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Original poster

Vet won't neuter till 7 months old

46 replies

Plump82 · 05/11/2019 06:40

My vet wont neuter my boy cat till he's 7 months old. She said it's better for his bones. Our girl will be speyed at 6 months. I'm worried that the boy cat will start spraying every where. I'm guessing i cant insist hes done earlier?

OP posts:
fantasmasgoria1 · 05/11/2019 06:43

We have had to wait for ours to have her last vaccination which is soon before we could book her spay. My previous cats never had to wait. I have read that some vets like to wait until older than 6 months for neutering.

IDontWantToCookTonight · 05/11/2019 06:43

If it’s recommended because it’s going to be better for your cat, go by recommendation. Why would you not listen to your vets advice.

It’s a months difference in comparison to your girl cat. I’m sure you can keep him under control for a few weeks.

oohnicevase · 05/11/2019 06:46

I'd be more worried about him hurting the girl caf .. many years ago a girl cat we had had to have an abortion before she was Neutered due to boy cat .. do they know you have a girl and boy ? Maybe find round other vets ? My boys were done at 5 months 2 years ago so maybe other vets have different ideas .

Veterinari · 05/11/2019 06:51

@Plump82
The vet sounds out of date for both cats. Your female cat could easily be pregnant by 6 months old, especially if she’s living with a boy.

Neutering for cats has been recommended from 4 months for years now.
icatcare.org/advice/neutering-your-cat/

Evidence summary here:
www.fve.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/FVE-position-early-neutering-cats.pdf

I’d find a new vet or ask why they aren’t in line with the recommended guidance?

dementedpixie · 05/11/2019 06:53

There is a kitten neutering database online. I had to go to an alternative vet to get my boys neutered at 4 months as my vet wouldn't do it until 6 months

dementedpixie · 05/11/2019 06:55

www.cats.org.uk/what-we-do/neutering/find-a-vet

Original poster
Plump82 · 05/11/2019 10:44

IDontWantToCookTonight - it's not about keeping him under control (which I dont know how I'd do when I'm in work) but that I'm worried my girl cat ends up pregnant!
Oohnicevase yep they know it's a boy and girl. Unfortunately they are the only vets in my area and as i dont drive its not easy finding another one.
The girl cat is tiny so i understand having to wait till shes older and weighs more for anaesthetic? Our boy isnt much bigger either to be honest. I'm just para about spraying and unwanted pregnancy and out girl possibly getting hurt.

OP posts:
IDontWantToCookTonight · 05/11/2019 11:14

Ok so: A) why did you get a boy and a girl cat?
B) did you not research all of this before hand?
C) girl cat scan get pregnant extremely young. From only a few months. They are able to spay girl cats as soon as they’re a certain weight, albeit may be trickier as it’s a fiddly job and when her inner bits are that small it’s even harder. - you will have to keep them separated for however long it take for either of them to get spayed first.

dementedpixie · 05/11/2019 11:32

You need to find a friend or family member to take you or get a taxi/public transport to get to an alternative vet then. Did you check the database for your nearest one that does from 4 months?

Original poster
Plump82 · 05/11/2019 12:10

IDontWantToCook - A)I think you're being quite unfair here. I got a boy and girl because that was what was available to re home. And what i wanted. B) Of course I researched it before hand which is why im surprised the vets said 7 months. As I was expecting much easier. C)Shes only 1kg and the vets said they like them to be much heavier so i imagine that won't be for a while yet.
dementedpixie - yes I've checked. There's none particularly close by. None that I can get to via public transport. Plus i have no friends/family near by to take me.

I think people think I'm being irresponsible here. I'm most definitely not.

OP posts:
IDontWantToCookTonight · 05/11/2019 14:15

I’m not being unfair OP, I’m just trying to establish why you would get a boy and a girl cat, knowing they can get pregnant young. Why didn’t you get one, then when old enough to spay get the other?

You’ve got yourself in a pickle and I just can’t believe you didn’t think of this before you brought them home. I know it sounds harsh but I’m genuinely just trying to see what you thought would actually happen?

BovaryX · 05/11/2019 16:15

Hi,
I would really advise you to take the vet’s advice. Neutering them too early can cause complications in the future. Your female kitten is too small for the surgery, standard vet advice is seven months and 3kgs. Can’t you keep them separate until they are ready for their operations? Perhaps ask the vet for advice on this?

Original poster
Plump82 · 05/11/2019 16:47

Unfortunately there's no where for them to be separated. Especially not for another month and a half. BovaryX that's what the vets said about early neutering. I called one of the vets closest so me and they weren't keen on taking them on just for neutering. I've got another couple of numbers. I'm getting such conflicting information I just dont know whats right.

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 05/11/2019 17:09

Standard advice is not 3kg and 7 months. Where have you seen that?

viccat · 05/11/2019 17:10

I think the OP is getting an unnecessarily hard time here; lots and lots of people get a mixed sex sibling pair of kittens!

How old are they now?

Over in the US they now neuter as early as 8 weeks and 1kg and the latest research seems to show the recovery time is actually much shorter. Some UK based cat charities are starting to do this as well, to be able to home kittens already neutered.

I have two boy/girl sibling pairs, the older pair were neutered at 4 months when they came into the charity's care as the litter of kittens was two boys and two girls. My other pair I adopted before they were neutered and my vet recommended getting the boy done first as it's such a quick and easy surgery for boys with a different type of anesthetic. He was about 22 weeks old and it went really well. The girl was done around 5 1/2 months of age as my vet said it's not an issue that everything internally is smaller but the anesthesia is more risky when their trachea is smaller and recommended waiting a bit longer especially as by then all the other cats in the house were neutered.

If you have any cat rescue charities near you, you could ask for their advice as they will know a vet who neuters a lot of cats and kittens and might be willing to neuter the boy earlier. 7 months is certainly quite late.

Sammy867 · 05/11/2019 17:13

My girl cat was neutered at 4 months. She was still with her mum so they neutered her then we waited a month and picked her up at 5 months. It was better for her as she recovered quickly and didn’t have the trauma of leaving her mum around the same time as moving house and getting neutered but the charity said they neuter all theirs at 4 months

Original poster
Plump82 · 05/11/2019 18:20

Viccat - thank you, i appreciate that. I never got kittens thinking I'd have to wait till they were much older to be neutered. I consider myself a responsible owner and would like them done earlier if possible. My last cat was 4 so was already speyed when I got her. They're 3.5 months now.

There's a CPL near me I think, so I'll call them tomorrow. I've got a number of a vets my friend uses (she has a boy and girl from the same litter as mine) so I'll phone them too. Although she said they wont neuter till they're 2kg. Her pair are much bigger than mine despite being sibling. My boy is only 1.3kg so they wouldn't take him any time soon. How long does it take to get from 1.3kg to 2kg? 🤷‍♀️

OP posts:
Veterinari · 05/11/2019 19:44

@BovaryX
With respect your advice is bollocks.

Please read the actual veterinary advice I linked to earlier and stop spreading misinformation please!

Veterinari · 05/11/2019 19:46

@Plump82
Getting a boy and girl is fine. Thete’s Absolutely no reason why they can’t both be neutered from 16 weeks - it’s the recommended guideline. Ring round a couple of vets and you’ll certainly find one a bit more up to date.

Original poster
Plump82 · 05/11/2019 20:34

If i manage to find a vet who neuters earlier can my current vet refuse to treat them for anything else?

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 05/11/2019 21:02

It never came up as an issue for me. I travelled to a different vet in a different town to get mine done and stayed registered with my original vet.

Veterinari · 05/11/2019 21:04

If i manage to find a vet who neuters earlier can my current vet refuse to treat them for anything else?
No just get them neutered then transfer back to your original practice

lljkk · 05/11/2019 21:11

Phone another vet & lie about their age? I did would.

soulmakossa · 05/11/2019 21:23

Our boy has just been neutered at just turned 5 months and 2.85kg.
Mum will be done in a weeks time and our 2 girls (both also 5 months, they’re all mums kittens) will both be done by christmas. So long as one of them are done asap then I wouldn’t worry about waiting a little longer so long as you keep them in as there will be no pregnancy risk.
I was told it was 2kg that was the safe neutering weight rather than 3kg so that might be worth looking into.

soulmakossa · 05/11/2019 21:26

Sorry ignore my rubbish, just re-read again and you’ve not said anything about 3kg, think I mis-read the 3.5 months! To gain the 700g shouldn’t take too much longer, Maybe a month or so Smile