a spaying problem

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elocs - 11 Dec 2004 23:31 GMT

I have always had all of my animals neutered, including a number of
cats.
I believe it is the responsible thing to do and good for the pets'
health. I know all the arguments for spaying, but I have a good friend
who has got a 7 month old female and says she will not have it spayed
because she is afraid it will change the cat's personality which she
says is now very sweet. She previously had a male cat that was neutered
who was great as a kitten, but after being altered became extremely
timid. I will see her at Christmas, so how may I convince her?
I would hate to see it happen after the agonies of a female in heat or
after a litter of kittens. Thanks in advance for any responses.

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Mary - 12 Dec 2004 00:01 GMT

> I have a good friend
>who has got a 7 month old female and says she will not have it spayed
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>I would hate to see it happen after the agonies of a female in heat or
>after a litter of kittens. Thanks in advance for any responses.

I don't think it was the spaying or neutering that changed it's personality.
Sometimes cats as they get older just get more mellow. Perhaps it had a
traumatic experience which is why it became timid? maybe one of her boyfriends
kicked the cat behind her back? I have noticed with skunks that if you wait too
long to neuter the boys, they get a little bitey when their hormones are
raging. Once neutered they calm back down. It's best to neuter before they
start feeling their oats. With skunks we just wait until the testicles descend
so the operation is safe. The sooner the better. It's also easier on the
animal.

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Cathy Friedmann - 12 Dec 2004 00:18 GMT

> I have always had all of my animals neutered, including a number of
> cats.
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> I would hate to see it happen after the agonies of a female in heat or
> after a litter of kittens. Thanks in advance for any responses.

If her cat starts marking (equivalent of an intact male cat spraying) in the
house, she might change her mind! I waited too long to have my first cat, a
female, spayed in the early 70's - I wasn't very knowledgeable about cats
then. She was over 12 months when I finally made the appt., & she had
started to "mark" - usually on clean clothes I had laid out for getting
dressed for work in the morning, or on clothes in the laundry basket. No
more marking after her spay op.

Personally, I doubt if the timidity of her male cat was due to his neuter
op. Otoh, perhaps something happened, re: his surroundings while at the
vet's, that spooked him big time? Or happened at home right after he was
altered, so that she associates the castration itself w/ his marked
personality change?

Cathy

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