early neutering
All my kittens that leave as pets are neutered before they go, so you won't need to arrange that yourself.
Why we neuter early
All my kittens that leave as pets are neutered before they go, so you won't need to arrange that yourself. Since this is a procedure your kitten will already have had before it comes to live with you, I'm happy to explain why I do it this way.
The sales contract states that a kitten will be neutered and not used for breeding. Still, that's no guarantee: an appointment can get postponed, or a queen can come into season sooner than expected. By arranging the procedure myself, I avoid that kind of surprise.
It's not just about my own line. It also keeps kittens out of backyard breeding and out of uncontrolled litters that end up in shelters. That problem is significant. The Netherlands has an estimated 135,000 to 1.2 million stray cats, exact figures are lacking. The Dutch animal welfare society (Dierenbescherming) takes in around 7,000 stray cats a year, over 3,000 of them kittens. And those are only the animals that get counted.
When it happens
My kittens are neutered at around fifteen weeks. Maine Coons usually weigh around 2 kilos by then, well above the minimum of one kilo. Early neutering is possible from around eight weeks, much earlier than the six months that was standard for a long time.
Fifteen weeks falls a week after the second vaccination and a week before departure. They go to the vet together, are under anaesthetic together, and afterwards are simply back home, with their mother and littermates.
How kittens respond
They barely need to recover. That same evening they're running around again as if nothing happened. The wound is small and the procedure is quick. Young animals have less fatty tissue and less perfused tissue than adult cats, so there's less blood loss.
The risks lie in the anaesthetic. Cooling down and blood sugar dropping too low are the biggest dangers for young kittens. So: not fasting for long, operating warm, and recovering warm. That's why I work with a vet experienced in early neutering and in anaesthetising young animals. Not every practice does this.
What research shows
The most persistent objection is that males neutered young would be more prone to urinary blockages, because the urethra would stay narrower. This has been studied and not found. The diameter of the urethra does not measurably differ between early- and later-neutered males.
What does change is bone growth. The growth plates close later, so the bones end up a little longer. That applies to any neutering before puberty, so at six months too. There are no indications this leads to health problems.
There is also a benefit. Queens neutered before their first year have a lower risk of mammary tumours.
In brief
Your kitten comes home with no operation left to plan for. No queen in heat keeping the whole house awake, no male spraying or trying to get outside. You don't need to think about it or arrange anything for it.
References & sources
- Aronsohn MG, Faggella AM (1993). Surgical techniques for neutering 6- to 14-week-old kittens. J Amer Vet Med Assoc 202(1):53–55.
- Faggella A, Aronsohn M (1993). Anesthetic techniques for neutering 6- to 14-week-old kittens. J Amer Vet Med Assoc 202(1):56–62.
- Howe LM, Slater MR et al. (2000). Long-term outcome of gonadectomy performed at an early age or traditional age in cats. J Amer Vet Med Assoc 217(11):1661–1665.
- Little S, DVM, DABVP (2000). Anesthesia and surgical protocols for early age altering in the cat. Ontario, Canada.
- Little S, DVM, DABVP (feline) (2006). Early age altering. The Winn Feline Foundation, Manasquan.
- Root MV, Johnston GR, Olson PN (1996). The effect of prepuberal and postpuberal gonadectomy on penile extrusion and urethral diameter in the domestic cat. Vet Radiology & Ultrasound 37(5):363–366.