CATS
► ELECTIVE SURGERIES
• DECLAWING
Many people who keep their cats indoors prefer to have their front paws declawed. This is surgery that is done under anesthesia. We recommend that it be done as soon as your kitten has started its vaccination series, has been tested for internal parasites and weights at least 2 lbs. Declawing can be done at 6 months or age, in conjunction with spaying or neutering. If you start trimming your kitten's nails every 4-6 weeks (we can show you how), and train it to use a scratching post, you may not need to declaw at all.
• SPAY / NEUTERING
The average lifespan of a neutered pet is 40% longer than that of an unneutered one. Unspayed females will usually develop breast cancer or severe uterine infections by the time they are 8-10 years of age. Unspayed females also are in heat frequently, during which time they are noisy and troublesome to live with. Worst of all, millions of unwanted kittens are put to death in this country every year because there aren't enough homes for them all.
Unneutered male cats have very strong smelling urine, which they like to spray in the house to mark their territory. They are also prone to wander in search of female cats and are also very territorial. These traits lead to high rates of death from being run over by cars, fight wounds and contagious illnesses. Male cats are also, or course, equally responsible for pet overpopulation.
• WHAT IS SPAY / NEUTER and WHEN TO DO IT
FEMALE CATS: Spaying -- surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus.
MALE CATS: Neutering -- castration: surgical removal of the testicles.
This should be done by the time your animal reaches 6 months of age. Your cat will be a healthier, happier pet, and you will have done your part to reduce thepet overpopulation problem.
• PLUS: While your pet is anesthetized we can also remove any retained baby teeth, flouride treat the new adult teeth, trim the toenails or implant a microchip ID.
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