If your kitten isn’t already spayed or neutered, then it’s important that you schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
Congratulations, you’ve just adopted an adorable little kitten! After bringing your new kitten home, you’ll need to set an appointment with your veterinarian. We recommend that you visit the Catonsville Cat Clinic to have your female kitten spayed or male kitten neutered before they are 5 months old. There are several benefits to getting your kitten neutered or spayed early on.
Keep Cat Populations Manageable
Cats can become sexually mature by as young as 4 months. It’s difficult for owners to tell when a cat will go into its first heat. Even if you have an indoor cat, there’s a chance that it could get loose and contribute to ever-growing cat populations before it comes back home.
A single female cat has the capacity to have 18 kittens per year, leading her to be responsible for 20,000 descendants over just 5 years! Getting your kitten neutered or spayed early helps to keep the stray cat population down and stop the overcrowding of shelters.
Prevent Serious Health Conditions
Female cats who are not spayed can suffer from a potentially fatal uterine infection called pyometra later in life. If a female cat who harbors an infectious disease gets pregnant, she can pass on the infection to her kittens. Basically, female cats are at risk of some pretty nasty health conditions if they don’t get spayed.
Male cats are also at risk of developing health conditions if not neutered. Both male and female cats can develop certain cancers if not neutered or spayed before their first heat cycle. Females specifically run the risk of developing mammary tumors.
Control Bad Kitty Behaviors
One of the most noticeable benefits of getting your kitten neutered or spayed is their behavior change afterward!
When your cat is in heat, their raging hormones encourage some very unwanted behaviors. Non-neutered or -spayed cats are likely to try to escape the house and wander the neighborhood when they are in heat.
A cat that cannot get out of the house when in heat will often roam through the house making a very loud yowls at very inconvenient times of the night to attract a mate.
Male cats will mark their territory inside the house with their (very pungent!) urine.
Having your kitten neutered or spayed early is the wisest choice for both you and your kitten!
Come in to Catonsville Cat Clinic
If you’re looking to get your cat spayed or neutered, or if they are of age and haven’t been spayed or neutered, please give us a call.
This is also a great time to make sure your kitten is up-to-date on all of their vaccinations.
We’ve been working with this community for decades and have loved every moment of it. The more of you we meet, the better our job gets.
Schedule your appointment today!