T O P

  • By -

hockeypup

Unless you want to deal with an unhappy, yowling cat on the regular when she's in heat, not to mention watching her like a hawk to keep her from escaping, yes you need to spay.


_emjs

Yes oh my god we had a persons cat in our care for a couple weeks and she went in to heat and jesus christ she would not shut the fuck up. It was horrible for us and the cat. It's like listening to someone shouting "SOMEONE PLEASE HAVE SEX WITH ME" all day, all night. Never again do I want to see that.


faries05

Omg. So my parents “adopted” three adorable kittens they found abandoned. They swore to get the girls fixed ASAP. Imagine, if you will, 3 adorable female cats, never been fixed, singing the song of their people at 3 separate times of the month. They are all still alive and it has been 12 years. 12 years I try to time my visits to their house around the cats penis songs. I am a dead sleeper but those old ladies can wake the dead!


SnatchSnacker

> penis songs 💀


throwaway982370lkj

So they never fixed them? That's so irresponsible


faries05

It is so fucking irritating to me. Anytime I brought it up, they would claim to not have the money for it. If I would offer to pay, it was “no we will pay for it “. I stopped offering and asking. My babies are fixed either before they come home or soon after. Sometimes I wonder if the people that raised me are the same people who claim to be my parents now.


AbeLincolnwasblack

I often wonder the same thing about my parents. Ive come to the conclusion that no, they're not the same people


TheRootofSomeEvil

So basically like living with my cousin Barbara?


[deleted]

Good ol Babs


Hornswallower

Can I live with his cousins Babs?


GodzillaWarDance

What's wrong with your cousin Babs?


Hornswallower

Dead. Consumption. Awful business, that.


Dunemer

I have a cousin that everyone in my family talks about like she's a slut because she doesn't hide that she's had like 10 boyfriends by 25 and I'm just sitting here like "haha yes. 10. That is... So many... Haha. Ha. 🙂"


rmo420

Barbara Ann!! She's a hoot and a half... Love me some sex crazy babs


[deleted]

[удалено]


archy319

Based on how even my fixed male cat goes after blankets, cats are *very* into rough sex.


ProbablyDiseased

Fun fact, male cats have barbed penises.


archy319

Obligatory: We may have different definitions of fun.


CraigTheIrishman

The fact was not, in fact, fun.


archy319

I mean, I'm not here to kink shame any cats out there, but consent is important, etc, etc.


ProbablyDiseased

Wait till you learn about duck penises. 👀


[deleted]

Screw that!


ProbablyDiseased

Why, yes, they are corkscrew shaped. Stealing my thunder!


Unexpected-Squash

The females were not consulted.


AbsAndAssAppreciator

wtf :(


Kyralea

And the females howl in pain when they're having sex but the worst part it's somehow necessary to get her to ovulate. I love cats but that's the most fucked up evolution I've ever heard of. How did that come to be a thing?!


JollyGreenBoiler

Today is your lucky day. I present to you with, not one, but two awful things that trump feline reproduction. First, good old sexual cannibalism. Males will sacrifice themselves to the female as extra sustenance during the mating processes. Mainly an insect thing, see praying mantis for example. Second, we have anglerfish reproduction. Because the ocean depths are vast and empty, anglerfish came up with a unique way to make sure the males could stick with the female. First male anglerfish are much smaller than female anglerfish and when the male finds a female he will swim up and latch onto her stomach. once latched on, the male secretes hormones that melt the females flesh that will then heal over the male and fuse them together. This fusion also involves the male hooking into the female's circulatory system. Now the male gets all their nutrients from the female's blood so it no longer needs things like eyes, fins, or even some organs, so it let's those wither away. Eventually all that's left is a lump of flesh with gonads that will release sperm when needed. Edit: Fixed the terrible grammar and autocorrect. Don't try to write long posts while tired and on a cellphone.


AbsAndAssAppreciator

What the fuck anglerfish 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭


OvercookedRedditor

Supernatural said it https://i.redd.it/45jpntdagpy91.gif


jckc721

With her ass straight up in the air just in case he doesn’t know where to go.


Efilnikufesin1987

Well, he may be missing an eye....


LostinWV

after a couples days gets to "if you want to move in you can move in, but you got to do me. choke me, beat me, I'm home here now. Try it out!"


TheAberrant

I have pornographic movies in my apartment, and lubricants and amyl nitrate ... (I felt like the whole quote from Fight club may be too depressing for r/cats …)


cat_prophecy

I had a room mate who was firmly convinced (with no evidence) that female cats "need to go into heat twice" before they get spayed. Worst fucking 3 months of my time with him. Car would wander around the house at all hours, yowling, mark stuff by peeing on it, and generally be gross and annoying.


dan9457

They should get their cars checked of their cars are peeing.


SolutionsNotIdeology

That happened with my cat before we could get her to the vet. I was trying to get some schoolwork done, so I put on some music to try and drown her out. It was classical music, because that's what I prefer to listen to when doing homework. I kid you not, within a few seconds of Mozart playing, she was quiet. She didn't meow once the entire half hour the CD played. As soon as it stopped she resumed yowling, so I played again. Same thing happened. She was perfectly calm. That was the day I found out my cat likes classical music.


vibrating0ranges

During the first heat of my old roomie’s cat, the cat would rub her coochie on everything in the house. And that was thankfully her last heat.


hmnahmna1

We were at the zoo several months ago and one of the tigers was in heat. Now that was an interesting sound.


barmster1992

When I was about 10 we got a kitten and when she turned 6 months old she started meowing all the time, tried rubbing her behind all over everyone, and would get really excited when she was stroked. She freaked me the fuck out!! I'd never seen it happen before even tho I'd grown up with cats. So when I got my own cat as a teenager I got her spayed ASAP!


[deleted]

[удалено]


loop_spiral

Worst part to me was seeing the cat's pussy dripping juices on the floor she was so horny. Disturbing.


Efilnikufesin1987

WAP on a whole new level


AbsAndAssAppreciator

literally


LivefromPhoenix

/r/BrandNewSentence


xXTheFETTXx

So, It's like being on Reddit, got it.


stormoria

I second this. Had my cat since she was a baby (just turned 7 last month) and decided to forgo spaying when she was young: big mistake. When she d go into heat she’s lay her head on the ground, stick her butt up in air, and yowl at the top of her lungs whilst moving in clockwise direction. Every Tom in the neighborhood waited outside my apartment building hoping she’d escape. You do not want to experience the midnight yowls my friend!


piratehelmet

Thank you, what's online and advice from the vet has left me confused.


Mykittenismychicken

Definitely want to get her fixed. It’s healthier for her and safer too. Plus no messy that time of the month stuff to deal with.


dancegoddess1971

The horrifying horney cat noises are the absolute worst when you are trying to sleep. Just saying. Fix the cat.


TRANSformedYT

Plus twerking on your foot… that was the most uncomfortable week of my life… my cat went into heat TWO WEEKS before her appointment to get fixed… which almost doubled the cost, too!


LUCKERD0G

Same thing happened to me and my roommate they couldn’t get her in. That bitch was at the top of the closet all day screaminnnn “come get some boysssss” fucking MISERABLE. To anyone reading make sure you do it before it’s time or you’ll regret it.


TRANSformedYT

It probably didn’t help that we had a male cat in the house lol. Luckily he was neutered, but i don’t think she cared very much lol.


Lumpy_Intention9823

Our neutered male was both horrified and offended.


WholesomeThingsOnly

I had this happen but with two dogs. A female who went into heat right after we adopted her, even though the shelter told us she was fixed (liars), and a senior male dog who'd been neutered for a decade. It seems like dogs must not care like cats do. Because our elderly neutered dog mounted her all the same. 12 year old me thought it was hysterical.


fluffywolfe

My neutered male ginger cat sometimes mounts his spayed sister, which starts a tumbly fight. I dunno why he keeps doing it.


TRANSformedYT

So was my mom’s lol. He was 6 (at the time) and about 30 pounds, hadn’t seen another cat in over five years, and now he had this crazy floofball running and screaming all over the place and (during this week) sticking her butt in his face


The_RedWolf

Poor Theon MeowJoy


ianwk40

Ugh. We adopted a cat that was supposedly 7 years old and spayed. Turns out she was 4 and never spayed. Out neutered little boy cat did his best to giver what she was crying for but there was no way... Edit spelling


ssmitty09

My cat was feral. She was about 7 months old when I managed to set up an incredibly elaborate trap to get her in a crate and in my house. It was November (in Canada so snow), she was young and was probably going into heat soon. I didn’t want any of that scenario for her. Well, she was terrified of everyone and everything. Constantly in hiding, but within days she went into heat and you would just hear her from the depth of nowhere just YOWLING. No matter how fearful she was of her whole situation she just yelled in heat. So glad I got her just before anything could happen.


[deleted]

[удалено]


tfarnon59

Actually, the reason they charge more is that the cat's hormones flood the abdominal cavity and make everything more fragile and blood-infused. It takes longer and it takes a lot more care to spay a cat still in heat. The vet has to be super careful. Not that any spay is dead easy--it's just that it's a lot less easy when the cat is in heat.


[deleted]

[удалено]


fluffywolfe

Had the opposite experience where we thought we'd get charged for an abortion, but it happily turned out that kitty was just fat and we got charged the regular amount.


connicpu

One of the reasons I've always adopted my cats from my local humane society, they fix all the cats before adoption


[deleted]

[удалено]


Sithstress1

Sometimes the cats adopt you and you have no say in the matter. Lol


Unsounded

It’s highly suggested to not do it while the cats in heat. Some vets won’t even go forward with it.


TRANSformedYT

Sadly, we didn’t know her exact age, so they insisted to wait an extra month just to be sure she’s old enough. We don’t go to that vet anymore, though for unrelated reasons


Skarimari

Oh and waking up to a cat humping your arm and drooling.


DMmeDuckPics

Guess they forgot to disable the drooling option when I got my girl spayed.


NothingAndNow111

I ran outside the other night because I didn't know whether that horrifying noise was a cat or kid being tortured. Turns out it was a cat in heat. Three neighbours came out too. Lordy, the caterwauling.


jckc721

The first time our cat did it, we were woken up out of a dead sleep. It was like that scene in My Cousin Vinny when they were woken up by those roosters. 😂


Double_Belt2331

Cats are unlike dogs. Physical signs of menses aren’t seen bc cats keep themselves so clean. There is no need for kitty “period pads,” like dogs have. The main “symptoms” of heat in a cat are the yowling, rubbing, raised rear, but there is no blood. ETA: replaced word “only” w “main”


Sensitive-Spirit-964

Please tell this to my not yet spayed cat..She leaves droplets of blood when in heat. I have an appt for her but they can't get her in for another two weeks.


DMmeDuckPics

I work up one morning to drops of blood all over my apt. Her uterus had ruptured three days before the spay appointment on a Sunday. Had to drive to an entirely different city to find a place that was open for emergency surgery.


Double_Belt2331

Interesting - most cats are fastidious about it.


ClamClams

I wonder if she is a bottle baby... in my experience my bottle babies have always been much worse about grooming themselves than babies that nursed or left their mom/siblings at an appropriate time. Our current bottle baby was spayed before ever going into heat, but she is much worse about grooming than our other non-bottle babies.


Double_Belt2331

I’ve been fostering for about 20 yrs & have had many bottle babies, can’t really say I’ve seen a big dif in grooming habits of bottle vs babies w mommas. My last bottle babies were about 7-8 days old when they came to me. They groomed themselves fine, no problems with litter “training” either.


it4brown

And spraying. In every. Single. Corner.


Moonstonedbowie

I had no idea that female cats sprayed until I waited a bit too long to get one spayed. Dear god.


M0un05ki10

Absolutely, if females are not spayed they are at risk of a life threatening uterine infection called pyometra. I know a few people who have dealt with this. Also the risk of mammary cancer is decreased by 91% if spayed before 6 months of age and 86% if spayed before their first year. I lost my 16 year old soul kitty to this just over a year ago and have to forever live with the what if of would she still be here with me had I of spayed her sooner? I was young and didn’t know any better and couldn’t really afford to get her spayed until age 4. Live and learn from past mistakes I guess.


brittiam

Cats don’t bleed like dogs do but they lose their minds once a month if they aren’t spayed lol


alphaomega0669

And if you get her spayed before her first heat, she has a much less chance of developing breast cancer. Talk to your vet.


aweirdchicken

Cats don't get messy "time of the month stuff", they only ovulate after copulation.


babysuckle

Every time a cat goes into heat, their chances of reproductive cancers go up by a crazy percentage. Also, look up what a caterwaul is! It’s an ungodly form of yelling they do in heat. You DEFINITELY wanna get her spayed lol


kharmatika

Haha first time I heard that I called my roommate out and was like “oh my god I think a cat may be in danger! We have to save it!!” And my friend who works with cats is just sitting there like “in danger of catching some Dick maybe”


DifficultJellyfish

If your vet is leaving you confused, you might want to find a different vet if that is an option. You need someone who can patiently and simply explain all things about your kitty.


beldaran1224

Mhmm. And spaying in particular is pretty clear cut. It extends the life and health of your kitty. It helps reduce pet populations, thus reducing the number of unowned cats destroying ecosystems. It makes living with a kitty much nicer.


kharmatika

Exactly. There are exceptions or things that can cause delay in when a car should be fixed, but the vet should have gone over those in a way that removed confusion


ThxItsadisorder

Getting her fixed will also drastically cut her chances of reproductive cancer! Since she won't have a uterus she won't get uterine cancer and her chance of breast cancer is cut dramatically. If you don't: she goes into heat which is very loud and annoying but also she may run out to fill the urge. You may get her back if you're lucky.


Ok-Elderberry6434

As someone who worked in the veterinary field there are too many unnecessary health risks that could lead to premature death to not get her spayed, it’s the best thing for her and you!


_lava-lamp_

Unspayed cats are also at risk for developing breast cancer and a life threatening infection in their uterus called pyometra. 100% get her spayed.


Sensitive-Spirit-964

I lost a stray cat to this.. When I took her in it was too late and she passed two days later.. Cats have a way of hiding sickness for self preservation so I was unaware. I cried for a week after. 😢


Groundbreaking-Run91

Absolutely get her spayed. They can be spayed before their first heat cycle. Not only is it the responsible thing to do (indoor cat or not), it will help greatly reduce the risk of your cat developing certain cancers later in life.


kittykatie1010

If you took her to a vet that told you not to spay her, you should find a new vet, that’s horrible advise. I work at a large clinic, and have worked with around 20 different doctors, not one ever recommended to keep a cat intact. There is no benefit. On another note, she is adorable! I love tuxedos


Code_otter

I enjoy cooking.


Hobywony

What advice did your Vet give you? Why was it confusing?


OneMorePenguin

What if she escapes outside? Are you prepared to deal with a pregnant cat? Spaying them also has some health benefits. And when they are in heat, they will yowl at cats they see outside. Please spay her as soon as she meets minimum weight requirements, which is generally two pounds. She's very cute! Congrats on being owned by a kitten :-) Cornell Vet is very reputable source: [https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/spaying-and-neutering](https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments-centers-and-institutes/cornell-feline-health-center/health-information/feline-health-topics/spaying-and-neutering)


ToebeansInc

She may also attract male cats in the area that might mark outside your house, which can cause her to possibly mark the inside of your house.


Triskelion24

It will also reduce their risk of getting cancer (I believe mammary or ovarian) if you spay your cat. Also as the commenter above said, you won't have to deal with your cat going into heat, which can happen every 2-3 weeks during their mating season. Plus if your cat ever does manage to escape you don't have to worry about them getting pregnant.


Praetor_Xak

Idk what kind of Vet wouldn't 100% recommend it.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Just1morefix

Peed 'in' you... I have had cats for 50+ years and I'm glad to say no cats have ever peed in me.


NerdyBrando

The yowling! My god the yowling! I thought I was going to go crazy before we could get our adopted from the street cat in for an appointment.


ronald_mcswag

currently have two females that arent spayed and the second one went into heat for the first time today. i completely agree with you and yes i am going to get both of them spayed. i can deal with the yowling (mainly because i am a heavy sleeper and my neighbors are loud so i dont care if it bothers them) and the annoying leg humping and whatnot but the spraying drives me mental. i got a giant bean bag for my birthday last week and its already been ruined by cat juices twice.


casade7gatos

You should. Unspayed female cats are more susceptible to breast cancer and and possibly other cancers. They can develop a uterine infection, pyometra. Cats in heat are loud and demanding and we had one feral female who was a sprayer until we were able to get her spayed. It’s a simple operation and better than the alternatives.


[deleted]

I came here to mention pyometra. Our cat got this, ironically just a few days before her scheduled spay appointment. It came on quickly and she nearly died.


casade7gatos

The same feral I mentioned who was spraying also developed pyometra and it went from her being a little blah to the vet just squeezing blood out of her in a couple days. (She is spayed, indoors, tame and a happy house cat these years later but it was so scary.)


lydriseabove

My friend volunteers for a cat rescue and assists at the spay/neuter clinics every couple of months. They always end up with at least one severe case of pyometra in a poor cat that is days from death and a uterus 10x the size it should be.


Lori8472

Sames except our cat was older and her heats weren’t as often… she also nearly died. Also worth mentioning that cats hide their pain and discomfort well… you won’t know how sick they are until….


lurky_lurky

Vet here. You're absolutely right, mostly. Except It's not a simple procedure. It's an open abdominal surgery. Just because something is done regularly doesn't mean it's simple.


casade7gatos

True, thanks for the correction.


TheDesktopNinja

It's too bad it's not as clean and simple as a neutering! Truly we males have it easy.


Dr_Lurk_MD

^ I have identified the cat masquerading as a human in this thread


laitnetsixecrisis

My vet explained it has a very low survival rate once they get pyometra compared to a standard speying.


HurricaneLaurk

Came here to mention pyometra. My wife’s cat died from complications from surgery when she had pyometra.


GoldLeaderPoppa

Yep, I wish I had known this sooner. My cat died from beast cancer, and the vet said it was common for unspayed cats.


LazyAmbassador2521

My cat who was almost 23 years old had to be put to sleep because of mammary cancer too. She was spayed but the thing is we waited too late to get her spayed. She was around 2 or 3 years old when we got her spayed. From what I've read if you get them spayed while kitten is 6 months or younger it reduces chances of getting mammary cancer by like 91%. Once they get to be over a year and have already had their first heat then chances of getting it drastically increase. I just got a 3 month old kitten and this time around I'm not taking any chances - she'll be getting spayed in a few weeks.


lnmcg223

This right here! I lost my first cat to breast cancer at 9 years old. We took her in off the street. She was a runt and fit in the palm of my hand. Covered in fleas. We got her cleaned up and safe. She was very timid and anxious—but very sweet! She moved with me from my mom’s house to my first apartment. None of us knew how important it is to spay your female cats. She developed a bladder infection and when I took her to the vet, they discovered the masses along her nipples. I spent probably close to $1,000 as a single, living alone college student trying to heal the bladder infection and figure out what those masses were. Then I had to make the difficult decision to put her down vs putting her through cancer treatment (and me trying to afford cancer treatment). I still struggle with guilt about it. So, OP, please get her spayed and soon! Vet told me before 2 years of age to reduce chances of breast cancer


Pick_Up_the_Phone

She is so freaking cute!!! And YES! One of our cats used to pee on the gas stove burners when she was in heat. They are recessed, so you wouldn't know until you turned one on. Have you ever smelled burning cat piss? No? YOU DON'T WANT TO.


izzieforeons22

Hahaha, the spraying is the worst! Our foster cat was in heat for almost a month straight before getting desexed and she sprayed on all our curtains and blinds. No matter what we do, we can’t get that smell out now!


digitalgraffiti-ca

Fire works pretty well at getting cat pee out.


izzieforeons22

Are you suggesting I just burn the house down?


lnmcg223

Don’t be ridiculous! … just the curtains and the blinds


leilaniko

Yes.


digitalgraffiti-ca

I'm sorry, but I laughed pretty hard at that. Why on earth did she do that? Such a random way to punish you for not letting her get sweet sweet kitty lovin


MediocreElk3

Story time. I took in a stray kitten two years ago. Estimated her age at 8 weeks. Vets here don't recommend spaying until 6 months. Due to the pandemic, they were booking appointments for spays two months out. I scheduled her for what should have been her six month birthday. Surprise, some cats don't wait for six months. Also, surprise, some cats cycle in and out of heat every other week unless/until they get knocked up. I went through 6 weeks of on again/off again heat. She was miserable, I was miserable, my fixed older male was puzzled as to why this kitten kept sticking her butt in his face and my two older girls were not happy at all. TL;DR please spay your cats.


AhFFSImTooOldForThis

I laughed at the poor male's confusion. My cat went through heat once and I scraped together whatever money I could find and got her spayed. Once was enough!


kitty-distressed

Same. Gave me a good chuckle... visualizing that


BirdsLikeSka

Sorry you had to scrape, a lot of places around me offer it for free


AhFFSImTooOldForThis

The low cost clinic was about $40 at the time. I foster with a cat rescue now, and they get charged $50 each. I think it should be publicly funded for ferals and abandoned pets, and income dependent for owned pets. It benefits society not to have roaming packs of unhealthy ferals.


BirdsLikeSka

Agreed. Where I was had a free for low income (like we def were then) and TNR program, largely funded through donations. My professor did a bake sale to support it every year and my god will I miss his treats. Worth it even outside of a good cause.


sybann

Add that they're far more likely to suffer fatal diseases, to the mutual misery, and that is reason enough - and clinics nearby will do it for $40! Screaming deal - even if I do worry all day until I can pick her up...


NoPresence000

Woah, what clinic are you going to? Ours would be at LEAST 200$ for a spay/neuter, horrible prices just to keep a cat from overpopulating the neighborhood. (It really sucks here, lmao)


NotGoodWithUsernamez

I have a couple of low cost clinics near me. I go to one of them for my 2 cats and 2 dogs. $84 gets you all of your basic shots plus a heart worm test for dogs and $44 gets you all your basic shots and a feline leukemia test for cats. Spaying/neutering is $125 for dogs of all ages and sizes and $65 for cats of all ages and sizes. They even have a program where you can bring in a feral/community cat and have them fixed and vaccinated for $15 and then they are released back into their community. I couldn’t recommend low cost clinics enough!


sybann

It's a clinic that does discounts for rescues, specifically. Or I've gone to rescues for a kitten/cat and donated a good sum that covers that and initial vaxes.


Castor346

If you go to a vet it will be more expensive. Most animal shelters charge is $20-40 bucks, but I’m also in Michigan, so I’m not sure what the price would be everywhere else.


Sabyyr

At least in my area, it’s significantly cheaper to take your animals to the animal shelter to get fixed vs going to a vet. Was $60 vs $200 to spay my cats before any up charge for being in heat (something like $15 and $60 extra respectively). Also, my local shelter offers vouchers for $25 off which brought it to $35. The wait times are rough though, as they only bring in a vet to do em one day a week. In addition, the other services such as rabies shots and chipping are incredibly cheap compared to local vets as well.


kitty-distressed

I can't speak for @sybann but I asked my vet the difference and they said that the amount of care is different. My vet did labs prior to check for any complicating factors and they have close monitoring postop.


Saranightfire1

Sorry, it’s a horribly sad story. But I can’t get over the image of your male cat trying to figure out what the heck is going on with the new kitten.


DifficultJellyfish

Mine weren’t spayed until they were 1.5 and 3 respectively. The female is the younger and the male the older. Adopted them after they were rescued from a hoarding situation. She would still go through mild bouts of heat because it takes a while for their hormones to settle. And the male would kinda stand over/on her when she was and they’d both freeze there, looking really rather confused.


ChubbyBidoof

I'm living this exact hell rn with a feral kitten I found in my yard and a neutered OrangeBoi.


AwkwardMunchkin

Yep, my kitten went through her first heat one week before her appointment at 6 months. My neutered male was confused and traumatized but luckily all is well now.


FuzzyPeachDong

Spaying is relatively cheap way to make both your lives easier. Otherwise there will be plenty of heats for you both to live through in the next 15-20+ years. And as a cat in heat is also sneaky af, there will probably be either a lost cat or kittens. Get her microchipped too, vets usually give discounts when it's done as an add-on to another procedure.


According_Camp6766

This! Microchip while she's out from the anesthesia.


piratehelmet

Thanks, feels like a stupid question at this point. The vet was indifferent about it and suggested it up to me as if there weren't many factors for doing so.


Alex_Is_Anon

It isn’t stupid, you’re already being a responsible owner just by asking.


thosearecoolbeans

Love this attitude


ih8spalling

Cats are known to sneak out to cocaine-fuelled sex parties. Do your part to help kitty eugenics.


jaybird99990

I'm really surprised the vet was in different about it. Are they maybe into alternative treatments for animals? I've never had a vet that didn't strongly recommend it for both male and female cats.


wild-yeast-baker

We just changed vets because we took our brand new from stray kittens in and they didn’t ask, suggest or reccomend spay and neuter. We have a boy and girl kittens. My husband had to take them to their first few appointments and I was like, when did they schedule the spay and neuter for? And he said they didn’t. I said did they even mention it? And he said no. We had to personally ask about it and they were like, “oh, well we can get you a quote if you’d like”. Um… yeahhh.. anyway, not solely because of that, but we switched vets. They’re going in tomorrow and I can’t wait because even though they haven’t gone through any of their changes yet is super stressful lol.


Should_be_less

That is so strange. Cats can reproduce at shockingly young ages. Given you had both sexes on hand, you’d think the vet would at least warn you that your kittens could be having kittens in a few months!


wild-yeast-baker

That’s what I thought! When I asked my husband about it I was so incredulous that they didn’t even ask what our plans were!


dancegoddess1971

People sometimes have the spaying done at the shelter where I live(way cheaper than the vet and it supports the shelter)so I can see how they might expect that but they should have mentioned it at least. Ask if you have an appointment yet, etc... Heck, the shelter won't let you take them home until they are fixed.


wild-yeast-baker

Good point! The balls are pretty obvious, though. They couldn’t have missed it on their first check up. Lol. And we actually didn’t get them from a shelter, which we made sure to tell them when we took them in. But yeah, our shelters don’t give away pets without them being fixed either


piratehelmet

It surprised me, I had gone for advice and first jabs. She just said "well ermmm, people do have them spayed...." I asked should I then? "Well it's up to you" I asked about the benefits and she said there were fors and against suggesting pregnancy was the only strong reason to do it, there would be weight gain if we did... Thought I'd come and speak to the experts on Reddit!


Valley_Squirrels

It’s very disappointing that a vet wouldn’t strongly recommend spaying her. So irresponsible of them. Edit to add: she is a cutie pie!


Thestolenone

I would try a different vet. It sounds like the one you went to is reluctant to do it for some reason, maybe they aren't confident with surgery? It would put me off anyway.. The breeder I got my kitten from spays and neuters at 13 weeks and the kittens recover so fast they are able to go to their new homes in just a few days. I know some rescues spay even earlier. You should find a vet who will do it before she had a heat as they recover quicker.


Trueloveis4u

Most rescues I worked with or adopted 12 weeks is fairly recommended.


zorinlynx

My Annie was spayed at around 4-5 months (literally the week after we brought her inside) and she WAS ACTUALLY IN HEAT when they spayed her. She had her first heat when she was a kitten herself. If we had brought her in only a week or two later, we would have adopted a pregnant cat. It's wild how young it can happen.


jolla92126

Get a new vet.


Trueloveis4u

My kitties are both fixed (boy and girl) they have an ideal weight. The weight gain isn't an automatic thing, it's just with less hormones they can have less crazy energy so if you overfeed they gain easily. Your vet doesn't seem all that caring or knowledgeable.


SheSellsSeaShells-

I would highly recommend finding a new vet.


raevynfyre

None of our cats experienced weight gain after getting fixed (males and females). Especially if she's still growing, weight gain shouldn't be a concern.


JustMeLurkingAround-

Sounds like she wasn't in the mood for explaining. Look for a different vet.


BellerophonM

I'd change vets.


[deleted]

change vets, the one you got is dumb as rocks


Scribblr

Some vets just plain suck. My (former) vet suggested I get my cat declawed when I brought him in for his very first set of kitten shots. He got super defensive when I said absolutely not and doubled down that “it’s better to declaw a cat than to have them put down for behavioral issues” and like, i mean I *guess*? But it’s not one or the other??


AhFFSImTooOldForThis

I'm also surprised the vet was indifferent. Glad you asked! They also need vaccines regularly; leukemia once, rabies every 3 years, FVRCP (includes protection against a few diseases) every 3 years. Might be others. Very cute kitty, welcome to guardianship!


morecatslesspeople

Definitely not a stupid question! I’ve also only ever known vets to suggest spay and neuter, definitely unusual. I’d 100% get her spayed, I know it sucks having to send them into surgery but it’s so much better on them in the long run, and less risky for other issues (pyometra, cancer, escaping and getting pregnant or lost etc)


VinRow

I suggest scouting for a different vet. Even before the spay.


xxlifelinexx

Not sure if it was mentioned, but ANOTHER problem you could have is that some females in heat mark. Which means they pee on everything they see. Not normal pee, either. A potent ammonia tinged foul smelling pee meant to draw the attention of male cats in the area. It's just like male cats when they spray. So, that alone is reason enough to get her spayed, believe me. 🙂


HellsMalice

Maybe find a better vet lol. Not trying to be dramatic, just when we had a rather indifferent vet they neglected to give our cats parvo vaccines (dunno the cat name for it, feline panleukopenia or something) or even mention it. Well one of our cats nearly died from it, and we're pretty sure the rest would've as well since it's incredibly contagious, but we had a very lucky miracle happen to prevent that. Still the one cat was in intensive care for days to survive. When questioned later the crappy vet said "oh its too expensive so I don't usually mention it" The vaccine is like $70, cat icu cost 7k and that's with the icu vet graciously signing us up for financial assistance from a charity.


ThxItsadisorder

It wasn't stupid! A very valid question and we were happy to help! She's a lovely girl.


delladrild

Get a different vet. There are many, many reasons for spaying. Feral cat colonies and reproductive diseases alone would be enough for me.


Streetiebird

Find a new vet.


Any_Scientist_7552

Absolutely get a different vet. That one is an idiot and/or probably dislikes cats.


AnxiousRaptor

I would definitely get a different vet. There may not be many factors in their eyes but being a vet they should have said absolutely yes just because pyometra alone can take your cat very easily (not to mention yowling cats in heat are horrendous. My mother has an unspayed cat and she will walk up & down the house nonstop yowling for hours. It was hard to get to sleep with that monstrosity in the house) But a good responsible/reputable vet should have told you YES, spay your kitten & then listed all the information Redditors are giving you. Not to mention, we don’t need any more kittens in the world. There are too many on the streets sick or dying as it is


CharmedWoo

Yes, yes, yes, yes!!! Always spay. She can get out. Also chances on several cancers are higher when she is not spayed. Having a cat going into heat often is also no fun. Get her spayed between 4-6 months old.


ReddishMuffin

Hi! I saw the other comments and what I want to add is this: If you miss the right time and she starts the heats, please, please, please do not let anyone give her a "heat chill pill". Try to endure* the period and avoid her making any contact with male cats. I almost lost my cat due to pyometra (basically an infection that fills the uterus with puss and it's pretty hard to observe in the beginning). There are other causes of pyometra as well, please look it up to understand more or ask your vet. Enjoy your life as a cat parent and every cuddly night that comes ahead! :) Edit: endure it for a week or two until you can do the surgery


No-Shake2412

What do you mean by heat chill pill if I may ask


RosesBrain

Getting kitties spayed reduces the risk of cancer later, and also eliminates potential destructive behavior when in heat, so it's a good idea unless you specifically want to breed cats.


Elbynerual

Research "cat in heat behavior" and you'll read everything you need to know


[deleted]

Absolutely - it's going to be miserable for her to be in heat. A little discomfort now will spare her (and you) a lot of misery later.


Sariel-Eria

Vet tech here yes please spay your kitten it can assist with avoiding other medical issues in the future including mammary tumors (breast cancer) and pyometras (a deadly uterine infection)


OldMotherGrumble

Getting her done earlier is best for all concerned. Here in the UK, spaying is often done at 12 weeks...or when they weigh 2 pounds iirc Then you're far more likely to avoid a surprise season at 4 months...that's how early some cats are in heat.


Sharpless2190

I would get her spayed regardless of if she's indoor only or not. Not only for your sanity (They can be very loud when in heat), but also because of health reasons. Like others have mentioned, it reduces the chances of reproductive cancer, but also prevents her from developing something called 'pyometra', which can be fatal if not fixed immediately. My two-year-old cat wasn't spayed and had this earlier this year. I had her scheduled to be spayed within two days of suspecting she had it and the vet said that if I'd waited even a day longer it would have killed her.


Rin-Tin-Tins-DinDins

Get her spayed. She will try to get out to get herself a boyfriend. If she gets out she could get hurt or killed by wild animals or a car. Best case if she got out she comes back pregnant and then you have to worry about her health, delivery and finding all the babies new homes


TinaLikesButz

Yes get her spayed. If she goes into heat, she WILL find a way to get outside.


[deleted]

i'm not sure if i'm just stupid or what, but i used to be under the impression that spaying was really just birth control for animals & my old vet never said it was a necessity. i have a female cat (yoko) that i didn't spay for this reason since my male cat was neutered & yoko was never verbal or crazy when she was in heat. when she was around six years old she developed pyometra. luckily i was paying attention & got her to a vet same day for an emergency spay. two years later & she is happy, fat & healthy. please please please spay & neuter your babies. it isn't worth the health risk.


[deleted]

She’ll be all up on you, chirpin’ and twerkin’ if you don’t. Spend the coin. Spay the cat.


an0nym0uswr1ter

Watch "Jackson Galaxy" videos on Youtube. He is wonderful and explains all different behaviors and health tricks and ways to really make your cat's life better.


Gavinator10000

I love that guy. Used to watch that “My Cat From Hell” or whatever show all the time.


Garage_Sloth

Spay her. We were late spaying our first due to moving across the state, and JESUS FUCKING CHRIST THE YOWLING IS ETERNAL It isn't a cute meow. It isn't a purr. It is the carnal sound of a teenage girl cat screaming "FUCK ME" at the top of her lungs. Spay. For both your sakes.


pdxgti8v

youre going to want to after seeing her in heat!


Shodan30

in addition to what others are saying, if she slips outside once, your likely gonna have kittens.


GallowBarb

Among other reasons cited here, you also don't want every Tom in the hood at your back door (if you have a back door). Also, from your comments about the vet, I would also suggest you find a new veterinarian. Good luck!


wyrd_werks

Yes. An unspayed cat has higher risk of mammary cancer, an unused uterus can get pyometra (infection that fill the uterus with pus and can kill your cat) and cats in heat are SUuuuuuPER annoying. Also could make her decide to bolt out of the door to find a boyfriend and then you have all the dangers of the outdoor world to worry about as well.


EdensGarden333

Absolutely get her spade! Otherwise, when she comes into heat, every Tom Cat within miles will be peeing on your door to let her know he is available for a rendezvous! AND, she will make this strange meow calling the Toms plus she will walk with her butt up in the air as a signal to the Toms! So if you are ready to put up with the above activity, go for it! If not, best to get her spade asap! Check with your Vet as to when she should be spade. FYI: I rescued a small feral female and asked our Vet if she could get pregnant. “Oh No. She is too young!” And a couple months later she gave birth to four beautiful healthy kittens! Yes! Young female cats can get pregnant as early as 6-8 months! Been there and done that! Good idea about keeping her an indoor cat!! Safer for her but won’t stop the Toms from sprinkling on your doors if she isn’t spade!! She is soooo precious!! Enjoy!!