When is it safe to get you kitten spayed or neutered?

Question

I have a 5 monthes kitten and she only weighs four pounds. She was supposed to get neutered 2 weeks ago, but our vet said that she was to small and under-weight. Then someone else told me that you suppose to get it down before six monthes no matter what the weight, because then they start their heat cycle. Which is it, and what is a heat cycle?

She eats a ton every day, and is gaining weight, but when we got her she barely weighed 2 pounds, and we are getting it done through the shelter were we go her. She is very active, and loves food, but she just can't gain weight, she has only gained a little over a pound since the 2 monthes she's been her.

Answer 1

Ok, this is a common question. If your kitten is sickly or is recovering from a sickness , then wait until she gets her health and weight up. She can wait up until almost 8 months with out the "heat cycle" starting. A heat cycle is like our period cycle, she will cry alot and stick her butt in the air . she will try to get out to find a male cat to mate with. Back to the spaying, 4 pounds is medically big enough to handle the surgery. But I being in the vet medicine field , would wait for her to be 6 - 8 pounds. will not hurt to wait...Good luck

Answer 2

Are you positive of her age and have you had her dewormed? Tapeworms are very common in cats/kittens and if she seems to be always hungry but can't gain weight it's quite possible she has parasites that are stealing all of her nutrients. Even if she was dewormed before she may still have them if the medicine was not given properly. I would suggest getting her tested (it's not that expensive) and if you do need to deworm her make sure you follow the instructions closely. As far as when she needs to get spayed, your vet would know best since there are risks to any surgery. Female cats will begin having heat cycles at about 6 months old, which simply means they are old enough to reproduce. You can usually tell if a cat is in heat by the way they behave...meowing a lot, rubbing on everything, cleaning themselves more, and wanting to go outside (were the boy cats are). It would be better to have her done before her first heat so she won't end up pregnant, but it can still be done after if you don't catch it in time (just be sure to keep her far away from any male cats). It's a bit more expensive to have her spayed after her first heat cycle, and your vet may make you wait several weeks to make sure she isn't pregnant and also because there is a higher risk of excessive blood loss if it's too soon. You used the word neutered in your question but then referred to the kitten as "she", so I am assuming the kitten is a female. If it is a male then waiting a while longer is not such a big deal except that males can begin to "spray" once they are physically mature (also about 6 months). Spraying urine around the house is a way for males to mark territory, and most people try to get them neutered before this happens because it's very smelly and can be hard to break the habit once it starts. The bottom line is that you need to make sure your kitten is in good health before he/she gets any surgery, so listen to your vet and do what you can to bring the kittens weight up first.

Answer 3

Usually the rule is 4 months AND 4 pounds!! This is when it is the safest under anesthesia! She will be spayed, not neutered, which is an actual surgery, little more serious than neuter for a male! You should get it done before 6 months of age. Being in heat is when hormones in their bodies let them know they are ready to mate. For a cat, they can go into heat every few weeks and sometimes the cycle can last 2-3 weeks at a time! This is not healthy for the cat, and it will be unpleasent for you!

Answer 4

I am not sure about the weight issue, but like everyone else said, you definitely want to get it done before she goes into her first heat cycle. When we had our kitten, we waited too long and we were in for a handful! Maybe the vet can recommend a treatment or supplement to help her gain more weight?

She probably won't like you very much after you get her fixed though.. : )

Answer 5

Ask your Vet. I think they want a kitten to be 5 pounds. A heat cycle is when the cat become fertile, and yells to go outside to mate. It is not a "good" thing. I am so happy to hear that you are being a responsible pet owner and getting her spayed. If more people would do this, this world would be a better place.

Answer 6

Our male was chopped at 6 months and his sisters and mother were done when the kittens were 7 months and mother 16 months. Mother would have been done earlier but when we adopted her we discovered that the husband of the previous owner had let the cats out when he wasn't supposed to. Nobody thought it was a problem because they thought the kitten was too young. Her son is named after the human male.

Answer 7

It is usually 6 months..but since your kitten is very small and light weight it might be healthier to wait a little bit until she is a little bigger. Spayed is to prevent your kitten from having other little kittens. If she is strictly indoors, I would recommend listening to your vet. It sounds like since she is so small and light it is better to wait a little longer. You don't want to harm your kitten by having it done too soon.

Answer 8

Listen to the vet. The kitty is probably too undernourished to go into "heat", which means ready to get pregnant. Did the vet give you any idea how much your cat needs to grow before they will spay her? You might call them back and ask them more questions.

Answer 9

since your cat is under weight, she probably won't have her cycle/heat until she puts additional weight. so just weight until your vets thinks is okay to get her spayed. male cats get neutered, females get spayed. enjoy your kitten, they grow so fast!

Answer 10

6 months