Neutering and spaying questions - when to do it, whether it affects the eventual size of a male, I.V.'s and more.
Here are our archived questions and answers related to neutering and spaying. Just scroll down to read more about:
Maine Coon Cat purrs during vet exam and through neutering procedure:
Hi Carrie,
Buddy was neutered on 16/12/10. While he was waiting for me Buddy started to knead his bedding in the carrier; he's never done that before. P'raps he was trying to calm himself?
At the vet he purred loudly through his examination and I was told Buddy continued purring through the short procedure . The vet said in her experience it was very unusual.
I've read purring can be a negative sign also, I wonder if this was the case? Have you or anyone else heard of this Carrie? I'd be interested to find out.
We know when we'll get more snow he cleans right round his right ear and walks with his totally fluffed out!
Reply:
Hi Judy,
Aww, how's he feeling today? At least it's over with!
Leo purred loudly through his first big exam (at around Buddy's age), even through his shots! He was put under anesthesia during the procedure, though.
As for the exam, you know him. He could have been genuinely happy and friendly, like Leo was. It's a Maine Coon thing.
Or, he could have been nervous. Purring in that situation, if he was nervous and scared is also common. You were there during the exam, so you know whether he was scared or friendly by looking at other signals, like rubbing, meowing, etc. as opposed to cowering and flinching.
The procedure and the waiting in his carrier are another story. In his head, the visit went right downhill. He probably used the purring as a healing and self-soothing method, just as you thought.
I wouldn't call it a negative sign, just something they do in what they perceive as negative circumstances. Poor little (big) guy!
In case you've missed it, we have a related article: What Makes a Happy Cat Purr?
Interesting that he foretells the weather! Very cool!
~Carrie
I understand that a having a male kitten neutered is a very quick proceedure. Our new vet is suggesting that we have pre op blood work and he recommends having an IV. Our previous vet never offered these services. I am getting mixed advice as I call around to various other vet clinics.
Reply:
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.
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
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.
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
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?
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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