have your kittens spayed and neutered and I am even more confused!  Seems everyone has a different opinion.  My kittens just turned 5 months.  2 female and one male.  The clinic I am taking them too only does surgery's on Saturdays and they are booked up for 4 weeks.  Can't get me in until Oct 22nd. They will all be 6 months by then.  I can't have my babies having babies!

How do I know when they are in heat?

I have no way to separate them but a med sized wire kennel and they hate it.  That's where I kept them when they were bottle feeding with an electric blanket draped over it to keep them warm. 

Hmm,, not sure what to do.

 

[Willowy]

Eee, that's cutting it close. Males usually aren't fertile at that age. But there are some early bloomers. If you see them flirting or meowing a lot or the male looks interested in mounting the females, separate them right away. But they should be OK. . .hopefully!

 

[themomcat]

Well Handsome is a flirt anyways, has been since he was 2 weeks old when I called him Daisy because I didn't know their sexes yet.  He is very lovable with his sisters.  Licks them and nuzzles them but has always been that way so it will be hard to notice if his attentions are in a sexual manner.  Are there sign when the girls go in heat?  That may be the only way I will be able to tell.

Handsome, the flirt.

kittens handsome on sofa.jpg

• themomcat
• Sep 18, 2016

 

[raina21]

Female cats are induced ovulators- meaning they don't have to go into heat to get pregnant. The act of mating stimulates their bodies to drop eggs. And many female cats are fertile by the age of 4-5 months. So if your male cat decides to mount/mate with one of the females, she could get pregnant. So I'd try to keep them separated as well as you can when you are not around to supervise them.

 

[themomcat]

Thank you Raina! I did not know that.  Only time they are alone right now is when I am asleep.  I am unemployed right now and the only low cost clinic within 100 miles of me is booked for a month.  Maybe I should just go ahead and pay the cost to have Handsome neutered as soon as I can get an appointment with a full priced vet.

 

[hellocat]

I am the one that should say thank you for your advice. @TabbyTom  

 

[hellocat]

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?

 

[hellocat]

I do agree that cats should be spayed or neutered since the benefits are obvious. I just want to know the time.

 

[tabbytom]

I am the one that should say thank you for your advice. @TabbyTom
 

hellocat - You are welcomed [emoji]128522[/emoji]

But may I ask, what did I do?

 

[di and bob]

You will definitely know if your female comes into heat, the meowing isn't soft and intermittent, it is CONSTANT and VERY ANNOYING! If you have ever seen two cats mate you would not make the statement they 'deserve' to mate, the male grabs her very roughly by the back of the neck and has a barbed penis, it is NOT in any way pleasurable and the female often gets hurt ( bites, scratches and even broken bones) I have my females spayed by 6 months and the males around 6 months too, before they start spraying and getting into fights that have me doctoring abscesses for weeks. They make much more calm and happy pets when they don't have to worry about getting out and going through all those hormone changes. I always stress out having the surgery done to those sweet little ones, but it is always well worth it in the end. I have a 9 year old feral tom that I have had around since he was a baby that no one can catch and he is to be pitied. One ear almost gone, blind in one eye and constantly full of bites and scratches, you wouldn't want that kind of life for anyone you care about. I just feed him and give him a warm nest in the winter and that is all he has ever wanted. Have your little ones neutered, it is well worth it! 

 

[talkingpeanut]

You will definitely know if your female comes into heat, the meowing isn't soft and intermittent, it is CONSTANT and VERY ANNOYING! If you have ever seen two cats mate you would not make the statement they 'deserve' to mate, the male grabs her very roughly by the back of the neck and has a barbed penis, it is NOT in any way pleasurable and the female often gets hurt ( bites, scratches and even broken bones) I have my females spayed by 6 months and the males around 6 months too, before they start spraying and getting into fights that have me doctoring abscesses for weeks. They make much more calm and happy pets when they don't have to worry about getting out and going through all those hormone changes. I always stress out having the surgery done to those sweet little ones, but it is always well worth it in the end. I have a 9 year old feral tom that I have had around since he was a baby that no one can catch and he is to be pitied. One ear almost gone, blind in one eye and constantly full of bites and scratches, you wouldn't want that kind of life for anyone you care about. I just feed him and give him a warm nest in the winter and that is all he has ever wanted. Have your little ones neutered, it is well worth it! 

I agree with everything you've said, except for the part about definitely knowing if they go into heat. Silent heats are possible. Also, as mentioned above, cats can get pregnant without going into heat at all because they are induced ovulators.