when should I have her neutered?

lunalover

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I'm confused. From reading things on here, I'm getting the idea that some cats are being neutered when they're still kittens. However the vet I go to says they don't do it before the cat is 6 months old.

My cat is now 17 weeks, and I don't want hormonal behaviour to start before I get her neutered.

When would be the best time?
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by carolinalima

Ditto Sharky!
Pixel & Mouse were spayed @ 4 months, Cable, also. Java was 5 months, as was Firefox - but both of them had gone into heat - Java for the 2nd time.
mainly because of scheduling, in Java's case. for Firefox, it took a while to get her healthy enough [& heavy enough] to be safely spayed.
the local spay clinic here will spay @ 2 pounds - altho i think they also prefer a minimum of 8 weeks, as well.
this link has a bunch of articles on pediatric neutering.
 
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lunalover

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oh i think that may have been why they didn't want to neuter her, when we first got her she was only 450gm. she's put on weight and is growing well but i guess she is still rather small, due to the circumstances we found her in.

but maybe i'll need to find another clinic, as they really did not want to do it until she was 6 months...
 

jennyr

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Lots of vets will not do it till 6 months, though more are learning about early spays. Two of mine went into heat before the vet would do it, and were then done immediately afterwards. I can only say talk to your vet and if you trust him in other ways then follow his advice. But if a cat is developed enough to go into heat (a pain, though first heat is often short) then she can be spayed as soon as she comes out of it - some vets will even do it when she is in heat, though this is a slightly more complicated procedure and is perhaps best avoided unless really necessary.
 

missymotus

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Mine were done at 10 weeks, before I got them. As long as she weighs 1kg now she can be done. If you're in WA, SA or Vic I know some vets that do early desexing.
 
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lunalover

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I'm in NSW, Sydney to be exact. And I could only find one vet in my area that would neuter her before 6 months old. I really don't want to wait, I'm scared she'll go into heat early - when I got her she was sick but after she recovered she grew really quickly, the vet we used to go to were so amazed it was the same cat when I took her back for her vaccinations, so I'm concerned with her rapid growth and everything she may go into it early - and I'm renting, the other people in the house would not appreciate the behaviour!

But oh well, I'll just have to go to this one clinic then!
 

ut0pia

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I have a similar question: Is it possible to get a kitty neutered and shots given on the same day? I should probably ask my vet but I have an appointment for next week, and I will talk to him about when Jake should be neutered...but in the meanwhile maybe someone on here already knows..
 

ut0pia

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Originally Posted by lunalover

I'm in NSW, Sydney to be exact. And I could only find one vet in my area that would neuter her before 6 months old. I really don't want to wait, I'm scared she'll go into heat early - when I got her she was sick but after she recovered she grew really quickly, the vet we used to go to were so amazed it was the same cat when I took her back for her vaccinations, so I'm concerned with her rapid growth and everything she may go into it early - and I'm renting, the other people in the house would not appreciate the behaviour!

But oh well, I'll just have to go to this one clinic then!
I think it's better for girls isn't it? She will simply yowl...my friend has a cat that hasn't been spayed and she lives indoors with no other cats, she comes into heat once a month and yowls. I'm think even at 6 months, maybe she will not be sexually mature yet you never know...and if she has been into heat once already, and you get her spayed she will probably only do it once or twice at the most....
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by ut0pia

I think it's better for girls isn't it? She will simply yowl...my friend has a cat that hasn't been spayed and she lives indoors with no other cats, she comes into heat once a month and yowls.
2 problems w/that - 1st, cats in heat are demon escape artists
& 2nd & more important, repeated unfruitful heats can cause major healthy issue - pyometra [uterine infection] can actually cause death.
 

zoeysmom

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Delilah went into heat at 4 1/2 months. Belle, her litter mate, didn't go into heat before we got them spayed a few weeks later. My vet said around 6 months too...but it was closer to 5 when we got them done...I don't think anyone bothered to look at their age when I went in to schedule it!

Just be sure your kitty is 100% healthy before arranging a spay!
 

dragoriana

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Cleo was spayed at roughly 4 months because she was either dumped or born in the wild. Jazzy was done at about 8 or 9 weeks when we adopted her from the RSPCA and i'm not sure if Charlie was done at the same age as Jazzy or when we got him which was 4 months. He already had a previous owner, and i cannot remember when it was done.


I think it's best to ask a vet or someone at a shelter. But sooner is better than later (i don't mean as soon as a kitty is born though!) Better for them AND you.
 
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lunalover

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i can't risk her going into heat and howling - i live in a studio under at the back of a house, if she was to howl the 4 others living in the house would complain. i could deal with spraying, because i have tiles everywhere, but it's the noise i'm concerned about. also next door there is a massage store, anything loud enough they can hear - i don't think their patients would be happy!

well i'm going to get it done in the next couple of weeks, now i just have to find the $$!
 

laureen227

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Originally Posted by lunalover

i can't risk her going into heat and howling - i live in a studio under at the back of a house, if she was to howl the 4 others living in the house would complain. i could deal with spraying, because i have tiles everywhere, but it's the noise i'm concerned about. also next door there is a massage store, anything loud enough they can hear - i don't think their patients would be happy!

well i'm going to get it done in the next couple of weeks, now i just have to find the $$!
she might not be that loud - Java & Firefox weren't.... but there's no way to know so it's good to go ahead & get it done.
 

mews2much

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I do have a cat that could not be fixed ad she was very loud when she went in heat.
She is half siamese.
Some cats are not loud but others are very loud.
The good thing is she is almost 17 now and has about 1 heat a year.
Cleo was fixed on November 20th.
She is almost 5 months now.
She was born Aug 6th.
Her stitches disolved.
I can still feel something inside her though.
 
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