castration ????

[zissou'smom]

I don't know what studies you read, but most find no harmful side effects to pediatric spays, even earlier than ten weeks. My sister's cat was neutered at five weeks. He has a whole host of problems, mostly from brain damage, but none of them are from being neutered early.

Compared to the possibly lethal side effects of the bc pill for cats, there really isn't any choice.

I don't think anyone's gonna yell at you, things are done very differently in different places I'm sure, but cats can get pregnant well before you think they are having their first heat, and certainly well before seven months.

In America, we have no bc pill and we have pediatric spays and neuters. I think that that system is better for the cats, because a cat who is spayed before her first heat has a much much lower risk of mammary cancer, and no risk of pyometra or ovarian or uterine cancer. Also, lots of behavioral problems can be prevented with early fixing, most notably spraying in males (though both neutered males and females spray, I know).

 

[gizmocat]

Well, the British may let their cats outdoors but that still doesn't make the practice safe. The cats can kill birds; be killed by cars; stolen; tortured by horrible people (a British teenager repeatedly threw a girl's cat off a balcony until the animal had to be destroyed because of its injuries) and the cats can create nuisances in public spaces or yards. It's far safer to keep them at home and spay them when they are just about the age to go into heat.

 

[gailuvscats]

.

i will get ganon and gaspard and mouse neutered in due course

I understand you are in a different country and have a different culture reets, however, the above answer is offensive to me. I remember living on a farm type property and my landlord would allow the barn cats to have litter after litter and drown the offspring. Finally I convinced him to neuter the ones he had so there would be no more drowning. He loved his cats too. You had the cats since 9 weeks, and now they are 11 months and not neutered. How do you know the female is impregnated by the neighbors cat, and how many cats have your males impregnated? I am just trying to drive home the point that others here have tried to make clear. The responsible and loving thing to do is have the cats neutered no later than 6 to 7 months.
I hope you get your older ones done ASAP and get the kittens done at that age. Are there any assisted animal programs to help with neutering? You might want to let your neighbors know of them as well.

 

[malena]

I know that there is different opinions about spaying and neutering and due to my own experience - it is best to get it done before they have a sexual life. I have spayed two cats who already had kittens and they both had a depression after being spayed. It went a way after a couple of month and the wore fine eventially. Also with male cats some behavior never goes away if they are neuterd late and some can still perform even if there is no babies from it. I still gonna wait untill four month for the guy's we'we taken care of now and to five month for the girls - to chose the middle way and because I have that option. If we find adoption families for some of the kittens they will be spayed before delivery even if I have to do it earlier than I want.
I am still glad the pill excists here. It is good for emergencies before you can get a cat to the vet and for breeders who wants to let their females have a rest year without locking them up - or let them get a little bit older than seven month before they have their first litter.
I was in a cafe yesterday where a stray cat slowly has moved in to the cafe. Last year she was a kitten and terrified of everyone. They started to put the pill in her food as soon she was getting close to being fertil. Now they can touch her but not lift her up. She is doing progress every day and she will be spayed as soon as they can take her to a vet without the trauma trapping is.
I would of trapped here and had it done but I am fine with these people doing it there way. At least they are doing it.

 

[smokiethecat]

Why would "nature" make male and female cats so likely to get reproductive cancers? I mean, how many young females or males get these cancers? I can see them getting cancer when they are old........
Doesn't make sense. I got my two spayed/neutered at 4 months to prevent pregnancies and didn't want a female in heat or a spraying male...

My vet told me that neutered males were more likely to have/get crystals and stones in their urine than unneutered males. I hope my boy doesn't get that. He said female cats can pass stones/crystals easier than males too.

 

[gizmocat]

The cat, in the wild, has a life expectancy of two years. Domestic cats can live ten times longer. Formerly (before cat food was improved) a house cat was lucky to live for ten years.
The diseases you mention are incident to aging, therefore they are more common now that cats live longer.

 

[shelleybik]

.

I understand you are in a different country and have a different culture reets, however, the above answer is offensive to me. I remember living on a farm type property and my landlord would allow the barn cats to have litter after litter and drown the offspring. Finally I convinced him to neuter the ones he had so there would be no more drowning. He loved his cats too. You had the cats since 9 weeks, and now they are 11 months and not neutered. How do you know the female is impregnated by the neighbors cat, and how many cats have your males impregnated? I am just trying to drive home the point that others here have tried to make clear. The responsible and loving thing to do is have the cats neutered no later than 6 to 7 months.
I hope you get your older ones done ASAP and get the kittens done at that age. Are there any assisted animal programs to help with neutering? You might want to let your neighbors know of them as well.

i find YOUR comments very offensive,you are basiccally putting me on the same par as some

guy that killed kittens time and again,he LOVED his cats did he!!!!!

i dont think he did!!!! as i have already said..three times now all of our cats and kits will be speyed/nueterd.

 

[shelleybik]

Originally Posted by gizmocat

Well, the British may let their cats outdoors but that still doesn't make the practice safe. The cats can kill birds; be killed by cars; stolen; tortured by horrible people (a British teenager repeatedly threw a girl's cat off a balcony until the animal had to be destroyed because of its injuries) and the cats can create nuisances in public spaces or yards. It's far safer to keep them at home and spay them when they are just about the age to go into heat.

are you actually saying that animal abuse only happens in the u.k????