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Posted by swap-cards-and-more on 08-May-2009 18:58 Report
best age to desex a kitten?
What age have you had your kitten desexed?  I've been reading up and there seems to be 2 schools of thought - one says it should be done at 3 months and the other says 5-6 months is safer.  The local vets here seem to be either for one or the other which isn't helping make the decision any easier!  What age have you had your kittens desexed and how did they go if they were young? Many thanks :)
 
Replied by starryskies on 08-May-2009 19:00 (Ref 1749749) Report
Our girl was done at 12 weeks by the RSPCA a couple of days before we adopted her - she recovered much quicker than cats I've had done at 6months!
Replied by july23au on 08-May-2009 19:11 (Ref 1749761) Report
The vet I take my kitten to said 5-6 months also.  I got him desexed at 5 months and he recovered quickly.  Didn't bother him at all really.
Replied by pirieonline on 08-May-2009 19:15 (Ref 1749765) Report
Just had our girl done at 6mths, vet wouldn't do her at 3mths as she was a small cat
Replied by timewarp_design on 08-May-2009 19:37 (Ref 1749789) Report
I did my baby at approx 3 months, he lived till he was 16 1/2, so it worked for him, you have to get them before they get into cat calling and looking for mates, that varies with every cat. They are all unique and beautiful.
Replied by bargainlover on 08-May-2009 20:29 (Ref 1749845) Report
8-10 weeks for a boy. My boy is 18mnths now and as gentle as. Also as CHEEKY as.... LOL
Replied by jakenl10 on 08-May-2009 21:11 (Ref 1749907) Report
Well, the earlier the better from the point of view of not having kittens around, and not having any behaviour that comes with sexual maturity.

However, when they are very small, it is a more difficult procedure fromt he vet's point of view.

I would say that as early as your vet will perform the procedure is the best.

You wouldn't want to leave it any later than 6 months, no matter what.

Wendy

P.S.  Why don't you ask a vet or two WHY they do it at the age they each recommend?  That might help your decision.
Replied by nissa1054 on 08-May-2009 22:00 (Ref 1749968) Report
RSPCA de sex at 7 weeks.
We de sex at about 8 weeks (they have to be over 800gms) - both males and females. The kittens recover very quickly. When they come back to their pens you wouldn't think anything had been done. Most are too interested in eating! lol
The females have just the one stitch and the boys there is just a little slice which self closes.

Most private vets will tell their clients to wait till the kitten is 5 - 6 months old. Only because they are not well versed in pediatric surgery. Unfortunately they do not tell the clients with female kittens to make sure they are kept inside and away from entire males until they are speyed. Consequently the client can be faced with a higher bill than expected because the kitten is either in season or pregnant.

I have posted links to various sites before on early de sexing. Also on research done on side effects (there are no adverse side effects)

Many private vets agree with early desexing but admit they do not have the training or the experience to do it.
Replied by chrysalis62 on 08-May-2009 22:20 (Ref 1750008) Report
Hi my kittens were bought from a breeder, so they were done before i received them as they were bought as pets.........so they were done at 10weeks...........
they are ragdolls, they have a beautiful nature, never dirtied or spreyed or shown any interest to leave the house(house cats from the start). I have a male and female.
Here is website info(there's lots of conflicting info out there), hope it helps,

http://www.catprotection.org.au/pdf/Fact_sheet_desexing_180708.pdf
Replied by nissa1054 on 08-May-2009 22:37 (Ref 1750044) Report
http://www.cat-world.com.au/catworlddesexing.htm

http://www.catcrisis.com/CC_FAQ.html#7

http://cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Residents/documents/Animals/FactSheetDesex.pdf

http://www.pets.info.vic.gov.au/community/attachments/attachment17.pdf

http://www.cfa.org/articles/health/early-neuter.html

http://www.whosforcats.com.au/desexing/
Replied by swap-cards-and-more on 08-May-2009 22:37 (Ref 1750045) Report
 thanks for all the opinions, I may wait until she is around 5 months as she is little and I am worried something may happen to her!  cheers :)
Replied by nissa1054 on 08-May-2009 22:56 (Ref 1750075) Report
If you want to wait that long, make sure she doesn't get out - she can come into season at 4 months and the last thing you want is for her to become pregnant at that age and give birth at 6 months.
You say she is small - how small? What is her weight? You dont say how old she is now.
Also keep in mind by waiting till she is 5 months and she is in season, it is a bigger job for the vet and may have longer recovery time.  Also she may be very vocal and call a lot of the time.

I know I posted a lot of links and there is a lot of reading, but there is no greater risk with early de-sexing that later. Just more advantages for the kitten.
Replied by swap-cards-and-more on 08-May-2009 23:00 (Ref 1750083) Report
thanks for that, I've actually been reading those type of sites all yesterday and called various vets today - they seemed to be divided on the topic.  She is only 3 1/2 months now and kept safely indoors.
Replied by quickbuys on 09-May-2009 08:47 (Ref 1750237) Report
says 5-6 months is safer - safer for what, getting kittens???

the sooner the better, imho - cat owner
Replied by nissa1054 on 09-May-2009 10:27 (Ref 1750364) Report
chanell, I so agree.
However, my opinion is only based on personal experience and I can only pass on what I have learned. Each owner will do as they please when it comes down to it and what their vet is able to do.
The four kittens I have here at the moment will be de sexed in the next couple of weeks - as soon as they are up to weight, they will then be able to be adopted.
Replied by kabayan on 09-May-2009 10:55 (Ref 1750409) Report
yeah, safe at the moment. She may be one who does come into season at four months and will manage to get out because mating becomes uppermost in her mind. She then meets a couple of the local toms and mates. One of them has FIV and bites her hard because she resists and she then not only is pregnant but becomes infected with FIV at the same time ..... Yeah is so much safer for her.
If she does become pregnant, will you still have her speyed and the kittens aborted or make her have the kittens? You say she is small now. Imagine that small body full of kittens and then having to give birth to them.
Replied by nissa1054 on 09-May-2009 11:07 (Ref 1750421) Report
bit harshly put kabayan
Replied by ausroad on 09-May-2009 12:58 (Ref 1750526) Report
Some vets won't do it until 5 months or so, others want to wait until the cat is a certain weight. Some will do it while the cat is still a little kitten. You'll probably just have to go with whatever your vet's thoughts are on the matter. If you don't like it, you can always look for another.
Replied by clareabell on 14-May-2009 14:20 (Ref 1756166) Report
My vet wouldn't do my cat until she was at least 5 months old as it is too dangerous before then, she was 5 months when it was done and had no problems at all, I was prepared to spoil her rotten, etc but she was running around the house and up and down furniture like nothing happened as soon as I brought her home.
Replied by lornaabrahamsskincare on 14-May-2009 14:28 (Ref 1756169) Report
what is FIV?

THANKS
Replied by lornaabrahamsskincare on 14-May-2009 14:28 (Ref 1756170) Report
what is FIV?

THANKS
Replied by nevernever on 14-May-2009 16:56 (Ref 1756259) Report
FIV = Feline immune virus..

Attacks their immune system - not a nice sight seeing them suffer..

As for age to desex - i was always told 6mths - but that was over 16yrs ago..

My 2yr was done at 5mths..

I did have a kitten that was 4mths when i found her (she was a dumped one ) and she had kittens (well was pregnant ) i had the vet abort them - she would have died if she gave birth to them...


it can be hard working out..

maybe talk to vet and see what he says..

And can i say - good on you for being a caring owner..
Replied by nissa1054 on 15-May-2009 12:29 (Ref 1756994) Report
Simply put, FIV is feline AIDS. It can take take one fang of an infected cat piercing the skin of another to spread the disease. FIV does not cross species.

Pediatric de-sexing is only dangerous if the vet doesn't know the correct procedures. We de sex in excess of 900 kittens under the age of 4 months per season. Successfully. Most of these are under 3 months.
Private vets themselves will admit to the fact they donot have the experience or kowledge.

Pediatric de-sexing by breeders has been very common for over 20 years (I think it is closer to 30 years, but am veering on the side of conservatism) - internationally. Cat shows have classes for de sexed cats.
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