Spaying

709juggalette

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So my girls are now 7 months (Berlin) and 4 months (Anja) and I have now been thinking about spaying.However should I wait until they go through their first heats? They are INDOOR only cats.Or should I wait till they are a little older?

Most people here get their cats fixed at 5 months old...however I read different things,like they should be fixed after their first heat or you should wait until they are over 1 yr old.So opinions?
 

otto

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Originally Posted by 709Juggalette

So my girls are now 7 months (Berlin) and 4 months (Anja) and I have now been thinking about spaying.However should I wait until they go through their first heats? They are INDOOR only cats.Or should I wait till they are a little older?

Most people here get their cats fixed at 5 months old...however I read different things,like they should be fixed after their first heat or you should wait until they are over 1 yr old.So opinions?
getting them spayed now if the best thing to do. Chances are they(at least the 7 month old) have been in heat already at least once. Sometimes the first one can be missed. (that's how accidental pregnancies sometimes happen) They don't need to experience a heat before spaying.
 

catnurse22

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They're both fine to be spayed now. And I don't know about you, but I'd go a little crazy if I had two females in heat in my house,
.
 

allfurlove

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I agree now is the best time for both of them
Spaying before their first heat will minimize their risk of reproductive cancers, territorial marking in the house, wanting to escape and find a mate (some cats dont try to go out, but you never know and it only takes a split second!), and of course pregnancy. There is also the risk of your girls turning on each other if an intact male comes around outside the house.
I have never understood the whole "wait until after first heat thing". That is totally backwards unless you have a fancy show cat or something.
Hope this helps!
 

arlyn

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The wait until after the first heat thing is for dogs, not cats.
It is healthier for cats to be spayed before the first heat, with dogs, however, the concensus is that removing the ovaries also removes important growth hormones.
I haven't really seen any info to prove this, however.
 
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709juggalette

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Thanks everyone.Then I will get them spayed ASAP.
I just wasn't sure if I should wait or what.I never had to have a female spayed before.And I know with dogs many people wait...I didn't know if it was the same with cats.

Originally Posted by CatNurse22



They're both fine to be spayed now. And I don't know about you, but I'd go a little crazy if I had two females in heat in my house,
.
Oh I know.My ex had THREE unspayed female cats in the house and when they were in heat (of course they always went at the same time),it was HORRIBLE!

Neither of my girls experianced a heat yet,but I am sure it will happen soon.But now that I know I don't have to wait,I am going to have them done soon.
 

dusty's mom

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Now is good. I had mine spayed at 4 mos. She was just fine. Check the sticky at the top of "Cat Health" to find low cost spay/neuter clinics in your area. It was $40 for Squeak's spay.
 
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709juggalette

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The local Humane Society has a low cost speuter program,so I will go through them.I will only have to pay $65 per cat.
 

Willowy

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Last year I had 2 kittens at the same time. June (slightly younger) did not go into heat before being spayed, and Dot did. I don't see any difference in them now.

Evidently there is some benefit to allowing a dog to have one heat before spaying. Especially large dogs---the larger they are, the larger the benefits. But I don't honestly believe there is any benefit to waiting with cats. And a cat in heat is a miserable creature. Plus it's much harder to prevent a cat from getting pregnant. It's fairly easy to contain your dog, but cats can jump....
 

goldenkitty45

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Because kittens as young as 4 MONTHS old can and do breed now, the ideal time to spay/neuter is 3-4 months old. Shelters will do them at 2 months and at least 2 lbs in weight.

No reason in the world not to schedule those girls NOW to be spayed. Don't wait - all it takes is one time to get outside and they are pregnant!
 

ldg

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I'm glad you decided to go ahead and get them spayed now. A long term study has shown that there is no difference in cat growth between spaying young or when older. In fact, it is safe to spay them as early as 7 weeks old.
 
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