010. Spaying
Description
This article is from the Basic Health Care FAQ, posted to rec.pets.cats newsgroup. Maintained by Cindy Tittle Moore with numerous contributions by others.
010. Spaying
Female cats are spayed; this is an ovario-hysterectomy (uterus and ovaries are removed). There are two methods: ventral entry which is through the stomach muscles in the belly (where a large patch of fur will be shaved to prevent later irritation of the incision), and the lateral entry which is through a small incision in the cat's side. Ventral entry is less expensive, lateral entry has a quicker recovery time. You may have to bring your cat back in after ventral entry to remove stitches; lateral entry uses internal sutures which dissolve. Ventral entry is much more commonly employed; lateral entry is relatively rare, and not all vets may know how to do it.
The cat must be put under general anesthesia. There is always an element of risk in general anesthesia and while it is rare, a few rec.pets.cats readers have had their cats die under anesthesia. The earlier the female cat is spayed, the better. Any time after four months is good, preferably before the heat cyles start. Heat cycles may begin as five months.. On occasion, a female cat will not have all of her ovaries removed. The ovaries produce the hormones that induce heat: if your cat still goes through heat after being spayed, you may have to take her in for exploratory surgery to find the missed ovary, or even piece of ovary.
An intact female cat (a "queen") will go through heat which can be as frequent as every other week, and may last eight to ten days at a time. It may even appear as though she remains in heat constantly. You must keep her confined to prevent breeding, and she will do her best to escape. During her heat, she may "spray" a strong smelling urine just as tomcats do. Many cats will meow loudly for long periods of time. She will twitch her tail to the side and display her vulva. If she becomes pregnant, she will undergo all the risks and expenses associated with pregnancy (extra visits to the vet and extra food). Male cats will try very hard to get at her; there are documented cases, for example, of male cats entering homes through the chimney.
An unbred, intact queen has a much higher risk of developing cancer of the reproductive system. Queens also risk pyometra (a life threatening infection of the uterus). Spayed cats have a much lower risk of cancer and will not contract pyometra.
Female cats may come into estrus within a few days of giving birth. If you have a queen that you want to stop from having more litters, try to get her spayed as soon as possible after the kittens are born.
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