We just found a malnourished stray cat (not feral). We have taken her to the vet and gotten antibiotics, wormers and shots. She is young - probably 6-9 months old. The vet said he can not tell if she is fixed or not. He said she may or may not come into heat because of her weight for a while (she was skin and bones - weighted less than 4 lbs but is a good size cat with lots of hair). He wants to fix her or go in and make sure she is fixed. If she does not need the surgery, I don't want to put her though it (or pay for it). Since I don't know her true age, she is very under weight (but putting weight on), and since I guess she could even be pregnant (but doubt it because of her weight). When can I safely decide she is fixed if she does not come into heat? Thanks
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Question on stray
- Thread starter dtm1966
- Start Date
My advice is to consult the vet who examined her as to her weight. Also, you could PM TNR1 who has lots of wonderful information on links to local spay/neuter clinics to see if you can get assistance in the surgery for the cat. Bless you for rescuing the stray - it sounds like she has been on her own for a long time.
What are your long term plans for her? Keep her? Try to find out if someone has been searching for her???
What are your long term plans for her? Keep her? Try to find out if someone has been searching for her???
I wonder why the vet couldn't tell if she was fixed or not...wouldn't there be a scar he could see?
You can always get a second opinion....but here is the issue of relying on a "heat" cycle to tell whether she is intact or not....some cats never show any signs of heat but are in fact intact. If you are concerned about cost, you can click the link in my signature to find a low cost clinic in your state. That way, it is a reduced fee. Did the vet shave her to determine if there is a scar?
Katie
Why is this a problem? Ie, it is a real problem only if you are planning to release her on her own again.
If you want to keep her - no problem. If you want to seek old or new owners - you can promise them you will help them with neutering if and when the need arises...
Is she rather longhaired? In her age she probably hadnt no heat as yet. And Especielly as she was starving.
If you want to keep her - no problem. If you want to seek old or new owners - you can promise them you will help them with neutering if and when the need arises...
Is she rather longhaired? In her age she probably hadnt no heat as yet. And Especielly as she was starving.
Stefan...this is a problem even if the cat is going to be kept indoors only. Oftentimes, cats that are intact can accidentally get out and then they become pregnant. Much better for the cat to be confirmed as spayed or spayed PRIOR to going to a new home.
Katie
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
She is a Persian or at least part Persian. We have tried to find the owners but believe she came from some people who moved out of a rental house 3 weeks before we took her in. We saw her a couple of times in that three weeks but were at first unsure if she had an owner until her condition (which was hard to tell because of the long hair) made us sure she did not. We plan to keep her. (There is another cat we have also begun feeding outside which we believe may have been abandoned by the same people but he is an unfixed male from the look of him but we can not get with in 10 feet of him. I am not sure he is really feral though.)
The vet did not shave the female cat (Cindy) but said it would be hard to determine if she had a scar even if he did. We do not plan on letting her outside and have one other fixed female cat who also stays inside. I guess I just didn't want to have to put her under anesthesia if she did not need to be. I guess I will wait a little longer for her to build up some weight and strength, then have the surgery. By the way - what is PM TNR1?
Thanks
The vet did not shave the female cat (Cindy) but said it would be hard to determine if she had a scar even if he did. We do not plan on letting her outside and have one other fixed female cat who also stays inside. I guess I just didn't want to have to put her under anesthesia if she did not need to be. I guess I will wait a little longer for her to build up some weight and strength, then have the surgery. By the way - what is PM TNR1?
Thanks
Yes, of course so it is.
Yet this is a little a luxury problem. In Sweden the usual is to castrate at 6 month age, often later. Earlier only if they come in earlier heat - and there is danger them sneaking out or they spraying much...
This is why I dont see this as a big problem - although I do agree completely she should be neutered this way or that...
It isn't always easy to tell if a cat has been spayed or not. We rescued what turned out to be a Maine Coon (she was our first rescue and we didn't know anything about cats at the time). The vet shaved her belly to see if there was a scar - and there was. But it was not a neat surgical scar, so we still couldn't be sure. The vet proceeded as if to spay her - turned out she was spayed. He only charged us for the anaesthetic, not a spay operation. She must have run away after being spayed, thus she didn't heal "neatly."
Cats can safely be spayed/neutered as young as six weeks (though most vets won't do it because they don't have experience with animals so small): http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/repo...ly-neuter.html
Our vet's policy is to wait until the first baby tooth falls out. That's when they begin the process of becoming "adults." This usually happens around four months of age. If your kitty has all of her adult teeth, she is at least four to six months old, and needs to be spayed if she hasn't been. Perhaps your vet will do the same that ours did? Though if they shave her belly, if there is a neat scar, that will clearly indicate she has been spayed. If she is less than a year old, whether there or not there is a scar should be apparent, so I don't know why the vet told you that. It's certainly worth shaving a bit of her belly for!!!!!! If they can't tell they can't tell, but to not even give it a try? I'd find another vet. I agree - no need to put her through the trauma of surgery if it's possible she doesn't need it.
And "PM TNR1" means send a Private Message (found under your user name at the top of the page on the right) to TNR1, otherwise known as Katie.
You can also click on the link in my signature line to help find low-cost spay/neuter services. Or you can try http://www.pets911.com/organizations/organizations.php
Just type in your zip, and start calling organizations in your area to see if any know about shelters that provide no-cost spay/neuter or vets or other orgs that provide low-cost spay/neuter services.
Just an FYI: most vets charge more to spay a cat in heat.
And - thank you for rescuing this kitty! It seems like she's a very lucky girl. Any pics?
((((((((((Hugs)))))))))))
Laurie
Cats can safely be spayed/neutered as young as six weeks (though most vets won't do it because they don't have experience with animals so small): http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/repo...ly-neuter.html
Our vet's policy is to wait until the first baby tooth falls out. That's when they begin the process of becoming "adults." This usually happens around four months of age. If your kitty has all of her adult teeth, she is at least four to six months old, and needs to be spayed if she hasn't been. Perhaps your vet will do the same that ours did? Though if they shave her belly, if there is a neat scar, that will clearly indicate she has been spayed. If she is less than a year old, whether there or not there is a scar should be apparent, so I don't know why the vet told you that. It's certainly worth shaving a bit of her belly for!!!!!! If they can't tell they can't tell, but to not even give it a try? I'd find another vet. I agree - no need to put her through the trauma of surgery if it's possible she doesn't need it.
And "PM TNR1" means send a Private Message (found under your user name at the top of the page on the right) to TNR1, otherwise known as Katie.
You can also click on the link in my signature line to help find low-cost spay/neuter services. Or you can try http://www.pets911.com/organizations/organizations.php
Just type in your zip, and start calling organizations in your area to see if any know about shelters that provide no-cost spay/neuter or vets or other orgs that provide low-cost spay/neuter services.
Just an FYI: most vets charge more to spay a cat in heat.
And - thank you for rescuing this kitty! It seems like she's a very lucky girl. Any pics?
((((((((((Hugs)))))))))))
Laurie
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #10
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #11
Awww..very sweet picture.
Yup...you can always send me a private message.
Katie
Yup...you can always send me a private message.
Katie
