Neutering and Spaying Kittens

by: Judy
(UK)

Hi,

Well this is an interesting question. It really dives into the area of medical advice. So, I'll just relay what we've experienced at our vets clinic. I must stress to all future readers, though, this is not medical advice and always seek the professional opinion of your vet!

OK, now: In my experience, every pet I've ever had has always had their blood screened prior to undergoing anesthesia. As I understand it, this is a way to check the functions of the kidneys and organs. It's vital that everything is in top condition internally before subjecting a pet to anesthesia. Not to do so could risk complications.

As for the catheter, I don't know if my pets have had it, but as I understand it, it's a good precaution. It is inserted and used to provide fluid to your pet. This reduces stress on the kidneys and other organs, and it is also a ready conduit in case some emergency occurs and medication needs to be quickly administered.

Again, this is my basic understanding! In my opinion, not all vets you call will say they do the same thing, but the ones that do these things are giving good care and taking every modern precaution.

Best Wishes and
Hoping for a speedy recovery for your little guy!

~Carrie

IV & Surgery
by: KC Hrloff
It depends on the length of the surgery. Sometimes they can just administer a barbituate and it'll put the cat out long enough to perform the surgery. If the cat is unconscious before getting the IV, they'll not feel a thing. I'm not in favor of blood draws. The only time my Coon Cat ever tried in his life was when he got a needle in his hind leg for a draw.

When Do I Get My New Kitten Spayed/Neutered?

I just bought a new Maine Coon kitten. He is approximately six weeks old. When do I get him spayed?

My daughter had one and got him spayed too soon, and he never did lose his desire to hump the other male cat in the house.

I have several other cats and would rather skip this particular visual.

Thank you so much for your answer.

Marti

Reply:

Hi Marti,

First, I should point out that only girl cats are spayed, and boys are to be neutered. So when researching on this you'll want to use the term "neuter."

The traditional age has been 6 months. Although lately there has been a trend toward early spaying and neutering of kittens. This ensures that the procedure is actually carried out, as some owners seem unable to have it done before an accidental litter occurs.

So rescue groups and even some breeders are leaning toward early spaying and neutering. Early spaying and neutering refers to an age as young as eight weeks. I haven't heard of it resulting in this particular behavior problem. I would guess that it's unrelated to his early neutering. If anything, a cat who is unneutered would be more likely to display that behavior. Neutering at any age should reduce of eliminate it. Since there are exceptions to every rule, I would guess that in the case of your daughter's cat, it was due more to his character than anything else.

It is very, very rare to find a breeder willing to sell a kitten who is under 12 - 14 weeks of age, much less six weeks of age. This is highly frowned upon.

In any event, you have him now, and you can certainly wait until he is around 6 months old. We did it at about 5 months, since we had a boy and a girl. Just make sure he doesn't go outdoors or come in contact with any un-spayed girl kitties. If you are going to let him out, you can do it early.

I would recommend calling your vet for his expert opinion, as this is more of a medical question, and not as much a 'Maine Coon cat breed' specific question.

All The Best,
~Carrie

Comments:

Spay/Neuter goes by weight now
by: Gail (Quincy, MA, USA)
Working as a volunteer at our local shelter, the trend is not decided by age anymore - it is decided by weight. Once the kitten is a healthy 2 pounds, she/he is ready to be spayed (female) or neutered (male).>

Medical science has made great strides over the years and this change is welcomed in order to get kittens spayed/neutered prior to adoption rather than wait for their new parents to get it done. Our shelter will not release kittens until each and every one is spayed/neutered.

Please do not put off getting your fur kid neutered. Not only will it eliminate unwanted kittens, it will also alleviate a lot of illnesses down the road as your cat gets older.

Maine Coon Cat Growth And Neutering

My Maine Coon cat is 4 years old will it get bigger after he get neutered he weights 8kils?

Reply:
Hi,

Neutering shouldn't have an effect on his size. Some theorize that neutered boys are lazier and this makes them 'fat.'

Others worry that neutering will stunt the growth of their boy and he won't get as big as they'd like him to be.

No need to worry. At four years he's probably full grown. Even if not, neutering won't effect his growth.

All The Best,
~Carrie

Age A Maine Coon Boy Kitten Can Be Safely Neutered Without Harming Normal Growth

A breeder wants to sell me a Maine Coon boy kitten but she plans on neutering him at 3 months of age.

Will this hurt normal physical development?

Reply:

Hi,

No, neutering at three months of age will not harm his normal physical development.

Many breeders are turning to this route to ensure that the kittens they sell will in fact be spayed/neutered. I would think that a breeder who does this has had experience with owners not following through.

You might want to read a recent and very similar visitor question above: When Do I Get My New Kitten Spayed/Neutered? It discusses early spaying/neutering, and a visitor has left a helpful comment regarding the youngest spay/neuter patients.

When I took my two Maine Coon kittens to be spayed and neutered, I asked my vet how it would affect my boy, physically. I wanted a big Maine Coon cat. He informed me that my boy would still be big, but his face/head area would have a slightly more "gentle" appearance, not as square and "manly."

Leo was 5-6 months at the time. I do not know if neutering at 3 months would have any different outcome. I will say that Leo is huge, and has quite a square, large head. The biggest I've ever seen on a cat!

Before committing to this kitten, I think you should call your local vet since you have reservations. This is a somewhat physiological question, regarding a medical procedure. If you don't have a vet yet, any local vet can answer your question with ease. That's what they are there for. It will only take a few moments, and you will have a professional answer, and be ready to proceed (I think) with a breeder you can trust.

All The Best,
~Carrie

Comments:

Male neutering
by: Helen
My vet says that he likes to wait until males are six months old to neuter to insure the uretha is sufficietly large enough to pass crystals in the urine if that problem develops later in life.

I wanted my MCC to have a masculine look so I had planned to wait until he was 8 months old to neuter him. By the time time he was 5 1/2 months old his urine began to stink like a tom cat and I couldn't get to the vet fast enough for the neuter. (HaHaHa) He wasn't marking, but my, oh, my did his urine ever reek of stud cat hormones! Today he looks like a big proud male cat, is knee-high tall and weighs 21 pounds.

My breeder (who is nationally known) allows male kittens to go to new homes after their first set of vaccinations. See if your breeder will reconsider the issue. She is going to mark his papers "Not for Breeding Purposes" anyhow. Why not ask her to hold his papers until you get him neutered and furnish her with your vet's written statement of date of neuter.

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