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Expert: - 2/25/2011


Question
QUESTION: my cat is nearly six month old, i want to make her infertile but very afraid to take her to surgery. i heard of sterilization also work but does it effective and also insure her better health????????
is it safe for her???????? please help........

ANSWER: Kavita,

Yes neutering/spaying a 6 month old kitten is safe.  However, for you and your vet, here is a veterinary web site which gives a good overview and some detailed links to "early age" neutering/spaying.  I am not a vet, but a 6 month old kitten has always been a good candidate for spaying (if a female) and a pretty good candidate for neutering (if a male).

See:

http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/Health/Spay-Neuter.html


and then look at:

http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/Pages/Early_Age_Altering_Web.pdf

Best regards... Norm.




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I heard from one of the vet doctor that sterilization also work for neutering cats. my question is that does it safe to go for it????????????????

Answer
Kavita,

I am not sure what your veterinarian means by sterilization.

The only effective way of neutering a male cat is by removing the testicles. You want to reduce the amount of male hormones very substantially, or the cat will follow many of the not so nice male cat habits like spraying.

The only effective way of spaying a female cat is to remove the ovaries, etc. Like the males, the idea is to eliminate much of the female hormones so that your female cat does not go into season.

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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