Spay & Neuter Debate/ Declaw Debate

I have previously covered reasons to spay & neuter your cat, but since this is such an important topic to cover, it definitely deserves to be covered again.  I will also be covering the declaw debate. I know this is a sensitive & heated topic for owners, so my intention, as always, is to provide you with as much quality information & facts as I can so you can be better informed as an owner to make wise decisions for your pet.

The media, vet clinic, TV commercials (thank you ASPCA) stress the fact that too many kittens and puppies are produced every year, and that there just are not enough potential owners to keep up with the demand. The obvious conclusion is that we should breed fewer cats and dogs, produce fewer litters, and educate the public on the importance of spay/neuter procedures. The easiest way to ensure that less litters occur is through sterilization procedures, so a larger percentage of cats and dogs are incapable of breeding.

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Having a litter of kittens may seem like a fun thing to do. Some even believe that it helps their female cat, in some way, to develop more completely or become a better pet. ​​

Neither is true

Becoming pregnant and having a litter of kittens in no way alters the maturity level of the cat, either physically or mentally. In most cases, people find out that it is hard to find good homes for all of the kittens, even if they are advertised "Free to a Good Home." In addition, not all pregnancies go smoothly. Difficult labor, kitten mortality, and potential health problems in the mother, such as uterine and mammary gland infections, can take all the fun out of the experience.  I have included below several of the risk of keeping your female cat intact.

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​Risks of Not Spaying
1. Pregnancy: Cats can have large litters, sometimes 10+ kittens.  
2. Mammary Cancer: This is the 3rd most common cancer in cats. Spaying your female cat reduces her risk of mammary cancer by 40-60%.
3. Tumors in the reproductive tract: Cancer/tumors can occur in both the ovaries & uterus
4. Infection in the reproductive tract: Also known as a pyometra, this life threatening infection causes the uterus to fill with pus which is often fatal.

The typical age that kittens are spayed is between 5-8 months old, but can be done earlier.  Some animal shelters spay & neuter as early as 2 months old.  Early neutering does not affect the growth rate, and there are no appreciable differences in skeletal, physical, or behavioral development between those animals neutered early than those neutered at a more traditional age.

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Our clinic requires kittens to weigh 4lbs & be 4 months old before we preform a spay.

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For male cats, there are different benefits other than pregnancy prevention when owners choose to neuter. ​
1. Prevents disease: FeLV & FIV are disease common in cats who roam. FeLV is also transmitted via cat bites which most commonly occurs between intact males
2. Prevent injury: Intact males are significantly more territorial than neutered males which causes a dramatic increase in the number of fights between intact males which leads to bite wounds, abscesses, and other injuries.
3. Reduces Roaming: Intact males are always looking for a mate which can cause them to frequently wonder away from home. This can lead to hit by car accidents, cat fights, or wildlife encounters.
4. Keeps your house cleaner: Intact males spray urine to mark their territory.  This means your house is going to smell like cat urine.
5. Eliminates the risk of testicular cancer: One of the more common cancers in cats, we take away the testicles during surgery, this eliminates the the risk of that particular type of cancer.

Please contact our clinic directly to schedule an spay or neuter for your cat

If you still decide that you are going to keep your cat intact (male or female), I strongly encourage you to read our handouts on breeding, pregnancy, & partition. 
Please click on the picture below for direct link to our resource page.

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Declawing remains a controversial topic in companion animal medicine. There are, however, some situations in which declawing may be considered, such as when a cat’s excessive or inappropriate scratching behavior causes risk of injury to immunocompromised people or remains destructive despite conscientious attention to behavioral modification and alternatives.
The decision whether to declaw a cat should be made by you as the owners in consultation with one of our veterinarians. 

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This is a controversial topic, as such, this part of the article will be as factual as possible.  Please consult your veterinarian if you are considering declawing.

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What actually is declawing?? Declawing is a medical procedure where the nail & end of the bone of each toe is amputated to prevent the claw from regrowing.  Seen below in the photo I have provided, the dotted line is where the incision is made on each toe.  At our clinic, we do offer front declaw only in addition to all 4 declawing.

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Is declawing the right decision for my cat?

​Scratching is a normal behavior of cats. It conditions the claws, serves as a visual and scent territorial marker, allows the cat to defend itself, and provides healthy muscle engagement through stretching. In many cases, a cat can be trained to scratch only appropriate surfaces. However, a cat's excessive or inappropriate scratching behavior can sometimes become destructive, or cause injury to people in the home.

There are numerous training and management options that can help redirect scratching appropriately:

• Providing appropriate scratching surfaces, such as dedicated posts and boards that are tall enough to encourage full stretching. 
• Scent your scratching surfaces with catnip.
• Frequent nail trims - every 3 to 4 weeks
• Nail caps - replaced every 4 to 6 weeks
• Positive reinforcement training, beginning as kittens if possible
• Pheromone sprays and/or plug-ins
• Discourage use of inappropriate surfaces by attaching sticky tape or tinfoil

If you are considering declawing, we encourage that decision to be made prior to the cat turning 1 year old for faster recovery time & less possible complications.

​Because elective declawing is performed primarily for the benefit of the owner rather than the cat, the procedure remains controversial.

​The decision to have a cat declawed should be carefully considered in consultation                                                                with your veterinarian.

Declawing should only be performed after reasonable behavior modification attempts and alternatives have been exhausted. Declawed cats should not be allowed outdoors, unless they are under direct supervision as we have taken away one of their main way of defending themselves.

As I mentioned before, this continues to be a controversial topic, & if you would like more information or to discuss this more, please feel free to contact our clinic to speak to one of our staff members.  Next Monday is Vet Appreciation Day so stay tuned to learn more about our vets on staff!!