Any cat experts out there?

[gabby4ever 1]

ive had cats all my life and they start to get in heat when they're about 8 months old....before that , the're just "playin" if you can call it that....a 6 m/o cat cant get pregnant...they can though after they're 8 m/o...none of all the cats i ever owed were fixed and none of them got pregnant before 1 year....

[~*Maria*~ 1]

I'm not sure about the rest of Europe, but coming from the UK i've never heard of Cat Vasectomies.

As you have both male and female kittens, i would consider having them both spayed/neutered.

The female for unwanted pregnancies. The male to stop him spraying around your house because when he starts and believe he will .... you wont be able to get rid of the smell (not trying to scare you)

[Arazia 0]

Usually, at least from the local vet around here, they spay/neuter by weight not necessarily by age. They have to be a certain weight to undergo the anestesia. Our boy was just about the right weight when he was neutered, but if he had been any smaller, they'd have made us wait a few weeks and come back.

In any case, yes there is such thing as a cat vasectomy. Would I suggest it? No. Generally these proceedures are used on feral/stray cat populations in neuter/release programs. As people have mentioned earlier, neutering removes a lot of anti-social behavior and the animal won't know what they are missing really. You'r elikely to have a lot less problems with a neuter than with a vasectomy. The reason that vasectomies are done in some stray cat populations is it maintains the level of testosterone in tom-cats in the wild so they still have the agressiveness and other traits of an unneutered cat and that helps them defend themselves and better fit into the colony. At least... that's what I remember reading when I looked into feral cat colonies a while back.

[~*Maria*~ 1]

ive had cats all my life and they start to get in heat when they're about 8 months old....before that , the're just "playin" if you can call it that....a 6 m/o cat cant get pregnant...they can though after they're 8 m/o...none of all the cats i ever owed were fixed and none of them got pregnant before 1 year....

I too have had cats all my life and most them have not been allowed to have heat seasons, they all have been spayed/neutered. Unfortunately this one i was unable to get spayed in time;

All cats are different......some have early heat seasons....4-6 months of age and do get pregnant as i found out...my adoreable black female went into heat season at 5 n half mos old and got Pregnant!!

Some female kittens have a later heat season around 8 mos but they do get pregnant if caught by a male cat.

Any female cat in season caught with a male cat can and WILL get pregnant regardless of age unless spayed.

Gabby4ever your female cats must have been very lucky not to have gotten pregnant by males.

[Anna C. 4]

Never heard of cat vasectomies either. The only thing I know of that's around in Germany is that the male cats after neutering get little silicone implants so that it looks like they still have their testicles. The procedure won't lead to a happier cat, but only to a happier owner. It's like a breast augmentation and connected to serious side effects (silicone leaking, hardening, tumors).

[Carolyn 1]

Sounds like my husband and I will have to have a serious talk about the neutering...he has had male cats all his life in Morocco and none of them were ever neutered. I don't think they ever did any spraying in the house, but then again, they could go outside.

My kitties are indoors only. I don't think there is any moral reason for fixing both of them if they have no contact with other cats. I will fix at least one of them, since I'm not prepared for litters of kittens.

Thanks for your input, everyone!

P.S. Thinking about testicular implants is cracking me up

Edited August 1, 2007 by Carolyn

[Mononoke28 134]

I got my oldest cat from a shelter and they never let animals leave unless they're spayed or neutered, females or males, it doesn't matter. Most kittens and puppies there are fixed by the time they're 8 weeks old. You should call around to find out more about this because they can get pregnant pretty fast and some end up having huge litters.

I also had a friend whose cat got pregnant, had 7 kittens, the vet said she shouldn't get fixed until 3 months had passed because it was not likely that she would get pregnant again. Well lo' and behold, a month after she gave birth... she was pregnant again and had another litter of 6 kittens. My friend was stuck with 13 cats and I had to adopt one of them.

Vets aren't alwasy right, you know.

Diana

[Bill and Hayley 0]

Before i left the uk i had 2 kittens, one male and one female but because they were indoor cats i thought i would only get the male done, but when the female came in season it was awful, we had about 6 tom cats hanging around the front door, making terrible noise's, which she joined in with, then she started spraying up doors, jezzz that didnt smell good so off to the vets she went. Ive had cats all my life and they have never got pregnant under a year old, but my friend who had two female kittys both got preg at 5 months, so its probably different for every cat.

[Marilyn. 340]

If you don’t want your cats to reproduce and yet you don’t want their sexual desires to be taken away, you can perform a vasectomy or a tubal ligation. A vasectomy is a procedure that includes removing part of your cat’s vas deferens, a key reproductive organ. This keeps sperm from traveling from your male cat’s testicles to its urethra. A vasectomy includes tying of the Fallopian tubes of your cat. Keep in mind that with these methods, your cats will still be active sexually. Your female cat will still go into heat, and your cat will continue to spray urine. If you give your cat a vasectomy, your male cat can still have sex with a female cat and sexual desires will be fulfilled. However, you will help control the pet population, because you don’t run the risk of reproduction.

In the near future there will be yet another method to control the birth rate among animals. A chemical birth control is being developed that can be given to cats--both strays and domestic-- in order to keep the cat population from being excessive. Many veterinarians and pet advocates are excited about this chemical birth control, as it can be easily administered to stray cats that are a major contributor to the reproduction rate of the species.

But still... right now, the main way to control the pet population is to have your cats spayed or neutered. This is essential for anyone who is not looking to breed her cats. If you can’t handle the rigors of breeding, you should give serious thought to taking care of your pet’s reproductive rights.

http://nc.essortment.com/catbirthcontro_rxcj.htm

NEUTERING VS. VASECTOMY IN MALES

There is another procedure available for preventing fertility in males, and that is a "vasectomy". While a vasectomy renders a male cat sterile, it does not affect testosterone levels as long as the spermatic artery is kept intact. A vasectomized cat, in other words, can mate, but cannot father kittens. This procedure is rarely used for domestic male cats, because a vasectomized male cat would still have territorial issues, still perhaps be prone to fighting other cats to protect that territory, still wander and try to get outside in search of a mate, and still spray urine that has a very strong odor. Vasectomy is still a valid alternative for population control in feral cat colonies, however.

http://www.hdw-inc.com/spayneuter.htm

[Mags 112]

Male cats are normally neutered around five months of age. Females at 6 months. I suspect your male cat has reached sexual maturity and it would probably be a good idea to get him neutered first. I have four male cats and all of them have been neutered; they are a lovely bunch and they certainly don't seem to miss their "bits".

Before one of them was neutered though he started to spray and I can tell ya...you really don't want that happening to your home.

My female cat first came into season at 6 months old. Didn't get around to spaying her until she was 9 months (indoor cat) and she was hell to live with. Weeing up doors, yowling at the top of her lungs, rubbing herself up against anything etc.

[Jenn! 918]

When I took my kittens to the vet she said that they won't be fixed until 6 months. Now I'm nervous about the boy maturing before then. Should I try to convince the vet to do it sooner?

[Mags 112]

When I took my kittens to the vet she said that they won't be fixed until 6 months. Now I'm nervous about the boy maturing before then. Should I try to convince the vet to do it sooner?

If the vet says 6 months then they are his guidelines; I wouldn't worry too much. But don't dilly-dally when they get near to that age!

The thing I would recommend is just keeping an eye on them as they get older. If you have any concerns about sexual maturity then voice them to your vet; even if it is just a quick phone call. He may taken them in or have some recommendations for you.

Edited August 1, 2007 by Mags

[mawilson 2,133]

When I took my kittens to the vet she said that they won't be fixed until 6 months.

How does one 'fix' a cat by removing the testicles?

I'd say you'd be 'breaking' the cat, not 'fixing' it.

[Kathryn41 3,205]

My two feral-born female kittens came into heat for the first time at 3 1/2 and 4 months of age!!! I hadn't planned on spaying them until they were 5 months old, so had to endure nearly 6 weeks of the kittens being in heat because I had to save up to afford the procedure. It was a much quieter household afterwards!

My two orphaned males both started showing male aggressiveness towards each other at 5 months old. It was noticeably worsening each day so I called the vet and they were neutered within a week of starting to show sexual maturity. Their sweet personalities returned shortly afterwards.

Your husband needs to stop identifying with your male cat - it is not him who is being neutered; he doesn't show such anti-social behaviour as territorial aggression, attacking every other male in the area, staying out all night, getting into fights, smelling bad, spraying urine around the house, not eating because he is so busy trying to find a female for mating, and getting fat cheeks (at least I hope he doesn't), but that is what your un-neutered or vasectomied male cat will do. He won't be pleasant to have in the house and he won't be playful or cuddly or easy to live with. Both your male and female should be neutered when they start showing signs of sexual maturity or by the time they are 6 months old, which ever comes first. Trust me, you will ALL be much, much happier in the long run.

Edited August 1, 2007 by Kathryn41

[Miranda&James 8]

My cat was fixed when she was a certain weight, not a certain age, and she definitely was younger than 6 months when I got her (I think she was a little over 2 months) and was already spayed. The standard rule used to be 6 months I believe but weight is becoming a new guideline on when to fix a kitty.

The testicular implants cracked me up too! What a terrible thing to do to your kitty though, kitties don't care what they look like! And also, I don't think cats really get sexual "pleasure" like we do, do they? I thought only people and dolphins had sex for fun, but maybe I'm wrong!