q about spaying

i rescued 2 kitten's when they was 4 week's old from someone who just didn't want them anymore i weened them litter trayed them and had to stimulate there bowl's at first and bottle feed them , i foned up my vet's to find out when i can get them fixed they wont do it untill there 6 month's old all are saying the same ( i'm in london) the problem is i have a male and a female who are 4 1/2 month's old now i'm worried that Fluffy will go into heat and i won't relise , is there anything else i can go by other then her trying to get out and rubbing everywhere??

I REALLY think you need to find another vet. Waiting until 6 months is very old fashioned and definately not a good idea with a male and female living in the same house. Plus once she goes into that first heat cycle (which could in fact be silent and you will never know) she can get pregnant at any time.

From right now on, you need to keep them both completely seperated from each other until one is altered.

The male's operation is less invasive... perhaps you would have an easier time getting a vet to do him early?

If you have to, point out that it's less dangerous to spay a kitten than for that kitten to get pregnant! When kittens have kittens, bad things can happen. It's the equivalent of a 12-year-old girl who'd just had her period getting pregnant... not only will it be hard on her; but she won't have a clue what to do with the kittens.

If you do get the boy neutered first, they still need to be separated for a month.

Cats can get pregnant when they are not in heat.

Your kittens should have absolutely no contact with each other until they are both fixed. If you can't get it done for a month and a half, you can't get it done. Keep them apart until it's done.

i have tried all the vet's i know of in south east london , there is no way i can keep them apart for another month as the 1 place i could put either of them my other cat has just had kitten's and they have been seperated from the other's and she will be in there untill she has finshed nursing her kitten's and been spaded we have 2 other *nurtered* male's in the house aswell , it's not the money that's a problem it's finding a vet who will do it b4 it's 2 late if u know what i mean anyway thanx for all the reply's

Don't you have a bathroom to put one of the kittens in?

Have you done a google search for low cost clinics? Usually they will spay or neuter kittens.

Have you just tried to beg and plead with the vet? Point out that you have a nursing female already, and you have a kitten of each sex who is already 4.5 months old. They need to get done soon.

Call some local rescues...they may know of a vet who will help. Best of luck to you...no way would I want siblings of 6 months old together unneutered!

cheer's all for the advice as of yet still no luck i have done what u said and confined fluffy (female) to the bathroom witch is hard as i have 3 small children who are in and out are seprate toliet room is far tp small to keep any animal in

Usually, vets in the UK will spay earlier if there is a male and female together - although not normally younger than 4.5 to 5 months though. I have a friend who lives in Kent that got hers done younger for that reason, no idea how close London and kent are though?

i'm only about 1/2 hour from the outskirt's of kent bromly i can get a train to that i may have to widen my search

I don't know if this is any use to you, but if you are on low income or receiving benefits, the Celia Hammond Animal Trust offer low cost neutering/spaying at their clinics - there is one in Lewisham. They recommend 5 to 6 months, but given your situation they might do it sooner - and 5 months is better than what you have been told elsewhere! It might be worth giving them a call to see if they can help.

i had already spoken to them i am not on a low income but the money wasn't the problem it was getting someone to do it lol they will do it but where i don't get any help they won't see me unless i lie and get someone to take him down there for me , but i wanted to get him microchiped at the same time and i won't be able to do this if i get someone else to do it in there name lol , i am only about 15 min's away from lewisham thanx for that though x

You need to get them fixed as soon as possible. Are they all inside cats or do they live outdoors? I had an intact male that was 6 months and an intact female that was 4 months, to put it bluntly, she had kittens 2 months later. Thankfully, she was okay, the kittens too.

I was under the false immpression that females don't go into heat until they are at least 6 months old. I found out later that she went into heat early because she lived inside. Somehow the light is what causes them to go into heat. Since there are no season indoors, their bodies translate breeding season by the amount of light they get. People have thier lights on at night, so thier bodies think it is summer, breeding season!

So....you have been warned!

they are indoor cat's bother and sister this is what worry's me she is such a tiny cat and nearly 5 month's old , i have seperated them and let them have run of the house at different time's but there missing each other terribly the sooner i get at least 1 of them done the better my other 2 male's have been fixed from the first week i brought them in and my other female is being spaded after she has weened her kitten's ( long story) she hasn't been showing any sign's of being in heat as yet and the one who just had the kitten's is in a seperate room so no chance of her getting out now

Originally Posted by Jen

I REALLY think you need to find another vet. Waiting until 6 months is very old fashioned and definately not a good idea with a male and female living in the same house.

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It's the norm in the UK - you won't find many vets willing to do it sooner. Some do though and I've had no problem getting my males done at around 5 months (the vet - a foreign european vet - not sure exactly where she's from but she's not british - did suggest I wait until 7-8 months but agreed to do Mosi at 5 months when I said I wanted him done then). Many will do females at 4-5 months, esp if you have a male in the house. If your vet won't do your female now ring around a few and explain that you have a male and a female together so need them done asap. I'd get the female done first as male hormones are still present up to 6 weeks after neutereing so you'd have to keep them separate for that period of time after he was done.

I live in Brixton and my vet s/n my cats at 4 1/2 months when Tilly went into heat. She's part of the Goddard vetinary chain. Brixton isn't too far from Bromley- its the same side of the river at least
I think it was £110 ish the pair, although we got them done just before they raised their prices.