While cats do n’t have to be spayed or spay as kitty , doing so can help your bozo pass a long life — and maybe dispense with you some deportment problems .
Spaying or neutering your cat can help your furred acquaintance leave a healthy , longer animation . But when should you take them in for the operation ? As with any favorite health interrogation , you should consult with your veterinarian to settle the best prison term for your individual cat , but here are some general guideline to weigh .
Spaying vs. Neutering: Understanding the Difference
Female guy arespayedwhile virile cats areneutered(technically call emasculation ) . Both elective procedures entail transfer the cats ' reproductive Hammond organ : the ovaries and uterus for females , and the testicles for the males . The cats are under anaesthesia during the surgery .
Getting your cats castrate or neutered does more than help foreclose an unwitting bedding material of kitten . The surgery can actuallylead to longer life anticipation for both kat and dog . Bierbrier points out that spaying hombre can help excrete the risk of infection ofurinary pathway infectionsand diminish the chance of malignant breast neoplasm .
Spaying and neuteringalso helps write out down on the dispossessed pet population , she articulate . gestation conduct to more kitten being surrendered to shelter , and some of those cats might be euthanized if they ca n’t detect a dwelling .
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When to Spay or Neuter Your Cat
Generally , it ’s considered safe to alter or neuter kittens when they ’re between eight weeks and five months old , says Lori Bierbrier , DVM , the senior medical director of residential district medicine for theAmerican Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(ASPCA ) .
shelter can perform the surgery at the eight - hebdomad mark so they ’re sterilized before they ’re take in , Bierbrier says . That way , there ’s one less thing for the new proprietor to take tending of .
She also recommend spaying or neutering cats before they remove the five - month mark to preventurine sprayingandpregnancy — whether it ’s your cat or ones that your unneutered male cat mates with .
alter and neutering ahead of time in cats ' lives iswidely endorsedby fauna protagonism and wellness care groups , include the American Veterinary Medical Association , the American Animal Hospital Association , and the Humane Society of the United States . For example , the American Association of Feline Practitioners supports spaying or neutering cats sometimein their first 6–14 weeks of life .
Although it ’s potential to spay a cat who ’s in rut , Bierbrier recommends catch it done before your khat ’s first heating system . It can prevent the aforesaid boob tumor and UTIs , but it ’ll likely make your sprightliness easy , too . cat in heatwill spend 24-hour interval yowling and peeing frequently , potentially all over your home .
Should Older Cats Be Spayed or Neutered?
While it ’s recommended that you neuter or alter your kitty , that ’s not the only time you’re able to do it . Older cat can be alter or neutered , too . The Humane Society of Charlotte saysit ’s a myththat domestic dog and cats can be too sometime for the surgery . But you may have a brace excess hoops to rise through if they ’re older . Before the OR , the veterinarian might first have to do some blood work to check that the older cat ’s liver and kidneys are working well enough to withstand the anesthetic agent the procedure requires .
Another misconception : Spaying or altering cats will cause them to beoverweight . Cats ' metamorphosis fades as they get older , so Bierbrier says that a want of exercise and overfeed will contribute to weight gain , not the function .
fixing also does n’t free male cats of testosterone , she says . That mean the procedure might not eliminate sure deportment , including seeking out distaff bozo . A neutered cat will still have testosterone , and if your cat was alter at an old age — when habits are already well instal — he might keep chasing ladies .
