CAT SPAY AND NEUTER:

The same anesthesia protocol is used for cats as for dogs so that page can give you the details of this topic.  There are differences in reasons why we advocate this surgery due to the natural tendencies of this species.  Spaying a cat before her first heat cycle makes no differences in future mammary or uterine health.  The main reason we spay our cats early is to prevent litters of kittens that you have to find good homes for or perhaps add to the population that you are caring for.  If left to her own devices a female cat (queen) who lives out her average lifespan of 8 years in the wild, can find a mate (tom) and produce over 70,000 cats!  Who is going to feed and care for them?  No one!  This is a worldwide problem that we have no right to contribute to.  Spay and neuter all cats ASAP.

Kittens as young as 8 weeks can be sterilized without untoward effects.  We usually perform this surgery between 3 and 8 months of age.

Cats can safely be spayed (ovario-hysterectomy) during a heat cycle or pregnancy.  Males can be neutered anytime once both testicles are into the scrotum.  Recovery time for cats is about half that for dogs.  Again, there are no external stitches for them to chew on.

Dr. Bissmeyer helps out with low-cost spay and neuter services for the Catnip Society. Read further about this organization on www.catnipsociety.org