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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / December 2004Spaying Question for Owners Who Spayed Their Female
What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to expect. >What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? >Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My >female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to >expect. I spayed my cat Mimi after she gave birth to four kittens. She was already in heat again. She was sore for 1.5 days, then was back to normal. She did not get a saggy belly, even though she was pregnant once. She isn't fat. She's still her active, sweet self. I think some cats, spayed or not, just get the saggy swaying belly and a little fat as they get older. Some don't. >>What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? >>Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > cats, spayed or not, just get the saggy swaying belly and a little fat > as they get older. Some don't. Yes, my cat Madeline (whose nickname was Mimi or, more often, Meem) got what we called the "cow belly" after being spayed -- she wasn't heavy, but her belly got all loose and swayed from side to side. Rosalie doesn't have this. I didn't notice any behavioral changes after Meem was spayed. --Catherine & Rosalie the calicohead >>>What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? >>>Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > --Catherine > & Rosalie the calicohead Oh, yes, I forgot about the "cow belly" when I posted my earlier message. I did have one cat that developed that. However, there were no behavioral changes, and they did not gain weight. MaryL >Oh, yes, I forgot about the "cow belly" when I posted my earlier message. I >did have one cat that developed that. However, there were no behavioral >changes, and they did not gain weight. > >MaryL My daughter's male cat has a cow belly, too. :-) Sherry > >Oh, yes, I forgot about the "cow belly" when I posted my earlier message. > >I [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > My daughter's male cat has a cow belly, too. :-) As does one of my neutered males. I have read that this is actually genetic and nothing to do with spaying/abdominal surgery or anything like that (as Cassius shows). It's also not a sign of being overweight, just the way that cat is. >As does one of my neutered males. I have read that this is actually genetic >and nothing to do with spaying/abdominal surgery or anything like that (as >Cassius shows). It's also not a sign of being overweight, just the way that >cat is. I think that must be true. One of our three spayed cats has that "jungle pouch" but she started to develop that as a kitten, before she was spayed. I think it is genetic. One of our other cats is a stray we adopted as an adult, and even though she was estimated to be about two years old when spayed, she hasn't developed a floppy belly. > >As does one of my neutered males. I have read that this is actually genetic and nothing to do with spaying/abdominal surgery or anything like that (as Cassius shows). It's also not a sign of being overweight, just the way that cat is. Correct, its genetic. Cats naturally develop extra protection for their internal organs in form of a "cow belly". Some just have them better expressed then others. Its not a sign of overweigetness. You may have noticed when 2cats are playfighting or fighting will often kick the other with back legs into the stomach. Thanks to this extra layers of "cow belly" damage is generally not done. >>Oh, yes, I forgot about the "cow belly" when I posted my earlier message. I >>did have one cat that developed that. However, there were no behavioral [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >My daughter's male cat has a cow belly, too. :-) It's called a primordial pouch, or sometimes, a 'spay sway'. :) Primordial pouches exist to give the cats extra protection in that area (cat fights involve a lot of savage kicking with the hind legs at about that area) and to allow a longer leg extension when jumping. A primordial pouch is just a flap of empty extra skin between the hind leg and the torso. 'Spay sways' come from the weight that altered cats put on because their metabolisms slow down. Add that slowdown to the American tendancy to overfeed our pets, and you get a primordial pouch that is filled with fat that shouldn't be there, aka a 'spay sway'. Not all cats have primordial pouches -- many do, but the gene for it doesn't express in some. My personal guess is that the closer a cat is to feral ancestry (where the pouch is a very useful thing to have) the most likely they are to have them. The exception to that is Bengals and Savannahs, where the infusion of wild genes is via an ALC or a Serval and where the pouch is a desired trait (to increase the wild look). Both my Bengal boys have full primordial pouches with extra skin runnning from under their forelegs back to their hind. You can see it very clearly when they're stretched out, but they aren't fat at all. Orchid See Orchid's Kitties! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/bengalpage Want a Purebred Cat? Read This! -- http://nik.ascendancy.net/orchid One cat got spayed at 6 months. No noticeable difference at all - she's still a fireball and no pouch either. She never went into heat at all. The 2nd cat wasn't known to me until after she was spayed. She's pretty trim at not quite 11 lbs at almost three years old, but does have a slightly skoochy belly : One cat got spayed at 6 months. No noticeable difference at all - she's still a fireball and no pouch either. She never went into heat at all. The 2nd cat wasn't known to me until after she was spayed. She's pretty trim at not quite 11 lbs at almost three years old, but does have a slightly skoochy belly : > >Oh, yes, I forgot about the "cow belly" when I posted my earlier message. I > >did have one cat that developed that. However, there were no behavioral [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Sherry Neither Gnarly nor Cheeks got fat or "cowbelly." > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My > female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to > expect. I have never seen any effect at all. I have read that some cats seem more quiet, and it is important to monitor for possible weight gain; but that has not been a problems with mine (either male or female). My cats' personalities remained unchanged. On the definite "plus" side, there is a true health benefit. In addition to *not* contributing to the cat overpopulation (and resulting euthanasia), female cats that have been spayed are far less likely to develop mammary cancer and certain forms of tumors. My cats are indoor-only. If yours is not, Cinder will also be less inclined to roam. There are also uncomfortable mood cycles (and extremely lowd "yowling") if a female cat goes into heat. So, you're doing the right thing! MaryL Holiday safety tips for cats: http://community-2.webtv.net/getcathelp/holidaysafety/ > There are also uncomfortable mood cycles (and extremely lowd >"yowling") if a female cat goes into heat. So, you're doing the right >thing! I almost forgot about that. My cat Mimi went into heat. As she was FLV+ I couldn't find a vet to spay her. One person said she'd only be in heat a week a year. Mimi was in heat for I think three months straight. 24 hours a day of yeowling, groaning, sticking her butt in the air in front of the living room window, lots of male cats sitting in front of my front door spraying. It was a nightmare for all of us. I finally found a vet to spay her. The vet said some cats go into heat and stay that way til they "get some." >From: John Ross Mc Master pussycat@cathouse.meow >What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? >Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My >female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to >expect. The only thing I've ever noticed is the cat may be more calm after spaying. Some people say their cats become more affectionate after. It's much better for the cat to be spayed so that they don't have to go through the frustration of being in heat, plus it helps lessen the risk of some forms of cancer. Some cats may be less active after spaying, but my current cat is just as active. She is on a raw homemade diet and has not gained any weight from being spayed. If you free feed your cat, you may want to go to scheduled feedings (it's healthier for them anyway). Lauren ________ See my cats: http://community.webshots.com/album/56955940rWhxAe Raw Diet Info: http://www.holisticat.com/drjletter.html http://www.geocities.com/rawfeeders/ForCatsOnly.html Declawing Info: http://www.wholecatjournal.com/articles/claws.htm > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? Are > there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My female > Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to expect. I didn't notice any changes, other than the few days she was recovering from surgery. Of course, she was still a kitten, and cat personalities do tend to change anyway as they grow up.  Signaturemonique, who is sometimes allowed to pet Oscar, a grey^H^H^H^Hblue-cream DLH with an attitude! >What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? >Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My >female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to >expect. Bootsie, I noticed no change in her whatsoever. She's a terrorist and a tiny little thing, just like before. Biskit became a much nicer cat. She got fat, but she eats like a pig and I suspect she would have gotten fat anyway. Sherry > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My > female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to > expect. Only one of my female cats - Sabina - was spayed when I had her; the other 2 were already spayed by the time I adopted them - so can't comment much on them in this regard. After her spay op, Sabina ate more, but never got fat; before being spayed, she was a light eater - afterward, just middle-of-the-road. Otherwise, no changes in her behavior, except that she no longer "marked". IOW, there was no change in her personality. Cathy -> What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? -> Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My -> female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to -> expect. I noticed no change. Signature8^)~~~ Sue (remove the x to e-mail) ~~~~~~ "I reserve the absolute right to be smarter today than I was yesterday." -Adlai Stevenson http://www.suzanne-eckhardt.com/ ***Revelation 22:12*** ICQ: 349878998 http://www.intergnat.com/malebashing/ > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My > female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to > expect. Both my cats were spayed before I got them - the rescue homes in the UK automatically neuter cats before rehoming. Both are healthy and fit, as the death toll in the local wildlife testifies. Neither are overweight. When I was a kid cats weren't spayed (we never thought that cats were worth paying vets bills for). The answer back then to cat overpopulation was to drown the kittens as soon as they were born. Believe me, after seeing the alternative; spaying is the humane option. I believe that drowning kittens is now illegal in the UK. If it isn't, it should be! Dogs come on heat once every 6 months, so it's feasible, but IMHO cruel, to keep them confined during their heat as an alternative spaying. Cats come on heat every couple of weeks until she gets pregnant, so if you are not intending to breed from your cat please get her spayed, it will improve your life and her life. Oops, I've just been evangelical haven't I? Sorry, I won't do it again ;-) SignatureZ 51? 37' 23" N, 3? 56' 27" W > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My > female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to > expect I never noticed any changes with my cats. With cats at the shelter, sometimes the more unfriendly cats get a little more friendly after spaying. I think their hormones calm down. Just curious, why is the spay so far off? How old is your cat? Cats can be spayed as young as 8 weeks, as long as they are over 2 lbs. They can also go into heat as young as 4 months. Call around and ask for a vet that does pediactric spays. The recovery time is *much* quicker, the younger they are. Better for everyone, cat and human, to do it sooner. Signature-Kelly kelly at farringtons dot net "Wake up, and smell the cat food" -TMBG . >> What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? >> Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >pediactric spays. The recovery time is *much* quicker, the younger they >are. Better for everyone, cat and human, to do it sooner. The Humane Society scheduled it for 6 months of age. > >> What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > >> Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > The Humane Society scheduled it for 6 months of age. The AVMA endorses Early-age neutering (EAN). EAN has been *well-proven* to be safe and less tramatic for the cat than traditional-age neutering. > >> What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > >> Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > > The Humane Society scheduled it for 6 months of age. Huh. Then maybe the individual shelters of the Humane Society aren't all on the same page. I think the one in this area has been doing early neutering for a good ten years now - to ensure that even the younger kittens are already altered by the time they're adopted out. Cathy >Huh. Then maybe the individual shelters of the Humane Society aren't all on >the same page. I think the one in this area has been doing early neutering >for a good ten years now - to ensure that even the younger kittens are >already altered by the time they're adopted out. > >Cathy I think "Humane Society" is just a name. None of them are affiliated with each other unless you're talking specific, ASPCA or something. We schedule spays at 6 months because the damn vets refuse to do it earlier and every vet in the county sticks together on that one. I gripe about it all the time though so I'll just shut up now. Wait. No, I won't....the problem is the kittens. We still have to take the money for spay, then call and pester them to make sure they do it when the cat is 6 months old. You wouldn't believe the number of people who have to be harangued into it, even though they've already paid for it!! Sherry > >Huh. Then maybe the individual shelters of the Humane Society aren't all on > >the same page. I think the one in this area has been doing early neutering [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > I think "Humane Society" is just a name. None of them are affiliated with each > other unless you're talking specific, ASPCA or something. ??? There're the ASPCA & The Humane Society in the US - two separate organizations that operate shelters. Neither one is a generic title, AFAIK. Cathy We schedule spays at > 6 months because the damn vets refuse to do it earlier and every vet in the > county sticks together on that one. I gripe about it all the time though so [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Sherry > > >Huh. Then maybe the individual shelters of the Humane Society aren't all > on [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > each > > other unless you're talking specific, ASPCA or something. Humane Society link: http://www.hsus.org/ ASPCA link: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer Cathy > ??? There're the ASPCA & The Humane Society in the US - two separate > organizations that operate shelters. Neither one is a generic title, AFAIK. > > Cathy >??? There're the ASPCA & The Humane Society in the US - two separate >organizations that operate shelters. Neither one is a generic title, AFAIK. Yes, that's right. But the local shelters, like "The Cook County Humane Society" or the "Topeka Humane Society" or whatever, have no affiliation whatsoever with the Humane Society of the United States or ASPCA. It's just a name. You or I could start a sheltering program and call it "The Sherry and Cathy Humane Society" and make up whatever rules we wanted to. I"m not sure about the ASPCA but the only support that the HSUS gives local shelters is guidance, legal advice and such. Or disaster emergency help. They don't offer any funding for day to day operations or have any say at all in policy. Sherry >Cathy > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] >> >> Sherry >Yes, that's right. But the local shelters, like "The Cook County Humane >Society" or the "Topeka Humane Society" or whatever, have no affiliation [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > >Sherry Well, to backtrack a little; I don't mean to sound like the HSUS does little to help on the local level. They have been a tremendous help to us during a puppy mill situation and also during the campaign to stop cockfighting in OK, and post-tornado help. Sherry > >??? There're the ASPCA & The Humane Society in the US - two separate > >organizations that operate shelters. Neither one is a generic title, AFAIK. > > Yes, that's right. But the local shelters, like "The Cook County Humane > Society" or the "Topeka Humane Society" or whatever, have no affiliation > whatsoever with the Humane Society of the United States or ASPCA. Oh! I thought you were saying that the ASPCA is an organization, but that there is no actual organization called the Humane Society - that it was an umbrella/generic term, of which any shelter - incl. the ASPCA would be a part. Hence the "???" in my reply. Now I get what you meant. Cathy It's just a > name. You or I could start a sheltering program and call it "The Sherry and > Cathy Humane Society" and make up whatever rules we wanted to. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > >> > >> Sherry The Seattle Animal Shelter has been doing "early" sterilization on kittens at 8 weeks for something like 20 years now. I was running a little under-the-table foster program when they came to that decision. (They now have a proper foster program, and a good one.) And Seattle wasn't the first shelter to have such a program. "Early" sterilization had been practiced and studied elsewhere for some 5-7 years before. Before the early spay/neuter practice, Seattle was adopting out puppies and kittens with pre-paid surgery, only to discover that the animals were never done. Sharon Talbert Friends of Campus Cats >>> Huh. Then maybe the individual shelters of the Humane Society aren't all > on [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] >> >> Sherry >Before the early spay/neuter practice, Seattle was adopting out puppies >and kittens with pre-paid surgery, only to discover that the animals were >never done. > >Sharon Talbert It amazes me, but that's what will happen if you don't do call-backs and nag people to death. I hate doing that. It also takes manpower which could be better served doing other things. Sherry > ??? There're the ASPCA & The Humane Society in the US - two separate > organizations that operate shelters. Neither one is a generic title, AFAIK. Our local (awesome) shelter is the Boulder Valley Humane Society, which is completely unaffiliated with the USHS. In fact, BVHS was founded in 1902, whereas the USHS wasn't founded until 1954. http://www.boulderhumane.org/ http://www.hsus.org/ Signaturemonique, who is sometimes allowed to pet Oscar, a grey^H^H^H^Hblue-cream DLH with an attitude! > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My > female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to > expect. Neutered cats need about 1/3 less calories. The reason why some neutered cats gain weight is because their caretakers don't make the adjustment in the diet. IMO, neutered cats are generally calmer, healthier - especially females, better behaved, and live longer than intact cats. Phil > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My > female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to > expect. Since the mid 1960s I've had purebreds (Siamese, Burmese, Tonkinese) and mixed breeds, they've all been spayed, usually around 6 months of age. None of them changed in any significant way that I could tell, either physically or behaviorally. Gail > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My > female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to > expect. They stop going into heat. Period. > > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > > Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My > > female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to > > expect. > > They stop going into heat. Period. Was the pun intended? LOL! > > > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > > > Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Was the pun intended? LOL! heh. No, but not bad, eh? I just meant that I saw no change except that Gnarly stopped being obnoxious from being in heat. > > > > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > > > > Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > heh. No, but not bad, eh? I just meant that I saw no change > except that Gnarly stopped being obnoxious from being in heat. Maybe a good place for use of the British "full stop" instead of "period"? ;-) Cathy > > > > > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change > afterwards? [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > > Cathy Is THAT what "full stop" means?? I though the Brits used it for drama! > Is THAT what "full stop" means?? Indeed. AFAIK the US is the only place that calls it a "period". I though the Brits used it for > drama! Just to confuse you even further, should you ever be doing any typesetting, you'll call it a "full point". > > Is THAT what "full stop" means?? > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Just to confuse you even further, should you ever be doing any typesetting, > you'll call it a "full point". Hee. Thank you, Ashley. I live to learn. There's two more for my vast collection of useless but interesting information! ;) > Hee. Thank you, Ashley. I live to learn. There's two more for my > vast collection of useless but interesting information! ;) You're welcome. Creating a vast collection of useless but interesting information is a noble undertaking that we should all partake in for at least a short time in our lives ;-) > > > > > > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change > > afterwards? [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > > > Is THAT what "full stop" means?? Yep. Cathy I though the Brits used it for > drama! > > > > > > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change > > afterwards? [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > Is THAT what "full stop" means?? I though the Brits used it for > drama! What do Brits call a comma, "yield" or an "irregular period"? > > Is THAT what "full stop" means?? I though the Brits used it for > > drama! > > What do Brits call a comma, "yield" or an "irregular period"? Ahaha, you are in rare form. Looking forward to a nice Christmas? > What I'm wondering is, how does the cat's behaviour change afterwards? > Are there weight gains/losses? I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. My > female Cinder is due to be spayed in March and i want to know what to > expect. Both my babies came to me fixed, Chablis is still long & trim. Muscat just had his 'procedure' 2 weeks ago, so we'll see. Both are active, healthy & don't show any ill effects from no sex life.... Unlike their dad.... SignatureMathew Butler to 2 kittens: Chablis & Muscat En Vino Veritas |
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