when to spay?

macsweenj

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Hello,

I have a 6 month old himilayan female kitten and i'm just wondering what behaviour i should expect to see that will tell me it's time to get her spayed?

I don't want to do her too soon but also don' t want it to be done too late and have to go through any kind of messy situations

i have no idea what to look for however...any tips would be appreciated.
 

eburgess

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Since she's 6 months old I'd make the apointment. I'd get it done before she goes into heat. Not sure when that should be, but I'd get it done soon.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by eburgess

Since she's 6 months old I'd make the apointment. I'd get it done before she goes into heat. Not sure when that should be, but I'd get it done soon.
Ditto
 

gayef

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I concur with the other responses here. At six months old, most vets will perform the procedure now. Make the appointment and enjoy the warm fuzzy of knowing you did the right thing.

~gf~
 

hissy

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Yep do it this week, before she goes into her first heat. This can get difficult to deal with and make the spay cost extra as well. It is time to get her spayed. And thank you for being a responsible pet owner.
 

vegansoprano

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Right now. Her first heat will come along any time now. Call the vet to make an appointment. She will benefit greatly if she is spayed before her first heat cycle, as her risk of mammary cancer will be reduced to nearly zero. Additionally, it is slightly more difficult to spay a cat who is in heat (due to increased blood flow to the uterus)and it's best for her if the surgery is as easy as possible.

In general, kittens should be sterilized before going to their new home if they are in a foster/shelter/rescue/breeder situation. This would be at 8-12 weeks. For your own pets who are not sterilized before coming home, they should be fixed at 4-5 months. Of course, if your cat is older than 5 months and still not fixed - there's no time like t he present!
 

gayef

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Originally Posted by vegansoprano

In general, kittens should be sterilized before going to their new home if they are in a foster/shelter/rescue/breeder situation. This would be at 8-12 weeks. For your own pets who are not sterilized before coming home, they should be fixed at 4-5 months. Of course, if your cat is older than 5 months and still not fixed - there's no time like the present!
In a perfect world, this would be true, but sadly, we live in a not-so-perfect world where many vets (my own included!!) still hold fast to the idea that 6 months is the earliest, safest age at which to spay or neuter - and from my own experience, early spay/neuter is still quite costly when performed by a qualified vet. Smaller fosters/shelters/rescues/breeders can be precluded from seeking early spay/neuter due to the prohibitive cost. Not everyone lives in a major metropolis where vet care may be more progressive and where that level of care is affordable. And since cats are quite individual when it comes to these sorts of things, let's also try to remember that it may not always be the best idea ~for the cats~ even though it may interfere with our own agendas.
 

alisa

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Its funny, I'm currently dealing with this issue. My kittens are 3 months and many people were telling me that i should get them fixed now. My vet wont do it will they are 6 months (and at the right weight). I want to trust his judgement but i dont want my male kitten to reach maturity and end up spraying all over the house or even worse - impregnating my female kitten.
 

salix

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I don't know how much it adds to this conversation, but my kitten is 5and 1/2 months old, but my vet is willing to let me get her spayed next week (though she DID advise me that they could wait till 7 or 8 months).
I have a male cat who was intact until about four years old, which, btw. wasn't my fault, and I explained to her that I wasn't sure how it would affect him if Mica went into heat, and she agreed.
 

gayef

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Originally Posted by vegansoprano

I personally would add that if a breeder cannot afford to make sure that his/her pet quality cats do not further add to the feline overpopulation crisis, that person can't afford to breed cats in the first place. It's one thing for a rescue to not have the financial resources to do everything that is ideally best for the cats. But for a breeder, who is choosing to bring these animals into the world, it is a different story and a totally different level of responsibility.
The way you've composed your reply here could perhaps lead some to believe that if a breeder did not early s/n each and every last one of their kittens before placing them in their new homes, such breeders would be somehow less than reputable and that is simply not the case. In fact, it is a gross inaccuracy.

If you were to go back and actually read what I wrote, you will find that I said SMALLER breeders - there are those who, like me, have a very small number of cats who produce only 1 litter of 4 to 5 kittens every 12 to 14 months. Those kittens are placed in homes where the owners have been very invasively interviewed (I had one kitten buyer laughingly refer to my own interview process as an "interrogation" - do you think he got one of my kittens?) and found to be responsible, ethical and honest people. They will spay or neuter the kitten. I have no doubt of it or they don't purchase a kitten from me.

I might further add that normally, the people who seek a pedigreed kitten from a breeder have already tried the foster/shelter/rescue route before contacting a breeder. Most, if not all of the kitten buyers that I have spoken with have attempted to adopt a kitten first and found that for various reasons, it didn't work out.
Vegansoprano, I applaud passion and I respect that you've seen some true horror stories in your experience with rescue and animal activism. Additionally, I can and very much do appreciate the zeal and natural exuberance which so often comes with youth, however your message, in my humble opinion, is better suited to those who share your views of such strongly indoctrinated activism - not to those who are mostly keeping housecats as companions or feeding and caring for the odd stray.
 

myfirstragdoll

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My Hershey (Ragdoll) was neutered when I got him at 13 weeks. Most Breeders of Ragdoll does early spay/neuter. I've had no problem with him at all.

Lisa
 

esrgirl

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My vet wanted my kitten to be spayed as soon as she reached 4 lbs- which happened to be four months. My first cat was already spayed and still had her stitches when we adopted her- she was four months old. My second cat wasn't spayed until she was 6 months old- and she went into heat the night before her appointment! We had to reschedule for the next week. I'd get it done as soon as possible if I were you, chances are she'll go into heat within the next couplel weeks.
 
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