Spaying Kitty (Female Cats)Spaying kitty will prevent your female cat from having kittens. The procedure involves removing kitty’s uterus and ovaries surgically. By not spaying kitty she can go through her heat cycle every other week with some cycles lasting 8 to 10 days. Although you may have her confined to the house she will do whatever she can to escape so she can mate.Non Spayed CatsDuring her heat cycle kitty can spray the same foul smelling urine that non neutered male cats do. When in heat she will howl loudly and for long periods of time calling for a male to come to her. This means you will have male cats lurking around the outside of the house day and night hoping to mate with kitty. A non spayed kitty runs the risk of getting cancer of her reproductive system and of contacting pyometra (infection of the uterus). When kitty finally gets pregnant, you will have to deal with all the risk and expenses that go along with her being pregnant. This includes extra vet visits and additional food requirements.Benefits of Spaying KittyWhen kitty is spayed, you don’t have to deal with her heat cycle, the chance of her spraying foul urine all over your carpets and furniture, and a much reduced risk of cancer in her reproductive system and of pyometra. You won’t have to deal with male cats lurking around hoping to get “lucky”. And finally you won’t have to deal with unwanted kitties – there are too many in this world already.The Spaying ProcedureAlthough spaying kitty can be done as early as 7 weeks without any adverse effects, the suggested time to spay a female cat is anytime after her 4th month of age but before kitty’s first heat cycle (approximately the 5th month) .There are 2 methods to perform this operation. The first is through kitty’s stomach / belly. This is called a vertical entry. The other operation is by cutting a small incision in kitty’s side and is called the lateral entry. If you plan to put kitty into cat shows have the vet do the vertical procedure as the lateral entry could leave an unwanted scar on a on kitty’s side. The vertical (stomach) entry is less expensive and the most commonly used procedure. The lateral entry is best suited to people who want a faster recovery time for kitty.
The veterinarian will put kitty under a general anesthesia before spaying kitty. The vet will surgically remove the ovaries and the uterus.
After the OperationSome vets will use dissolving stitches while others require that you return to your vet to have the stitches removed. Regardless of the type of stitches used, you will need to keep an eye on kitty to make sure she is not trying to pull out her stitches. If you see any puffiness, or oozing around the stitches, you should call your vet. The veterinarian may instruct you to use an Elizabethan Collar to stop kitty from reaching the stitches.
If not all of the ovaries are removed, kitty can still go through her heat cycle once she has recovered from her surgery. If this happens your cat can’t get pregnant but you will have a very unhappy pet. You will have to arrange for the vet to do a second surgery. This time it will be an exploratory surgery to find the piece of the ovary that was missed.
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