Some kitten questions!

hairyprincess

Hi all,
I have two kittens, a brother and sister, what should I do about getting either or neutered? And at what age is it best done?
Also, the male is noticeably thinner than the female. They both get fed together, there are no issues between them fighting or anything. The only thing I can think is that he is more active. I'm not sure he's that overly active though that there would be such a big size differential.
I will take them both to a vet but I just wondered if anyone had any ideas

ladyjuicy08

hairyprincess wrote: »

Hi all,
I have two kittens, a brother and sister, what should I do about getting either or neutered? And at what age is it best done?
Also, the male is noticeably thinner than the female. They both get fed together, there are no issues between them fighting or anything. The only thing I can think is that he is more active. I'm not sure he's that overly active though that there would be such a big size differential.
I will take them both to a vet but I just wondered if anyone had any ideas

Male can be nuetered at 6months nt sure if female is earlier (heat) I always had males .

Shanao

You will have to get both neutered and the sooner the better as some cats are already coming into season despite it not even being spring yet. Once they are over twelve weeks they can be neutered. It can take males up to two years to fully bulk up, one of mine is just two and a half and he is finally a solid cat (not fat, but muscular) but he was a skinny little thing for the past two and a half years.

planetX

I have a brother and sister here and on vets advice got them both neutered at 5 months in case the female came in to season early. The male is skinnier than the female here too.

Themadhouse

Get both done as early as your vet will do it, they can be done anytime after 12 weeks once they are healthy and a decent weight. Kittens can get pregnant as young a 4 months old. The boy is probably going through an adolescent stage were they get leggy and skinny looking.
The earlier its done the easier the recovery. A very young kitten will bounce back so quickly! I find with getting a midline spay ( under belly), rather than flank ( side) it seems to deter them from picking at the wound.

artieanna

It can vary from vet to vet how soon you can get them done. My babes a male and female (bro and sis) were both operated on at six months. It can depend on size and weight especially for females as their op is bigger than males.

Your vet will advise you best really.

hairyprincess

Thank you all for that info.

I'm just thinking though, do they both need to be neutered? They are indoor cats so there is no likely hood of the female being impregnated as long as her brother is done.

ladyjuicy08

hairyprincess wrote: »

Thank you all for that info.

I'm just thinking though, do they both need to be neutered? They are indoor cats so there is no likely hood of the female being impregnated as long as her brother is done.

I still get female done as she go into heat be uncomfortable for her

Themadhouse

Believe me after 1 bout of calling you will run to the vet to get her done! The howling is like a banshee! Once she starts calling it will run for a week and every couple of weeks after that. Best to get her done for sanity and her health. You dont want her to end up with pyometra.

Shanao

Yes, most certainly both need to be done. Cats in heat will do their ALL to get out of the house, I know of a breeder whose prize queen got one day by opening the window and got impregnated while missing. On top of that, you will have to deal with them while they're in heat, which includes screaming their lungs out, rolling on the floor howling, scratching at the doors to get out and generally doing all they can to make plenty of noise while you get absolutely no sleep. So yes, both of them have to be done, there are far too many people in ireland who couldn't be arsed neutering their cats and its lead to the huge population of ferals we now have. So do the responsible thing and neuter them both.

Zapperzy

hairyprincess wrote: »

Thank you all for that info.

I'm just thinking though, do they both need to be neutered? They are indoor cats so there is no likely hood of the female being impregnated as long as her brother is done.

Accidents always happen, doors can be left open, slip out from beside your legs out the door. Also my cat went through 1 heat before being neutered and never again will I go through it again, she was constantly howling and yowling and arching her ass up into the air everytime someone spoke to her. Also if they are the same as dogs, the male may be fertile for a few weeks after being neutered. Personally I would get both done, if your only getting one done then do the female but really both should be done.

MaryK666

In an ideal world, they need to be neutered as soon as possible. Your vet will tell you when they're old enough.
And getting one done is not really an option either.
If you get the male done, the female will still go into heat regularly and, as other boardsies have said, will drive you demented with calling and yowling and trying to escape - plus - you'll have every tomcat in the area camped at your door.
If you only get the female done, the male may become territorial and start to spray and - believe me - that is something you really don't want to have to deal with as it STINKS!

I got a male and female rescue kittens at 6 and 5 weeks respectively and by three months the boy was chasing the girl around trying to pin her down and mount her so it was off to the vets for him to be done and, two weeks later we had her done.

All my cats, and I currently have four of my own and a foster, are indoor cats although they do have occasional access to a cat-fenced back garden but I still wasn't taking a chance of not getting any one of them neutered. There are so many health reasons other that purely to prevent unwanted litters, the most important being the reduction in the chance of mammary tumors in females as they get older and the curtailment of unwanted dominant behaviour in males.

Your kitties should already have been to see a vet for worming, de-flea treatment, vaccinations and general health checks.
It doesn't matter whether they're indoor or outdoor cats, they still need all of the above.
They may not be out and about in contact with other cats, picking up fleas and bugs and other nasties - but YOU are. And you come home to them every day not knowing what you may, inadvertantly, be introducing into the house. So it's essential that you have them seen by a vet and vaccinated.
Most responsible vets can and do offer a payment plan for treatment of your animals, especially in these strange economic times, so it's worth discussing it with your current vet. If they refuse, just shop around until you find one who's more accommodating. We do it for everything else so why not for medical and veterinary care too. I don't know where you live but there are lots of boardsies who'll be happy to recommend a good vet if you need one.

anniehoo

hairyprincess wrote: »

They are indoor cats so there is no likely hood of the female being impregnated as long as her brother is done.

Honestly get both done. You have no idea the lengths a female will go to to get mated. I went through this last year and the "wailing" out of her was so bad and so annoying, my neutered male...yep neutered...actually fake mounted her to shut her up I thought i ws seeing things, but nope, she harassed him so much, im talking days upon days, he gave in!

Themadhouse wrote: »

Believe me after 1 bout of calling you will run to the vet to get her done! The howling is like a banshee! Once she starts calling it will run for a week and every couple of weeks after that. Best to get her done for sanity and her health. You dont want her to end up with pyometra.

+1

MaryK666 wrote: »

If you only get the female done, the male may become territorial and start to spray and - believe me - that is something you really don't want to have to deal with as it STINKS!

+1 I adore cats but one of my least favourite smells ever is tomcat spray. :eek: Its so strong & musty its horrendous and takes a few days to dissipate.He'll also destroy your furniture/curtains with markings.