Is 5 months old too late for Hermie to be fixed?

[noahsmommy]

To make a long story short, the person we rescued Hermione through is going to take her to be fixed, but not till she's 5 months old.

After we had her for about a week, she caught a URI (our other cats where being boarded and brought it home) which led to laryngitus. The whole area around her larynx was swollen and red. She got a cortozone shot and was given Clavamox liquids. We brought her in just in time, as her airways could have swollen shut.

Anyway, if we have the person we got her from take her in for her spay, it'll only cost us $35. After talking with her, she said she wanted to wait till Hermie is 5 months old, due to her laryngitus. I'm not sure why, but she spoke with her surgeon tech daughter and let me know this.

My question...is five months too late as far as a possibility of her being in heat?? We have five other cats, 3 males, 2 other female, strictly indoor ONLY and all fixed. (Hermie is almost 14 weeks old)

Let me know what you think. I'm worried she'll go into heat and I don't want her to go through that if I can help it. I can just take her to my vet and do it now.

Thank you.

 

[sammie5]

My vet prefers to spay cats a little older than 14 weeks. I would think that if the poor little girl has already had some other medical problems, you don't want to subject her to surgery.

5 months won't do her any harm; I adopted Bailey when she was 3 or 4 years old, and her spay surgery went just fine, she was up and around in 48 hours. And its possible that she will not go into heat yet by 5 months. And having her go into heat once is not the worst thing that could happen if your other cats are fixed.

If it were me, I would wait.

 

[hissy]

Although laryngitis was not very fun for her to endure, if you wait 5 months and she gets outside, there is a possibility she will be mated with. She won't get pregnant, but she will get mated so if you do wait then be extra careful she won't be outside especially during Kitten Season. Personally, I would take her in after asking my vet what to do, but that would be me.

 

[momofmany]

My vet recommends to neuter at 6 months. Females usually don't go into heat until 7 months or older, and they are a little older and can handle the surgery better.

Of course you will get a different opinion from any vet you talk to. Mine's advice made sense to me.

 

[ghostuser]

Zooey went into heat really early. She was spayed at about 5/6 months... Bobbie didn't go into heat till she was about 8 months, but then she's suspected of having a bit of persian blood and they are known to be later developers... There are vets who will do the surgery very early on... What's most important is that your vet is comfortable performing the surgery... If he's sure they'll be okay and it isn't a bad time to do it then you should do it...

When zooey was spayed, the vet found out that she was still on heat although she was showing no other signs of being on heat...

weird isn't it?

 

[jmvito]

I'm glad this subject came up. Duffy goes in for his 12 week check in early August. I was reading about early neutering and wondered if I should have him neutuered very soon. He's about 11wks or so now. It's been a long, long time since I raised a kitten, and am reading now that it is not necessary to wait till 6 months for neutering.

I suppose I'll find out what my vet's preference is and go with that. I don't want to get the little guy clipped until I know it won't affect his growth in anyway.

 

[momofmany]

And I have an old fashioned country vet who hates to surgery on the very young. I've never had a female go into heat on me prior to 6 months (probably fortunate). Do what your vet is comfortable with.

 

[dragonlady]

Any news?

 

[tuxedokitties]

If she does by any chance go into heat before you can get her spayed, I would recommend keeping her confined to a room in the interior of the house, or better yet, a large crate, so there is no chance of her getting out to get pregnant.

 

[noahsmommy]

After reading about the possibility of her going into heat, I'm calling the vet tomorrow and will make her appointment. (shhh...don't tell her!

)

Thanks for all the good advice.

 

[noahsmommy]

Well, I called our vet (its a cat only vet) and wanted to schedule Hermie's appointment. The person on the phone said that the vets there don't fix kittens until they are 5-6 months. Guess that's my answer.

Oh well, I tried!!!

 

[sherral46]

My Siamese did't go into heat intill they were 7 months old.