speying a mother cat

pussygalore

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i flea treated all my animals today including the new kittens. under vets instructions of course.

i asked my vet when he would spey the mother.he said he would only do it once mom cats milk has dried up.

now i know some mothers like to suckle the young right up to 12 weeks?

is this likely?

i was thinking of doing the top up feeding myself with KMR and getting the mother to dry up asap so that it can be done and there is no longer a worry.

as some of you will probaly agree. keeping a in heat cat indoors and confied when she is determined to get out. is nothing short of a militery operation.

however my reasons are that i know molly will become frustrated if we had to wait 12 weeks intill she can at least have more freedom in the house. at the moment she is stricktly confied to the bathroom. with some time in my bedroom for exersice suervised.

she loves to sit in the living room. but i dare not let her down till she is done.


any advice tips. on weaning age? my plan?
 

charmed654321

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You haven't said how old the kittens are.

I'm not one who believes in messing with mother nature. Mother's milk is hands down better for kittens than kmr and I personally would not advise anyone to try and rush the process. Even if there are no physical consequences, there could be emotional ones, and you want well-adjusted, stress-free, happy kittens.

If the cat wants to go outdoors, I do not believe it is cruel to not let them. In fact, I believe it is cruel to let them. However, I don't think there is anything wrong with letting her have run of the house and hang out in the living room if she needs to. She won't leave her kittens too long or go too far if they are very young (under 2-3 weeks), and after that, she could use the break. The mothers need to walk away sometimes to give their bodies a rest. After the kittens are 3 weeks old, they can be by themselves for short periods of time, and don't need to eat or be stimulated as constantly. And if she's a good mother, she'll run to her babies if they cry for her.

In fact, I think if there's anything natural that might help the process it's letting her have space to leave the kitten area for a bit.

Is there a reason you don't want her in the living room?

My vet was one who preferred waiting until the milk dried up, so Deja Vu was spayed when the kittens were about 8 weeks old (although she nursed longer than most). However she was a 100% indoor cat with no whole male in the house.

However, I have read here in the forum that many have their cats spayed while nursing, and the cats can continue nursing with no problems (other than possibly discomfort). While I would not do that myself, it seems it's safe and does not stop the milk production.

With most litters though, waiting until the milk dries up is usually about 6 to 7 weeks after they are born. If I was to suggest anything to move the process along, what I would suggest is don't do the kmr thing if they don't need it, but as soon as the kittens are weaned (usually between 4 to 5 weeks) then find a vet who will spay while she has milk. At least the stress on her body will be much less by then.

However, I would still not let her out while the kittens are in the house, weaned or not. As you said, you just treated them for fleas. She can pick up all sorts of things, parasites, illnesses, on the outside and pass it on to the kittens, and you can't innoculate them until they are about 8 weeks old (as far as I've been told by the vet). So spaying her early to let her out would not be a good idea simply because I think she should stay in at least until the kittens are either old enough to be innoculated, etc., or given to the homes they are going to.

If that has to be 12 weeks, it has to be 12 weeks. You'd have a harder time finding homes for kittens who have fleas, illnesses, etc. that the mother could bring back, assuming whatever she brings in is treatable.

I'd be interested ot hear others' views, and why some vets want to wait for milk to dry up, and some don't.
 

hissy

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Find another vet, one that is more with it with modern techniques. You can spay a momcat and she will drop milk afterward. Keep Molly inside the house, or be prepared to either lose her, or have to spay her when she is pregnant. She needs to be with her kittens and should not go outside at all until the kittens are weaned (5-6 weeks) and she has been spayed.
 

beckiboo

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Originally Posted by pussygalore

i was thinking of doing the top up feeding myself with KMR and getting the mother to dry up asap so that it can be done and there is no longer a worry.

as some of you will probaly agree. keeping a in heat cat indoors and confied when she is determined to get out. is nothing short of a militery operation.

however my reasons are that i know molly will become frustrated if we had to wait 12 weeks intill she can at least have more freedom in the house. at the moment she is stricktly confied to the bathroom. with some time in my bedroom for exersice suervised.

she loves to sit in the living room. but i dare not let her down till she is done.


any advice tips. on weaning age? my plan?
I wouldn't supplement with KMR to help her dry up...just let it run its course. If she is actively nursing the kittens, that will help her not get too frustrated with her "confinement". Most people let cats have free run of the house when they have kittens, but if you are keeping her shut in a room with the kittens to be sure she can't get out, I think that is just fine. As the kittens grow, they will want exercise time in the bedroom, too, and that will give Momma more space sometimes.

I foster, and my foster Mom cats and kittens are locked in one bedroom for the full time I have them. They are unvaccinated, and I cannot risk them giving anything to my cats, or my cats giving anything to them. I figure it is 2-3 months out of a long life, and they will get over it. Much better than sneaking out and getting pregnant again!
 

emw

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Originally Posted by Charmed654321

My vet was one who preferred waiting until the milk dried up, so Deja Vu was spayed when the kittens were about 8 weeks old (although she nursed longer than most). However she was a 100% indoor cat with no whole male in the house.

However, I have read here in the forum that many have their cats spayed while nursing, and the cats can continue nursing with no problems (other than possibly discomfort). While I would not do that myself, it seems it's safe and does not stop the milk production.

With most litters though, waiting until the milk dries up is usually about 6 to 7 weeks after they are born. If I was to suggest anything to move the process along, what I would suggest is don't do the kmr thing if they don't need it, but as soon as the kittens are weaned (usually between 4 to 5 weeks) then find a vet who will spay while she has milk. At least the stress on her body will be much less by then.
So 8 weeks was a good time for your female getting spayed right? This mother kitty I have is a stray I rescued. All my cats and dogs are spayed/nuetered, so I don't have to worry about any of mine. I have the mother cat with her kittens in a bedroom, with the door cracked mother does seem to be getting bored in the bedroom as I hear her at the door from time to time but everyone seems to be doing fine in that room. I have been bringing the kittens out for short periods in the rest of the house, sometimes with momma and sometimes without. the kittens are 6 weeks and I think 3 out of 4 of them are weaned. I want to get the female spayed before she goes into heat again, so what is the best time.
 

tnr1

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Originally Posted by EMW

So 8 weeks was a good time for your female getting spayed right? This mother kitty I have is a stray I rescued. All my cats and dogs are spayed/nuetered, so I don't have to worry about any of mine. I have the mother cat with her kittens in a bedroom, with the door cracked mother does seem to be getting bored in the bedroom as I hear her at the door from time to time but everyone seems to be doing fine in that room. I have been bringing the kittens out for short periods in the rest of the house, sometimes with momma and sometimes without. the kittens are 6 weeks and I think 3 out of 4 of them are weaned. I want to get the female spayed before she goes into heat again, so what is the best time.
Welcome EMW....typically the best time to have her spayed is once the kittens are fully weaned and her milk has dried up...however cats cycle differently so your stray may or may not have a heat cycle during that time. It is important to keep an eye on mom since cats do not need to be in heat to become pregnant again. I would recommend you see how long it takes the 4th to ween off of mom....then seperate the kittens from her to allow her milk production to dry up.

Katie
 

emw

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Originally Posted by TNR1

Welcome EMW....typically the best time to have her spayed is once the kittens are fully weaned and her milk has dried up...however cats cycle differently so your stray may or may not have a heat cycle during that time. It is important to keep an eye on mom since cats do not need to be in heat to become pregnant again. I would recommend you see how long it takes the 4th to ween off of mom....then seperate the kittens from her to allow her milk production to dry up.

Katie
Thanks she has been inside the entire time I've had her which is about 8 1/2 weeks now. I think we are getting somewhere with the 4th today I had progress, I gave him a small piece of ham because the others loved it so and he ate it and was trying the canned kitty food, with the milk substitute, for kittys, he seemed really into it, it was like, "Wow, this is good," LOL.

My hope is to just get Mia (my stray), spayed before another heat, she's very intense, she's really sweet but very intense.
 
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