What is cat neutering and how is it different than spaying a cat?
Cat neutering is where we remove the testicles, and cat spaying is where we remove the uterus and the ovaries. Technically, you can use the terms interchangeably, but that's just what they typically mean.
How does spaying or neutering impact the health and well-being of your cat?
It's going to, one, prevent unwanted behaviors. For males, sometimes they can spray or mark, which obviously no one wants in their house. Male cats' pee has quite a distinct odor that you typically don't want to live with. Male cats can also want to get outside to search for those females. Female cats, similar thing. They can have marking behaviors. They can want to get outside to look for those male cats. So, it prevents runaways and really helps the overall health of your cat.
How soon should I bring my cat in to see the veterinarian to get them spayed or neutered?
We typically recommend spaying or neutering around 6 months. Now, that's not the first time that we should see them. We should be seeing them when they're about 8 weeks old. So, we can start their kitten vaccines and start talking about spaying and neutering, but that's when we'll actually do the procedure.
What are the medical benefits of spaying and neutering cats?
We can prevent testicular cancer in male cats if they don't have testicles. And we can prevent female cats from a uterine infection called pyometra. A pyometra is essentially where the uterus fills up with pus, and it makes the cat very sick. It's an emergency surgery, and something they can die from. If you're not planning on breeding the cat, I definitely recommend getting them spayed or neutered.
Will doing the spaying or neutering affect their behavior?
It's not going to affect their personality. You can find a lot of stuff online saying that, but that's just not true. Now, it is going to affect their behavior positively. They're not going to be marking, they're not going to have humping behaviors, they're not going to be spraying, that sort of thing. So, those are all things that we didn't want to happen anyway.
And if my cat is in heat, how long am I supposed to wait before I can get her spayed?
Cats are a little tricky because they don't have a defined heat cycle like a dog would, where it's 10 days and done. They kind of go in and out of this heat. So, we'll try to find a time when it seems like they're not in heat. But, we certainly can spay them while they are in heat.
What are some possible conditions that can be helped or prevented by spaying or neutering your cat?
Pyometra, the uterine infection I mentioned earlier, and then also just mostly them trying to escape and get out and find other cats, right?
How should I care for my cat before and after spaying or neutering surgery?
We're going to tell you how to prepare them before. We'll typically want you to fast them prior to the procedure, so that means no food, just like if you or I were to go in and have a procedure. Afterwards, we'll have them wear a cone for about 10 to 14 days just to make sure that they're not licking at their incision. We'll also want to try to limit their activity, which can be really tough in cats. Some things you might want to do are have a separate bedroom for them to hang out in, just so they're not running around like crazy all over the house. We're going to provide you with good pain medication, so they're going to be feeling great. We just want to give them time to rest after their surgery.
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