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Cat Forum / General Topics / July 2003Getting cat fixed
I just recieved a kitten, 7 weeks old for my birthday, he's so cute! This is my first cat and I'm going to be keeping him and want to get him fixed. I was wondering at what age I should do this? I realize 7 weeks is way too young, but I want to plan ahead so I can get this done before he starts spraying. Thanks! Matt > I just recieved a kitten, 7 weeks old for my birthday, he's so cute! This is > my first cat and I'm going to be keeping him and want to get him fixed. I > was wondering at what age I should do this? I realize 7 weeks is way too > young, but I want to plan ahead so I can get this done before he starts > spraying. I don't think age is as much a factor as is weight, health and situation. If you can be sure to keep him inside and it's your cat you can afford to wait until they are 3 months old or so, if the cat has a chance to get out, or if you are adopting out the cat it may be prudent to do it at 2+ pounds, usually about 9 weeks old. The main thing is to put the cats health in as little risk as possible.... but still making sure you don't add to the population problem by turning a kitty maker loose on the world. Best bet is to have your vet decide when the right time is for your new fur friend. AG > This is > my first cat and I'm going to be keeping him and want to get him fixed. I > was wondering at what age I should do this? I realize 7 weeks is way too > young, but I want to plan ahead so I can get this done before he starts > spraying. Eight months! *foot stomp!* LOL! Dee > > I just recieved a kitten, 7 weeks old for my birthday, he's so cute! This > is > > my first cat and I'm going to be keeping him and want to get him fixed. I > > was wondering at what age I should do this? I realize 7 weeks is way too > > young, but I want to plan ahead so I can get this done before he starts [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > your vet decide when the right time is for your new > fur friend. Here we don't fix any cat before it's six months old. If it's kept inside 7-8 months is considered right. If they are fixed too young they can't develop properly, keep a small head a baby voice etc. For females it would be ideal to let them have a litter before they are spayed, but of course only if the kittens could be placed. But I've learned in this newsgroup that kittens are being fixed earlier when they are looking for a home, just to be on the safe side. But still it's better for the cat to grow up properly first. It's important to treat a new kitten against worms and to vaccinate it. When getting this done at your vet's ask the vet what he/she thinks. Carola (sorry AG, pressed the wrong posting button and wrote to you by mistake, to reply: mmullen at freesurf dot ch) > > > I just recieved a kitten, 7 weeks old for my birthday, he's so cute! > This [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > For females it would be ideal to let them have a litter before they are > spayed, but of course only if the kittens could be placed. I know it used to be thought that female cats were better adjusted if they had a litter. I don't believe that is still thought to be true and it absolutely has not been in my experience. There is no reason to allow your cat to have kittens...even if they can be placed. For each person born there are 15 dogs and 45 cats born. Someone who is going to adopt a cat will adopt a cat so if your adding to the pool of cats up for adoption..that's one less cat that finds a home. I know people breed their purebreds and there are plenty uninformed people out there letting their animals breed so the species isn't in any way at risk. Obviously it's better to have homes for the kittens before you allow your cat to have any but better still..convince those that want one of the kittens to go to the local shelter or rescue group and don't allow your cat to breed at all. > But I've learned in this newsgroup that kittens are being fixed earlier when > they are looking for a home, just to be on the safe side. But still it's > better for the cat to grow up properly first. I am not sure there is medical evidence that supports this. Like I said..we used to believe a lot of things. Medicine has changed a lot. > It's important to treat a new kitten against worms and to vaccinate it. When > getting this done > at your vet's ask the vet what he/she thinks. Excellent advice. Every animal is unique and whats ok for 99% may not be best for your cat. Always ask your vet. > Carola > > (sorry AG, pressed the wrong posting button and wrote to you by mistake, to > reply: > mmullen at freesurf dot ch) No worries, I have a munged addy anyway. :-) AG > Here we don't fix any cat before it's six months old. If it's kept inside > 7-8 months is considered right. > If they are fixed too young they can't develop properly, keep a small head a > baby voice etc. yes!! That's George all right, little head, little voice and fat! neutered at three months. Sam on the other hand, neutered at eight months, is a big ole thoroughbred of a cat! > For females it would be ideal to let them have a litter before they are > spayed, but of course only if the kittens could be placed. Noooooooooooo! Oh no! Bad. Dee >If they are fixed too young they can't >develop properly, keep a small head a >baby voice etc. This is absolutely FALSE. I suggest you do a little research on early neutering before posting such nonsense. You can start here: http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/reports/early-neuter.html According to this study "cats neutered and spayed as kittens are frequently larger (longer and taller) than unaltered cats or cats altered later in life. This seems to be particularly true for males." I have many cats that were fixed well before they were six months and none of them is "stunted" and one has grown to be 24 pounds. >For females it would be ideal to let them >have a litter before they are spayed, but of >course only if the kittens could be placed. There is absolutely NO scientific basis for this claim. Zero. Nada. NONE. This kind of thinking is directly responsible for the deaths of MILLIONS of cats that are killed in shelters every year because there aren't enough homes for them. >But I've learned in this newsgroup that >kittens are being fixed earlier when they >are looking for a home, just to be on the >safe side. But still it's better for the cat to >grow up properly first. It has been clearly shown that kittens grow up properly regardless of what age they are neutered at. If a cat that is neutered early remains small or stunted in some way it is genetics that are responsible. Megan  Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray | >If they are fixed too young they can't | >develop properly, keep a small head a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] | neutering before posting such nonsense. You can start here: | http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/reports/early-neuter.html Thank you for the link, it is very interesting. But I have to say that I didn't make up my opinion just like that. It's the belief of many, passed down through the centuries, so there have to be reasons that people hold on to these opinions. I have also read several cat books and I have talked to two vets about when it's the best time to fix a cat. They have studied for their jobs for years, so I feel they must have a certain knowledge. Both suggested 6-7 months (independently). | According to this study "cats neutered and spayed as kittens are | frequently larger (longer and taller) than unaltered cats or cats | altered later in life. This seems to be particularly true for males." This is new to me, I will keep it in my mind. I thought the most positive sentence in the study was this one: <The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) has changed its show rules to permit altered kittens to compete.> Carola >> According to this study "cats neutered and spayed as kittens are >> frequently larger (longer and taller) than unaltered cats or cats [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > <The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) has changed its show rules to > permit altered kittens to compete.> Why is this the most positive? Cats weren't born to be shown. > Carola -- Cheryl | > <The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) has changed its show rules to | > permit altered kittens to compete.> [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] | -- | Cheryl If you have a nice cat and you like to show it then there is nothing wrong with that. My neighbours have a *beautiful* Persian, coloured in a very extraordinary way. It's a joy to look at it! But it helps the cat population and certainly also some individual cats that the cats may be neutered to compete. Carola >If you have a nice cat and you like to show it then there is nothing wrong >with that. I see your point of view. But here's mine. Cat Shows go far beyond the casual owner who just likes to show off their cats. It's fiercly competitive, and breeders pretty well dominate the shows. They're striving for the rosettes, which will make their kittens worth even more money, and give their catteries more prestige. That's fine. But when the human judges start showing favor for attributes such as an even more concave face, as is the case with the Persian, people start to breed cats selectively for that trait, to win. We end up with what is now a malformed breed, with sinus and breathing problems. Look at the persian 20 years ago, and the persian of today. The judges here started showing preference for lynx tips on Maine Coons. You can bet every breeder is working on producing tipped kittens next year. I just think it's presumtuous of humans to attempt to genetically alter a breed to suit their fancy or for a mortal judge to decide what attributes constitue "best." So that's my story. My disdain for cat shows doesn't have anything to do with the cats themselves. The ones I"ve seen actually seemed to enjoy the attention. Sherry >But I have to say that I didn't make up my opinion just like that. It's the >belief of many, passed down through the centuries, so there have to be [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >years, so I feel they must have a certain knowledge. >Both suggested 6-7 months (independently). The vets here also won't neuter prior to six months. It's because they aren't trained in early neutering, I would suspect. Six months is fine unless you're a shelter adopting out younger kittens. It's preferable, MUCH prefereable, tohave them neutered before adoption. But under no circumstances should a cat have a litter before spay. It's an old wives tale that just won't die. >| According to this study "cats neutered and spayed as kittens are >| frequently larger (longer and taller) than unaltered cats or cats [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] ><The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) has changed its show rules to permit >altered kittens to compete.> I thought neutered cats always could compete. They've been doing it for five years or more that I know of. Although I agree with Cheryl, I don't think much of showing cats. Sherry >Carola >>But I have to say that I didn't make up my opinion just like that. It's the >>belief of many, passed down through the centuries, so there have to be [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] >years or more that I know of. Although I agree with Cheryl, I don't think much >of showing cats. Certainly not where you breed cats just for showing. I've seen some farmers weekend and town shows where they have a "family pets" section, quite how you determine the relative merits of a goldfish in a bowl being eyed by a DSH moggy cat which has been teasing the local ferrets is quite beyond me though...... >Sherry >> >>Carola Signature79.84% of all statistics are made up on the spot. The other 42% are made up later on. In Warwick - looking at flat fields and that includes the castle. >>>For females it would be ideal to let them have a litter before they are >>>spayed, but of course only if the kittens could be placed. That is NOT true at all!!! Harmful to continue to put that out to people. My local SPCA neuters and spays cats as young as that. I just adopted a 9 week old kitten and she had already had her operation. Check with your vet. > I just recieved a kitten, 7 weeks old for my birthday, he's so cute! This is > my first cat and I'm going to be keeping him and want to get him fixed. I [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Thanks! > Matt I'm unabashedly relieved that other shelters alter their animals just as young as ours! Woohoo! kehl_jads@charter.net writes >I'm unabashedly relieved that other >shelters alter their animals just as >young as ours! Woohoo! as a vet assistant, rescue & shelter volunteer, I can assure you that many shelters neueter/spay that young so that they can be assured that the owners won't idiotically forget. <!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> <blockquote TYPE=CITE>kehl_jads@charter.net writes <br>>I'm unabashedly relieved that other >shelters alter their animals just as <br>>young as ours! Woohoo! <p>as a vet assistant, rescue & shelter volunteer, I can assure you that many <br>shelters neueter/spay that young so that they can be assured that the owners <br>won't idiotically forget.</blockquote> <p><br>Then those shelters are not screening the prospective adopters well. I know <br>that it is tough to find homes for all the hordes of kittens born each year but <br>you have to be somewhat selective on just who adopts these kittens. <br>Sometimes you have to refuse an adoption if you feel the adoption is <br>not quite right. Will the kids terrorize the poor kittens? Will they get <br>tired of the cat in six months and dump it on the side of the road? As <br>much as you want every cat to find a home sometimes you just have to <br>say no. <p>Educating the people and follow up should be part of the adoption process <br>as well. Some are fist time adopters. Some have misconceptions which <br>must be refuted. Tell the people at the time of adoption "You must bring <br>the cat back on X date and have him/her spayed or neutered." Then <br>follow up with a letter or phone call near X date. Assuming that the <br>adopter is an idiot (admittedly, some are) and will "forget" to spay or <br>neuter is the fine but idiot proofing the cat is the wrong approach. If they <br>seem irresponsible then don't adopt to them. Period. <p>'Corse sometimes I believe that it is the PEOPLE who should be <br>spayed or neutered. Maybe the human gene pool would be better <br>off. <p>Steve <br> <p>-- <br>To Reply take out the NO NO's <br> </html Then those shelters are not screening the prospective adopters well. I know that it is tough to find homes for all the hordes of kittens born each year but you have to be somewhat selective on just who adopts these kittens. Sometimes you have to refuse an adoption if you feel the adoption is not quite right. Will the kids terrorize the poor kittens? Will they get tired of the cat in six months and dump it on the side of the road? As much as you want every cat to find a home sometimes you just have to say no. Educating the people and follow up should be part of the adoption process as well. Some are fist time adopters. Some have misconceptions which must be refuted. Tell the people at the time of adoption "You must bring the cat back on X date and have him/her spayed or neutered." Then follow up with a letter or phone call near X date. Assuming that the adopter is an idiot (admittedly, some are) and will "forget" to spay or neuter is the fine but idiot proofing the cat is the wrong approach. If they seem irresponsible then don't adopt to them. Period. 'Corse sometimes I believe that it is the PEOPLE who should be spayed or neutered. Maybe the human gene pool would be better off. Steve Undoubtedly that's true Steve, and if we lived in a perfect world ever good intentioned person who ever adopted a cat would follow through and get them spayed or neutered. We don't. You are putting the onus on the adoption agency to KNOW who these people are and who they aren't. All you can do is ask and 'attempt' to educate. You can't make people understand and you can't run detailed back ground checks on every prospective cat owner. In other words, no matter how thorough you try to be (and remember, it's not the FBI, these are usually small non profit organizations running on a shoe string) you can't be 100% sure that the kittens you hand out are going to be spayed and neutered. That needs to be done not just for the health and well being of that one kitten, but for the many that may follow if it isn't fixed. So, if you want to be sure, you do it yourself. AG > Then those shelters are not screening the prospective adopters well. I know > that it is tough to find homes for all the hordes of kittens born each year [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > AG I noticed my vet has a sign up on her front door now that shows the price of things like going to a movie with popcorn and dinner out for two and a set of manicured nails and then it has the price of a spay and a neuter and the caption something like "spayed or neutered cat priceless and happy" or something. I thought it was a good way to get people to think about it. Karen <!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en"> <html> <blockquote TYPE=CITE>Undoubtedly that's true Steve, and if we lived in a perfect world <br>ever good intentioned person who ever adopted a cat would <br>follow through and get them spayed or neutered. We don't. <br>You are putting the onus on the adoption agency to KNOW <br>who these people are and who they aren't. All you can do <br>is ask and 'attempt' to educate. You can't make people <br>understand and you can't run detailed back ground checks <br>on every prospective cat owner. In other words, no matter <br>how thorough you try to be (and remember, it's not the FBI, <br>these are usually small non profit organizations running on <br>a shoe string) you can't be 100% sure that the kittens you hand <br>out are going to be spayed and neutered. That needs to be done <br>not just for the health and well being of that one kitten, but <br>for the many that may follow if it isn't fixed. So, if you want to <br>be sure, you do it yourself. <p>AG</blockquote> Both you and Sherry make good points and I am the first to admit <br>that it is not a perfect world and some, undoubtedly, will fall through <br>the cracks. People will stand there and agree with everything you <br>are telling them and have no intention of following through. <br>Sometimes all you have to go by are your gut feelings and how <br>the person interacts with both you and the cat. A half hour interview <br>is not exactly hot lights and bamboo under the nails. Also, keeping <br>track of who has what and making the nag calls is time consuming. <br>It takes someone who is dedicated and good at this task. Computer <br>record keeping does make it a bit easier. Good people doing <br>these jobs are the key to making it work. Fortunatly, the group <br>I am with has a few people who are both dedicated and gifted <br>when it comes to weeding out the bad seeds. Keeping in mind <br>that the welfare of the cat comes first and formost ahead of hurt <br>human feelings helps when denying an adoption. <p>I also agree that there is no perfect solution when it comes to the <br>spay/neuter question. I just feel that putting a kitten through a <br>surgery that he/she may not be old enough for just to cover all your <br>bases is the least desirable solution. You, of course, are entitled <br>to your opinion. <p>Steve <br> <p>-- <br>To Reply take out the NO NO's <br> </html >I also agree that there is no perfect solution when it comes to the >spay/neuter question. I just feel that putting a kitten througha [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > >-- I'm not particularly crazy about the idea of early neutering either; there's absolutely no reason for responsible people to neuter pets before 6 months, really. But at the same time, I haven't been convinced that the kittens are too young, or that the mortality rate is any higher, or that there are any longlasting deterimental effects. If you have any information or studies to the contrary, I'd love to see them. I have not been able to find any. Sherry > >I also agree that there is no perfect solution when it comes to the > >spay/neuter question. I just feel that putting a kitten througha [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > I'm not particularly crazy about the idea of early neutering either; there's > absolutely no reason for responsible people to neuter pets before 6 months, Believe it or not, I have seen pregnant queens who were reportedly 4 months old (twice). > really. But at the same time, I haven't been convinced that the kittens are >too > young, or that the mortality rate is any higher, or that there are any > longlasting deterimental effects. Actually, there are many studies that report early S/N is safe. >If you have any information or studies to the > contrary, I'd love to see them. I have not been able to find any. Me either. If the organs are developed enough to handle the anesthetic, then the surgery is safe. That's why the kittens we do have to be 2 lbs., regardless of age. The anesthesia used on the little guys is extremely safe - usually isofluorane (and another inhaled gas is sometimes used instead - I forget the name - it is used on newborn humans who must undergo surgery). Neuter surgery, specifically, is no big deal - literally takes a minute, and doesn't require sutures. The spay is a little more serious, but still no big deal. My biggest concern has always been effects from lack of hormones, but seriously, the cats are neutered prior to puberty anyway, and I have never seen any cases of reported problems. -L. > I'm not particularly crazy about the idea of early neutering either; there's > absolutely no reason for responsible people to neuter pets before 6 months, > really. But at the same time, I haven't been convinced that the kittens are too > young, or that the mortality rate is any higher, or that there are any > longlasting deterimental effects. If you have any information or studies to the > contrary, I'd love to see them. I have not been able to find any. Most of the studies that have been done support your theory Sherry, and even suggest that the younger kittens recover more quickly. It still bothers me though...it may be something about a book I read about a eunich once... Dee > It still >bothers me though...it may be something about a book I read about a eunich >once... > >Dee The Last Castrati, maybe? :) Sherry |
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