Spaying your Cat
Our general recommendation is to spay kittens between 4-6 months of age. Our goal is to perform the spay before their first heat cycle. Most cats will go into heat 8-10 months of age; however, some cats can go into heat and become pregnant as early as four months of age. By spaying your cat before their first heat cycle, we can virtually eliminate the chances of them developing breast cancer, prevent unwanted pregnancies and avoid behavioral problems (such as the natural behavior during heat and urine marking). Spaying your cat will not change their personality.
Spaying, or ovariohysterectomy, is the surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus to prevent the signs of heat and pregnancy. A single, small incision is made over the abdomen. This is a routine surgery our veterinarians perform on a daily basis. There are little surgical risks, but can include excessive blood loss. In kittens with normal blood work and physical exam, the anesthetic risks are minimal as well.
Your kitten will spend the day at our hospital. We ask that you don’t feed them any breakfast the morning of the surgery, but they can have water. Generally we set up a drop off time between 7-8 am. If your kitten is only having the spay procedure performed, they will be able to go home later the same day usually after 4pm.
All of the sutures are placed under the skin, so your kitten will not need to return for suture removal. Within 10-14 days the incision and surgery will be healed. During this time, we recommend that you restrict their activity (no running and jumping) and prevent licking of the incision to prevent dehiscence and infection. Occasionally there is a swelling under the incision. In most cases this is just a reaction to the sutures and will go away on its own in 3-4 weeks; however, if you ever have any concerns please contact the Patton Veterinary Hospital immediately.
Castrating your Cat
Our general recommendation is to castrate/neuter your kitten between 4-6 months of age. Our goal is to perform the castration before they go through ‘puberty’, which is usually by 8-10 months of age. By castrating your cat before ‘puberty’, we can avoid behavioral problems (such as urine marking, cat fighting, etc) and prevent unwanted pregnancies. Castrating your cat will not change their personality.
Neutering, or castration, is the surgical removal of the testicles. This is a routine surgery our veterinarians perform on a daily basis. A single, very small incision is made over each testicle. There are little surgical risks, but can include excessive blood loss. In kittens with normal blood work and physical exam, the anesthetic risks are minimal as well.
Your kitten will spend the day at our hospital. We ask that you don’t feed them any breakfast the morning of the surgery, but they can have water. Generally we set up a drop off time between 7-8 am. If your kitten is only having the castration procedure performed, they will be able to go home later the same day usually after 4pm.
The incisions are actually left open to heal on their own. Cats heal quite quickly and we rarely see any signs of infection. Within 10-14 days the incision and surgery will be healed. During this time, we recommend that you restrict their activity (no running and jumping) and prevent licking of the incision to prevent dehiscence and infection. If you ever have any concerns regarding the surgery, please contact the Patton Veterinary Hospital immediately.
Supporting information on spaying an neutering.
