Early spaying & neutering of cats

[spats 10]

I would just like to draw to everyone's attention the new video that is available to view on the Cats Protection website http://www.cats.org.uk. This video runs for about 5 mins and explains how early spay/neuter can make such a difference to you and your pet. It's fantastic to see Cats Protection updating their policies on this subject & it is great that they are now advocating early spay/neuter. Anyone with any niggling doubts about the safety of these procedures on kittens should watch this video. Be warned...it does show the operations being performed.

There is also a list of Veterinary Practices that in the Sheffield area who will spay/neuter at 4 months (Ferals from 2 months). Highfield Vets will spay/neuter domestic & ferals from 2 months of age.

Edited August 4, 2012 by spats

[RepoUK 10]

http://www.cats.org.uk

 

[spats 10]

Silly me Thanks for the correction! Have you had a look yet?

[Rainrescue 10]

Thats brilliant - thanks for sharing that with everyone - we could do with getting that advertised on the Radio Sheffield or Hallam

 

Anyone have any contacts?

 

We HAVE to get cat breeding reduced in Sheffield and Yorkshire - its been and still is a nightmare for them at the moment - and things will get worse quickly. The more people are aware of whats really right and wrong - hopefully the more people will do it.

 

We tried to get a group together last year to contact vets for their prices of cat neutering - and really have a bash on publicizing the high volume of cats being dumped and ultimately destroyed - because there are too many - but sadly - couldn't get any volunteers to run with it - so it flopped.

 

It would be well worth people picking up on promoting it though if people had the time and passion to help them.

[magsie 10]

This needs to be a local and national media campaign. The message is not getting through and it won't while vets are still sticking to the 6 months of age neuter.

Maggie Roberts, Cats Protection’s Director of Veterinary Services explained: “Cats are such prolific breeders that if we didn’t neuter them, we would have a population explosion that would end up with sick, stray and abandoned cats roaming the streets. As a nation of animal lovers, I don’t think anyone would find this acceptable."

 

We already have a national population explosion roaming the streets. And if South Yorks is anything to go by, personally I think it's far too late. Rescues can but try to help individual cats but there are thousands of feral and stray cats in our immediate area alone left on the streets to breed, most in a terrible state. It's so sad to see them.

 

Well done CP for taking the stance of early neutering to the out of date vets.

[spats 10]

The Sheffield Cats Shelter has been early spaying & neutering for a long time now. It makes such a difference to have the assurance that no kitten rehomed by them will ever get pregnant. Before that, they had to issue a voucher for the operations to be done at 6 months. Despite every kitten adopter being told to keep their kittens indoors till they were done, accidental pregnancies were still happenning. Kittens having kittens. Nightmare. Those tiny little females will come into season & sneak outside whichever way they can. Tomcats come for miles to find them. And then they KEEP coming into season until they ARE pregnant!

[midgecat 10]

Have to say I was a bit uneasy when I fostered some kits for Cat Shelter and they said about getting them neutered that young. I've always taken them around 5 months old before that. But they bounced back absolutely fine, even the little girl who was only just big enough to be done. Don't think I'd hesitate now about it. Like you say Spats, its good to KNOW for sure that they're neutered before they go to new homes.

[Bladette11 10]

I agree totally, my vet advised to have my cat spayed at 6mths, she got out once accidently and now she is pregnant due any day.

[spats 10]

Oh no! I do hope everything goes okay for your little cat with her labour. Sometimes these young mums are so small themselves that they can easily get into difficulties giving birth. Their poor little bodies are often just not developed enough. Keep a close eye on her wont you? Have a thorough read up on as much information as you can about the indications & signs of problems during labour. Dont want to scare you, but these teenage preganancies are fraught with risks to mum & the kittens. Emergency Cesaerean is a distinct possibility if mum is too small & a big kitten gets stuck in the birthing canal. Be prepared also to intervene when the kittens are born. These young mums are often clueless about what they should be doing. You may have to clear the babe from the sac membrane, cut the cords or even rub them vigourously to get them to take their first breath.

Also, get ready to intervene in case mum doesn't feed them very well. Have ready a bottle, teats & some kitten milk formula.

Fingers crossed, everything will be fine & your little puss will go into autopilot supermum. Just be well prepared in case there are any problems.

Edited August 5, 2012 by spats