Or is it just the vet im going to doesnt believe in neuturing cats under 6 months? what do you think?
2006-11-20 03:15:08 · 12 answers · asked by Trifle 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
If you go to the Winn Feline Health Foundation site and click on health articles there is one on early spay/neuter and a study that decided it had no effect on cat health or development.
It has been done apparently for over 25 years and yet older vets still insist on waiting for the six month time line - often too late for the female that has a first heat at five months and the male who may reach maturity before the six month time and start spraying.
Many shelters in the US now do the surgery before a kitten is released for adoption and have done so for the last five to ten years.
2006-11-20 03:50:20 · answer #1 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The old way of thinking was that you have to wait until the cat has reached "maturity" at 6 months of age. However, studies have been shown that you can fix cats at the tender age of 6 weeks.
I personally feel that they are still too young at that stage and should let everything grow before fixing. I have a kitten that I got when he was 12 weeks old. I could've gotten it out of the way and had him fixed, but I wanted to make sure he was grown and ready for it.
At this point, I believe that when you should get your cat fixed should be up to you and your vet (although mainly you). But definitely get them fixed to prevent any health problems that could occur later in life and also to help with the overwhelming cat problem.
2006-11-20 03:34:58 · answer #2 · answered by bosnjgal 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is possible to neuter them earlier than 6 mos. It's just a little harder to find the "right parts" when a cat is still very young. By 6 mos they are bigger & the tubes the vet will cut are larger. But call around to find a vet that neuters earlier. Thanks for neutering!! Way too many kitties without a home now.
2006-11-20 03:21:26 · answer #3 · answered by Didi 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe in neutering before 6 months of age either. As with any living being, it should be made sure that the animal is healthy enough and strong enough to undergo surgery.
It is kinda like giving a vasectomy to a 10 year old child.
2006-11-20 03:18:19 · answer #4 · answered by tab42104 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The best time to alter your pet is before the animal reaches puberty. Many experts feel that six months of age is an ideal time to spay or neuter. However, there have been numerous studies done that show that healthy kittens spayed or neutered as young as six weeks of age do quite well. The recovery of such young kittens is very quick, and to date, no negative significant concerns have been found.
2006-11-20 03:19:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think your vet wants to make sure their testicles have descended into the scrotum before performing the surgery. I had a cat who only had one descened testicle, and the other remained somewhere in his abdomen. He had to have an abdominal incision to get the undescended one out, which meant the surgery was riskier AND more expensive.
2006-11-20 03:37:19 · answer #6 · answered by nosleepthree 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's just your vet. My vet is the same for some reason. Luckily, my shelter does pediatric spay and nueter. There's never any problems either, they actually seem to do BETTER when they are younger.
2006-11-20 05:22:18 · answer #7 · answered by mushroompumpkin 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
cats are not developed until 6 months
2006-11-20 06:16:33 · answer #8 · answered by LISA T 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think it is just your vet. I just had my cat done and he is only 4 months old.
2006-11-20 04:35:07 · answer #9 · answered by AsianPersuasion :) 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to wait until their sexual organs mature before you can have them neutered. Its usually around six months of age.
2006-11-20 03:27:14 · answer #10 · answered by Amy_Lou 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋