When Can a Kitten Be Spayed?

By Katie Appleby

The number of people getting their feline spayed is increasing everyday. It prevents pet overpopulation and also prevents unwanted animals from getting killed by euthanasia. Every year thousands of animals get killed because of the insufficient amount of homes. Responsible and caring owners of pets must spay their female pets.

The benefits of getting a kitten spayed are many; the kitten can lead a healthier and longer life, chance of the pet straying on the street to find a mate and getting injured in the process can be avoided. There is improvement in their behavior and they also become more responsive to human family members. Chances of mammary cancer, uterine infections common among unaltered cats also diminish.

In simple terms, spaying removes the ability of an animal to reproduce. Spaying is considered safe and painless. This surgery is performed under anesthesia. Normally, the animal is home within a couple of days.

A kitten should be spayed when it reaches the age of six months, before its first heat. This surgery involves removing the uterus and ovaries through an incision; the incision is later closed either by sutures or non-absorbable or sub-cuticular stitches. Another procedure performed on kittens is tubal ligation; this surgical procedure makes the kitten sterile and prevents heats and thus coming in contact with males. Tubal ligation is not extremely popular.

Spaying in kittens should be done before it reaches puberty. Six months is ideal for female kittens to get spayed. They recover quickly at this age and very few negative concerns have come to light.

There are some who feel that it is safest to allow the kitten to grow stronger and larger before performing the surgery. This allows the urinary tract to develop. If you have doubts, it is best to consult a veterinarian to determine the correct age for spaying. Unless the cat has some health problems, spaying is considered to be safe for a kitten of any age.

Katie Appleby is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about when a kitten can be spayed, please visit Spay and Neuter Site for current articles and discussions.