General FAQ

Sterilisation/Neuturing

Cats

We recommend that all cats are sterilised, unless you specifically want to breed from them.

Female cats (“queens”) usually first come into oestrus (“heat”, “calling”) at around 6 months old – some may be a little younger and some 8 months old or more.

Cats are normally extremely fertile and will breed very readily. If your queen has had kittens, be aware that nursing/lactating is NOT a contraceptive. If she is to be spayed, this should be done as soon as her kittens are reasonably independent, i.e. mostly easting kitten food and only comfort-suckling mum.

Male cats (“tom”) reach sexual maturity between 7 and 12 months old. AT that time, they may start trying to assert themselves amongst other neighborhood cats, getting into fights, which frequently develop into abscesses. Entire toms also tend to ‘mark’ their territory, spraying their strong smelling urine onto vertical surfaces (which may include the house)!

Dogs

Most females (“bitches”) come into oestrus (“season, “on heat”) twice a year, i.e. approximately every 6 months. There is some variation: some bitches may cycle after 5 and next after 7 months; others only once a year.

A season lasts about 3 weeks, during which time a bitch loses a light but bloody discharge from the vulva in the first week and a clear discharge thereafter. She will be attractive to male dogs that will tend to loiter near the house and follow you on walks.

An un-spayed bitch is likely in middle or older age to develop a womb condition call pyometra. This is a serious and potentially fatal disease, which usually is treated by ovariohysterectomy (“Spaying”). Having puppies does not prevent pyometra.

Un-spayed bitches are prone to mammary tumours. The younger the age, at which a bitch is spayed, the less is the risk of these tumours.

Male dogs tend to ‘mark’ territory by urinating while on walks and occasionally do so in the house. They may become aggressive towards other dogs or even to people. They may also try to escape to ‘roam’ after bitches in season. Castration will help control these behavior problems.

Non-surgical

Alternatives

There are either hormone tablets or hormone injections, which have to be repeated at the appropriate interval. The disadvantages of hormone treatment are: -

• Forgetting to give the dose at the appropriate time.
• Irregular cycling by bitch/queen causing her tom come into season unexpectedly.
• Slightly increased risk of pyometra
• Slightly increase risk of sugar diabetes (diabetes mellitus) in cats.
• Greater expense in the long term.

The disadvantages of neutering are: -

• A tendency to obesity –controllable with diet.
• A small risk with general anesthesia – modern anesthetics are very safe.
• Coat changes occasionally occur after neutering in bitches of some breeds.

Recommended ages for sterilisation are:

• Female cats: at 6 months old. We normally spay through her belly wall on the side in front of the back leg (“flank”); sometimes for “show cats we spay through the belly wall underneath near the navel (“midline”)

  If your cat has recently had kittens it can still get pregnant while nursing/lactating – are effectively weaned (i.e. eating mostly other food and only suckling for “comfort”) – usually when they are 5-6 weeks old.

• Male cats: at 6 months old. Bitches: 3 months after first (last) season. We always do a precautionary blood-clotting test (nurse appointment) within 5 days of the operation.
• Dogs: from 10 months old – make an appointment to see one of our vets to discuss.

Rabbits

Male: from 3 months old.

Keep male and female rabbits apart from each other because they reach puberty at a few weeks old and can breed then.