Whether you are caring for a kitten for the first time or have recently adopted a stray cat that needed a good home, you are likely looking at spay and neuter options that may be available to you. As a surgical procedure, this process ensures that a cat is unable to reproduce; however, the type of procedure performed will depend on whether the cat is a male or female. For the safety of your pets, it is important to only trust a licensed and knowledgeable veterinarian to complete a spay or neuter of your cat.
The veterinarian team at Advanced Care Veterinary Hospital has performed countless spay and neuter procedures on both male and female cats across the Tulsa area regardless of their current age or size. Throughout the spay and neuter process, the goal of our staff is to ensure that your cat is as comfortable as possible both while the procedure is occurring and during any aftercare that may be required. While cat spay and neuter procedures are generally considered safe, we will still use general anesthesia, which has a minimal risk of complications.
Advanced Care Veterinary Hospital maintains a focus on educating pet owners on why spaying and neutering your cats is important and why this process is a critical part of being a responsible cat owner. Below you will find answers to some of the most common questions we receive about these procedures to help you make an informed decision about whether or not the process is right for you. If you have any questions that aren’t answered here or want to schedule your cat's appointment, don’t hesitate to contact us!
Why Should You Spay Or Neuter Your Cat?
Spaying or neutering your cat can have many valid reasons, even though they may not seem readily apparent. Each year, nearly 3.7 million animals are euthanized in shelters annually because they are unsuccessfully placed with a new home. As you might imagine, letting your cat go outdoors can only add to this problem and lead many kittens and unwanted cats to unfairly meet their demise earlier than they should have. All responsible pet owners should take the time to spay or neuter their cat as soon as possible to ensure reproduction isn’t a likely scenario.
While limiting reproduction is one of the primary concerns of cat owners that visit our clinic, there are several other great benefits to having your cat spayed or neutered. If you have any reservations about the process, don’t hesitate to contact our veterinary staff to learn about the many associated benefits that can be achieved following a successful procedure.
Some of the benefits that you can expect once the procedure is completed may include:
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Eliminating “Tom-Cat” Urine Odors
Unneutered male cats will consistently use their pungent urine to mark their territory, especially when other cats are in the area or within the same household. To eliminate the spraying behavior and decrease the natural pungency of male cat urine, neutering is often the only option that pet owners have available to them.
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Eliminating Heat Episodes
Female cats that haven’t been spayed will generally go into heat at regular intervals and meow excessively to seek out a potential mate. During this time, they may even present their genitals to the pet owner. While a common behavior for stray cats, this is an undesirable behavior for pet cats that can only be eliminated with a spay procedure.
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Eliminating Aggressive Behaviors
Unneutered Male cats will often become aggressive to other cats or people that they feel are encroaching on their territory. While this may not seem like a big problem to some pet owners, the problem will only become worse with age and can lead to the cat becoming unnecessarily mean to family members or children. With a neutering procedure, these aggressive behaviors can be decreased almost immediately.
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Is a Spay or Neuter Required?
While many cities and states don’t require a cat to be spayed or neutered, Tulsa and Sapulpa both have laws requiring all pets over 6 months to be spayed or neutered. If the pet is not spayed or neutered, the owner may be charged a fine depending on the city they live in. The primary goal of this ordinance is to reduce the pet populations found in the city’s shelter programs. If you are unsure if you are legally required to sterilize your pet, check your local ordinances to see what applies to your cat.
Cat Neutering
For most pet owners, the optimal age to neuter a male cat will be between 4 and 6 months of age. However, many people and professionals prefer to perform the procedure at an earlier age. It is recommended because kittens are often more resilient to minor surgery than older cats and may recover from the neuter procedure more easily. As a reminder, any cats over the age of 6 months in the Tulsa or Sapulpa area could subject a pet owner to a fine and they should be brought in immediately to remain compliant with the city ordinance.
To complete the neutering process, a veterinarian will perform a pre-anesthetic exam and administer pain medication to prepare the cat for the procedure. At that time, the cat will be placed under a safe state of general anesthesia for the procedure while being monitored for all vital signs throughout the process. Once anesthetized, the veterinarian will then make a small incision in the scrotum of the cat and remove the testicles.
After the testicles have been removed from the cat, the incision will be left open to heal. Postoperative medications and care will continue to be administered until your cat recovers from the effects of anesthesia. Once recovered, the cat will be released to the pet owner with aftercare instructions to be completed at home. We understand the importance of keeping your cat safe and comfortable and will work to educate you completely about the requirements needed for home care following the procedure.
Cat Spaying
Like neutering, spay procedures are generally recommended between 4-6 months of age. However, any unsterilized female cat can be brought in for a successful spay. Due to kittens increased healing speed, we recommend spaying your cat while they are young.
To complete the spaying process, a veterinarian will perform a pre-anesthetic exam on the cat and administer pain medication to prepare the cat for the procedure. Like the neutering process, the cat will be placed under general anesthesia and monitored for several vital signs including blood pressure, oxygen levels and heart rate. Once the cat is under general anesthesia, the spaying process can then be started. To do this, the veterinarian will create a small incision in the abdomen of the cat and remove their ovaries and uterus.
Following the successful removal of these reproductive organs, the incision is closed internal sutures and surgical glue on the skin. Once the incision has been sealed, the cat will be given postoperative medication while continuing to be monitored for any problems that may arise during recovery. Once your pet is recovered from anesthesia, our veterinary team will explain the aftercare procedures required while your pet is healing at home.
Why Choose Advanced Care Animal Hospital for Pet Sterilization?
Many pet owners will form a bond with their new kitten quickly within the first 6 months of their life. Unfortunately, this can make the thought of a minor surgical procedure like a spay or neuter a little scary. Our veterinary staff is here to ensure that your kitten or cat is safe and cared for throughout the entire process. From the moment you both enter our facilities, we will work had to provide compassionate and comfortable service.
All cats that receive a spay or neuter procedure at Advanced Care Veterinary Hospital are given pain medication throughout the process to ensure they don’t experience discomfort. And, although anesthesia is required for the procedure, our staff takes the necessary precautions to monitor their vital signs at all times until the anesthesia wears off and the procedure has been completed successfully. You can rest easy knowing that your pet’s spay or neuter process will be handled by a veterinarian with many years of experience.
Education is our passion and our staff will take the time needed to ensure that the pet owner has the resources and information needed to successfully provide aftercare for their cat following a spay or neuter procedure. Until your pet is ready to go home, they will receive the support needed for a speedy and painless recovery process. Advanced Care Veterinary Hospital is committed to ensuring pet owners are confident with the home recovery process before sending a pet home from a procedure.
How Can I Get My Pet Spayed or Neutered?
If you are ready to get your cat spayed or neutered, the team at Advanced Care Veterinary Hospital is here to make the process easy. We have refined the process of completing these procedures safely and effectively while minimizing the amount of pain or recovery that your beloved pet will experience. Contact us to get started or schedule your cat spay or neuter appointment today. We look forward to helping you ensure your pet remains happy and healthy.
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