Male or female?  Fixed before or after they reach sexual maturity?

My boy cats were playing the next day with little obvious discomfort.  (For
male the testicles are removed, females have to have a total hysterectomy.)
The girl cats took longer to heal - but after about 4 days were back to
normal.  Regardless of some temporary pain, YOU ARE DOING THE VERY BEST
THING in having them fixed.  So pat yourself on the back, and encourage
other cat owners to be responsible about neutering too.  And yes, I'd
certainly pay for the pain medicine.
(Unfortunately, vets can't prescibe tranquilizers for worried owners ;)!!! )

More details about cat's sex lives:

IMO, its probably a bit harder on the animal if you wait until after their
first heat.
But you'd have to ask a vet to know if thats really true.  All my animals
were fixed as early as the vet would operate (about 4 months, some vets
operate earlier now).

That way you avoid the cats picking up bad habits.  Tomcats fixed after
sexual maturity do calm down a lot, but if they have already started
spraying you may still have a problem (and need to patiently retrain him).
The older neutered tom is also more likely to still wander some or even
fight.  (Please keep your cats inside for their own safety!!!)  This is
because the male behavoirs are learned and not just under hormonal control.
BUT - its still best to fix an unneutered older tomcat - he will be much
happier, so will you and their won't be dozens of little unwanted kittens.

Of course, fixing an intact sexually mature female (or 'queen'), eliminates
unwanted kittens.  She will also stop cycling into heat - which if you ever
have had an intact female inside for long you know is a major nuisance.
When she's in heat she'll cry, howl, try constantly to escape - she's
literally uncomfortable unless she gets pregnant.  Queens can even start
spraying.  The female heat  lasts several days and can reoccur every few
weeks unless she becomes pregnant.

(Breeders have a special trick they use to fool the female's body into
thinking its pregnant - and ending the heat.  After all, they don't want
their precious queens having more than 1-2 litters a year.  More is very
unhealthy.)

See this link for females and heat:
http://cats.about.com/cs/pregnancybirth/ht/oestrus.htm

-- maryjane

ooops

actual link is http://www.spayva.org/spay_neuter.html
i had added a q to that link.. in previous re:

later

LIKE YOU NEED TO CLICK IT ANYWAY!
YOU'VE CLICKED ENOUGH LINKS, YOUR OVER YOUR LIMIT ANYWAY

Phil,  How and where is the patch affixed?  I am thinking it might calm
Tiger down before his next vet trip.

                 ---MIKE---