Each kitten from Blue Eyes Cattery is spayed or neutered before they leave for their new home. There are multiple reasons we support spay and neuter:

Spaying and Neutering Is Good for Your CAT

• -Spaying and neutering helps cats live longer, healthier lives.
• -Spaying and neutering can eliminate or reduce many health problems that can be very difficult or expensive to treat, such as mammary hyperplasia and pyometra.
• -Spaying eliminates the possibility of uterine or ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the incidence of breast cancer, particularly when your cat is spayed before her first estrous cycle.
• -Neutering eliminates testicular cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease.ŸŸ
• -Irresponsible breeding (whether accidental or intentional) produces cats with shorter life spans, congenital diseases, and poor health.
• -Kittens that are bred by unreputable or inexperienced persons often suffer from lack of proper care and inadequate socialization.

Spaying and Neutering Is Good for You

• -Spaying and neutering makes cats more affectionate towards humans.
• -Neutering cats makes them less likely to spray urine and mark territory.
• -Spaying a female cat eliminates her heat cycle. Females in heat can cry loudly and incessantly, act nervously, and attract unwanted male animals.
• -Unsterilized cats exhibit more behavior and temperament problems than do those who have been spayed or neutered.
• -Spaying and Neutering makes pets less likely to escape to the outdoors, run away, or get into fights.

Spaying AND Neutering is Good for the Community

• -Animal shelters are overburdened with surplus animals, and communities spend millions of dollars on animal control.
• -The behavior of unspayed cats causes people to dislike them, giving all cats and/or specific breeds a bad reputation.
• -Stray pets frighten and anger people who have no understanding of their misery or needs.
• -Homeless cats scare away or kill birds and other wildlife in an effort to survive.

What is the right age for spay/neuter?

Early age altering (spays and neuters done between the ages of 8 and 16 weeks, before the kitten reaches puberty) has a long history of safety and effectiveness. The American Veterinary Medical Association approves the technique, and many studies have proven the safety and benefits of altering kittens between 8-16 weeks. Blue Eyes Cattery believes that early spay/neutering is in the kitten’s best interest. Young kittens heal much faster and have fewer postoperative complications.

Having the surgery early will also prevent the kitten from exhibiting the unwanted behavior, hormones, and health risks brought on by puberty (which they can reach as early as 4 months old). Many of the problems brought on by hormones/puberty are irreversible, so spaying the cat when it is older will not “fix” hormonal behaviors or health problems.  Territorial and aggressive behaviors become ingrained, and many of the negative effects on their bodies are permanent.

Kittens develop at different rates, which is influenced by the number of siblings in their litter and the size of their parents. Different styles of siamese mature faster than others (appleheads will mature much quicker than wedges, for example). Rather than spaying or neutering every kitten at the same exact age regardless of development, we make sure each kitten is at least 2lbs before scheduling their surgery.