How can I know it a female cat is fixed or not?

[rod]

One week ago I adopted a 6 or 7 month old calico female. I'm sure she had a home and was cruelly thrown out once she grew up and no longer was a cute little kitten. She enjoys human company she is a very tame and sweet cat. When we found her she didn't even have fleas, well she had one flea!

I called my Vet, the one that I've known and trusted for years, she is to "fix" her next Thursday. I'm a little worried because I don't know if she is already fixed or not. My mom's cat "Yettina" got operated twice, but not by us, I don't want that to happen again.

The Vet said that we couldn't know for sure even with an ultrasound, but that could be our best bet. I didn't find any evidence of a scar, but then again neither does my other cat "Luna" and she is fixed.

There are other clues, first Loony, my big fixed male accepted her very fast, nearly too fast but Luna just tolerates her.
If she was thrown out she very probably isn't fixed.

We could wait to see if she gets "in heat" but I know that that isn't a good idea because I understand that if you let a cat have a few "heats" without kittens and then fix her she has a very increased risk of breast cancer later on, I already lost a very dear cat to that, and I think they may be other complicated psychological consequences too, judging by my personal
experience.

 

[stephanietx]

I would think that if they shaved her tummy, some kind of scar would be seen. There's got to be either an x-ray or scan or something that can determine that.

I know that when we took my Callie in to be spayed as a stray living on my back porch, the vet called us to tell us they'd found a scar and determined she was already spayed.

 

[rod]

Originally Posted by stephanietx

I would think that if they shaved her tummy, some kind of scar would be seen. There's got to be either an x-ray or scan or something that can determine that.

I know that when we took my Callie in to be spayed as a stray living on my back porch, the vet called us to tell us they'd found a scar and determined she was already spayed.

OK, once shaved we will examine her very carefully!

 

[barnyardgal]

Originally Posted by stephanietx

I would think that if they shaved her tummy, some kind of scar would be seen. There's got to be either an x-ray or scan or something that can determine that.

I know that when we took my Callie in to be spayed as a stray living on my back porch, the vet called us to tell us they'd found a scar and determined she was already spayed.

same thing happened here to me with a stray cat that showed up...i had her for about 6 months and she was gone for a couple of days & she came back so i took her to the vet to be 'fixed' and the vet called & said he found a scar & she was already fixed...and i had previously looked for a scar and could not find one but i did not shave her belly to look either...
so hopefully your kitty is fixed already....

 

[icklemiss21]

It is almost impossible to tell, but at 6 months she couldn't have been spayed too long and the scar should still be visible when shaved.

Given that she was stray at that age, I would guess that she isnt spayed

 

[brookesphynx]

I agree with icklemiss...could be impossible to tell, but I would also guess no because of her young age. Anyone that would just toss a kitten away like that probably didn't have the foresight to give her proper medical care.

You're right, waiting until she goes into heat can be dangerous. Too many unused heat cycles can result in pyometra, a very dangerous uterine infection.

I have 2 Sphynx females, both spayed. I know Mandy is spayed only because it was done by the SPCA just 6 months ago - she has no scar (and obviously she has no fur to hide a scar either!

)

My other girl also has no scar, but it's very easy to know she was spayed because the vet who did it used steel sutures and when you pick her up it feels like they will literally poke right through her skin. How barbaric! I didn't think any vets used steel anymore, but she was spayed less than 2 years ago.

Thanks for taking this kitty in...she's a lucky girl!

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

My Mattie showed up on the front steps. She was a stray and very skittish. It took us a while to be able to handle her without gloves. We could tell just by how she acted that she had been someones cat. When I took her to the vet for shots, I asked him to shave her belly while I was there. He did that and the scar was there. He was reasonably sure it was a scar from spay surgery. I kept her on the porch in a big wire cage until we could be sure we were not having male visitors. I think is your young cat has been spayed there will be a scar. Just let the vet know you think this and I am sure he will comply with your wishes.

 

[rod]

Thank you all for your valuable advice.
We will examine her very carefully to see if she is already spayed although the odds are that she's not.

I know that the benefits of spaying out weigh by far anything else you don't have to convince me about that. Yet I still think it's a horrible treason to her and her trust. Perhaps I'm giving it more though this time than with others but it does bug me to see her sleeping peacefully on the cozy bed knowing what will come. I just will it would be easier for her. Anyhow I think I've got the best cat-loving Vet money can buy!

Thanks again !

 

[strange_wings]

I'm one of those people that have an adult female cat that came to me spay and the vet couldn't tell. No scar.

She's at least 4 years old, though. My poor vet was a little confused when he opened her up and couldn't find anything.

Unfortunately she had to heal up from that, but healed perfectly and did get a complimentary tummy tuck out of it.

I wonder if your little girl was lost and not abandoned, though?

Has she been scanned for microchips? have you asked around?

 

[icklemiss21]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I'm one of those people that have an adult female cat that came to me spay and the vet couldn't tell. No scar.

She's at least 4 years old, though. My poor vet was a little confused when he opened her up and couldn't find anything.

We had a male cat the vet opened up to check for a spay because he was 'very underdeveloped'

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by icklemiss21

We had a male cat the vet opened up to check for a spay because he was 'very underdeveloped'

I can tell male from female at day old - they look and are spaced different down there. The vet must have really been second guessing themselves.

 

[rod]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I'm one of those people that have an adult female cat that came to me spay and the vet couldn't tell. No scar.

She's at least 4 years old, though. My poor vet was a little confused when he opened her up and couldn't find anything.

Unfortunately she had to heal up from that, but healed perfectly and did get a complimentary tummy tuck out of it.

I wonder if your little girl was lost and not abandoned, though?

Has she been scanned for microchips? have you asked around?

My wife, who lived around that neighborhood all her life, (the cat arrived and was "hanging around" her parent's front yard) went around the whole place asking who's was the owner, she even assumed the cat belonged to a neighbour who has several of them, not spayed and in a irresponsible manner I must add, so she placed the cat inside their fence. When the cat showed up again in my wife's parents front yard the very next day, hungry and calling for attention, she concluded she was lost or thrown out. That's when we adopted her!
I'll talk about the microchips with my Vet, we haven't looked for them yet!

Anyhow, she clearly has decided that my house is a good place to live! She appears to be happy: Good food, a friendly large orange cat that loves to play with her, another female to "bother just for fun", large fenced back yard and a lot of liberties around the house have convinced her so!

 

[strange_wings]

I hope she can be yours free and clear.

It sounds like she has already won you over!

 

[rod]

Originally Posted by icklemiss21

We had a male cat the vet opened up to check for a spay because he was 'very underdeveloped'

I think you need a new Vet!

Even I can tell the difference from a mile away!

 

[rod]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I hope she can be yours free and clear.

It sounds like she has already won you over!

Yep!

She's awesome and extremely friendly!

 

[icklemiss21]

Originally Posted by Rod

I think you need a new Vet!

Even I can tell the difference from a mile away!

Not my vet, he is one of many the shelter uses

But, in their defence, he didn't seem like a male, he was a cryptorchid but there is still a spacing difference so he needed surgery anyway, but could have done without the added spay

 

[mews2much]

I can not agree with everyone because I had Wrinkles altered in Jan and it was done lapo.
It does not look like normal scar and you can barely see it.
Cleo has a scar you can really see and it has been over a year.
They can do a ultrasound and tell.
My vet does the ultrasounds and so did my old vet.

 

[icklemiss21]

Originally Posted by mews2much

I can not agree with everyone because I had Wrinkles altered in Jan and it was done lapo.
It does not look like normal scar and you can barely see it.
Cleo has a scar you can really see and it has been over a year.
They can do a ultrasound and tell.
My vet does the ultrasounds and so did my old vet.

Ultrasounds can be done but can not always give a definitive answer, so the vet may have to open up the cat anyway.

And I don't think anyone who paid for lapo surgery would then let it stray

 

[mews2much]

Yea lapo is very expensive.

 

[rod]

Originally Posted by mews2much

I can not agree with everyone because I had Wrinkles altered in Jan and it was done lapo.
It does not look like normal scar and you can barely see it.
Cleo has a scar you can really see and it has been over a year.
They can do a ultrasound and tell.
My vet does the ultrasounds and so did my old vet.

I'll spare no expense! I'll have her ultrasounded!

Another thing: My Vet wants to keep her for three days after the surgery to make sure she's OK and to see that her wound won't re-open.
I don't know what to think because although I can see the Vet's point I also know three days is a lot of time for my cat, she will miss home.
In the past another Vet said the opposite, she would heal faster at home. In that occasion she gave us back our freshly spayed female cat as soon as she woke up!
On the other hand, my other two cats won´t let her rest here!