SPAYING & NEUTERING

At Ethereal Persians Cattery every kitten is spayed/neutered before they leave us at 12 weeks of age; unless there is prior arrangement between you and me and they are being placed as a breeder. We do this to ensure that breeding is conducted responsibly, and with our consent. Moreso, we do this because early spay/neuter is known to have health benefits that we want our kittens to receive.

Benefits of early spay/neuter include weight control, eliminating the possibility of females developing pyometra, and help deter pesky mating behaviors such as spraying.

Cats who are altered before their first heat cycle tend to be less prone to obesity. This is because altering the kitten in the early stages of development allows the adrenal gland to take over the hormone producing duties of the ovaries, which signals the production of digestive hormones that are used to regulate metabolism. In fully mature cats, altering causes the digestive system to slow down because the body is not able to adjust as well. With a slower metabolism, cats who are feed the same amount after spay/neuter will gain weight faster.

In addition, removing the ovaries eliminates all possibility of a female cat developing pyometra – which can be compared to ovarian cancer in women. For males, removing testes lowers testosterone which prevents pesky mating behaviors such as spraying (ie. marking territory). So desexing a cat earlier, as opposed to later, can make weight control more manageable, eliminate the [albeit slim] likelihood of a female cat developing pyometra, and prevent both sexes, but most notably males, from spraying.

Dr. Karen Becker, a proactive and integrative wellness veterinarian, discusses all about neutering or spaying in pets.