bob@astrovax.UUCP (Bob Masterson) (10/17/85)
My kitten (Zaphod) is approaching five months of age. When's the best age to have you cat 'fixed'? I've heard various numbers, some arguing the earlier the better, others saying it's best to let the cat 'get his personality well- established' beforehand. It's now been nearly two months since I've seen Zaphod. (Sniffle.) To ask a silly question -- do cats have relatively decent long-term memories? Before I left, Zaphod was *very* attached to me. I'm hoping that he'll remember me when I go home for a short vacation next week... My vet claims that Maine Coons (half, actually) tend to become very attached to an individual. Anybody have any thoughts/anecdotes/consolation? Thanks, Craig Kolb (c/o bob) ...astrovax!bob
booter@lll-crg.ARpA (Elaine Richards) (10/18/85)
In article <670@astrovax.UUCP> bob@astrovax.UUCP (Bob Masterson) writes: >My kitten (Zaphod) is approaching five months of age. When's the best age to >have you cat 'fixed'? I've heard various numbers, some arguing the earlier > I fixed my kitty when I came home and he smelled like a skunk. Six months is OK. After a year is tarrying too long (bad habits and all). >It's now been nearly two months since I've seen Zaphod. (Sniffle.) To ask What? Did he run away? Or did you? >a silly question -- do cats have relatively decent long-term memories? Before I think not. Cats are mighty dim. They are disloyal too. Fear not, cats like certain kind of people and if he liked you before he will do so again. Happy reunion! E *****
barth@tellab1.UUCP (Barth Richards) (10/18/85)
In article <670@astrovax.UUCP> bob@astrovax.UUCP (Bob Masterson) writes: >My kitten (Zaphod) is approaching five months of age. Does this kitten have two heads and an extra front paw?
jrc@ritcv.UUCP (James R. Carbin) (10/19/85)
In article <670@astrovax.UUCP> bob@astrovax.UUCP (Bob Masterson) writes: >My kitten (Zaphod) is approaching five months of age. When's the best age to >have you cat 'fixed'? I've heard various numbers, some arguing the earlier >the better, others saying it's best to let the cat 'get his personality well- >established' beforehand. For what it is worth, my vet (The Cat Doctor) recommended that my female be taken care of before she ever came into "heat" as she would never miss something that she had never experienced. Squeaker had her operation at about 6 months. > >It's now been nearly two months since I've seen Zaphod. (Sniffle.) To ask >a silly question -- do cats have relatively decent long-term memories? Before >I left, Zaphod was *very* attached to me. I'm hoping that he'll remember me >when I go home for a short vacation next week. I spent a month in the People's Republic of China when Squeaker was about 18 months old. She stayed with my mother so it was a six-week period between leaving her and returning. Her reaction upon seeing me again was interesting as I believe that she thought that she'd never see me again. Squeaker is a Persian and they are known as being very affectionate. I don't know how much this affected her behavior. > > Thanks, > Craig Kolb > (c/o bob) > ...astrovax!bob you're welcome as ever, j.r. "I should add something profound or funny here!" James R. Carbin Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY UUCP: {allegra,seismo}!rochester!ritcv!jrc CSNET: jrc%rit@csnet-relay.ARPA
steph@graffiti.UUCP (stephanie da silva) (10/22/85)
> In article <670@astrovax.UUCP> bob@astrovax.UUCP (Bob Masterson) writes: > >My kitten (Zaphod) is approaching five months of age. When's the best age to > >have you cat 'fixed'? I've heard various numbers, some arguing the earlier > >the better, others saying it's best to let the cat 'get his personality well- > >established' beforehand. I wish people would use the proper terminology. You have a female cat spayed. You have a male cat neutered. "Fixed" is so gauche. BTW, the earliest time to spay a cat is 6 months, for neutering a male, the recommended time is 7 months.
booter@lll-crg.ARpA (Elaine Richards) (10/23/85)
In article <650@tellab1.UUCP> barth@tellab1.UUCP (Ford Prefect) writes: >In article <670@astrovax.UUCP> bob@astrovax.UUCP (Bob Masterson) writes: > >>My kitten (Zaphod) is approaching five months of age. > >Does this kitten have two heads and an extra front paw? Get him a companion kitten and name her Trillian! (Neuter him first). If you see a man in a bathrobe following him around, don't panic. E *****
ta2@edison.UUCP (tom allebrandi) (10/24/85)
> > With males, I feel it's especially important to get them > neutered early--6 to 7 months is best... > I advocate having females fixed at 6 months as well... You need to check with your vet as to the correct time to have kitty de-sexed. I seem to remember that our vet preferred neutering at 12 to 18 months of age based on the health and build of the cat. He was not overly happy that the Humane Society required that Pumpkin be neutered within 30 days of her adoption. He wanted to wait until she was closer to 18 months. (She was a year old when we got her; she is not a large cat - at 2 1/2 years old she has reached her full size: 7 1/2 pounds.) -- ............... tom allebrandi 2, general electric automation controls operation UUCP: ...decvax!mcnc!ncsu!uvacs!edison!ta2 box 8106, charlottesville, va, 22906 (804) 978-5566 ...............
rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) (10/24/85)
> I wish people would use the proper terminology. > You have a female cat spayed. You have a male cat neutered. > "Fixed" is so gauche. ...especially if the cat wasn't broken to start with! > BTW, the earliest time to spay a cat is 6 months, for neutering a male, the > recommended time is 7 months. There are NO hard and fast rules about the proper time. It depends on how fast the cat matures. Any evidence of inclination to breed (apart from kitten heats) is a sign that it's time--but it may come as early as five months (rarely) or as late as nine months. Try to get the advice of a vet, and beware of vets who proclaim exact time periods. -- Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086 ...At last it's the real thing...or close enough to pretend.
dave@circadia.UUCP (David Messer) (10/28/85)
> With males, I feel it's especially important to get them > neutered early--6 to 7 months is best. ... > > Scott J. Berry > ihnp4!hou2g!scott You are just asking for Feline Urinary Syndrome if you have it done this early. Make sure the cat is fully mature before you have it done. The best time is around 9-10 months I believe; ask your Vet to be sure. -- David Messer UUCP: ...ihnp4!circadia!dave FIDO: 14/415 (SYSOP)
charli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips) (11/08/85)
>> With males, I feel it's especially important to get them >> neutered early--6 to 7 months is best. ...[Scott Berry] > >You are just asking for Feline Urinary Syndrome if you have >it done this early. Make sure the cat is fully mature before >you have it done. [David Messer] Our two male cats were neutered early. They have each had one bout of Feline Urinary Syndrome (FUS). Our vet told us that we could substantially reduce the risk of recurrent attacks by putting them on a diet of canned cat food instead of dry. He said that the risk would be somewhat reduced simply by avoiding fish-flavored dry cat foods. We put them on a no-fish dry-food diet three years ago, and neither cat has had a recurrence. (If they do, we may decide to go with the canned cat food, but that stuff is expensive!) charli
bs@faron.UUCP (Robert D. Silverman) (11/12/85)
> >> With males, I feel it's especially important to get them > >> neutered early--6 to 7 months is best. ...[Scott Berry] > > > >You are just asking for Feline Urinary Syndrome if you have > >it done this early. Make sure the cat is fully mature before > >you have it done. [David Messer] > > Our two male cats were neutered early. They have each had one bout of > Feline Urinary Syndrome (FUS). Our vet told us that we could > substantially reduce the risk of recurrent attacks by putting them on a > diet of canned cat food instead of dry. He said that the risk would be > somewhat reduced simply by avoiding fish-flavored dry cat foods. We > put them on a no-fish dry-food diet three years ago, and neither cat > has had a recurrence. (If they do, we may decide to go with the canned > cat food, but that stuff is expensive!) > > charli I have a neutered male cat who was neutered at 8 months (and he is a large cat and was large then). He had his first FUS attack in January, had the urine crystals cleaned out and had another attack 1 month later. He then had a urethostomy (complete removal of the penis). The difficulty is that the urethra in the male is narrower than in the female and can cause urinary blockage if any crystals form. The urethra in the male makes a sharp turn at the base of the penis and it is there where crystals tend to collect. If a male cat is castrated too soon (i.e. when he is too small) it can cause a narrowing of the urethra and exacerbate any potential problems. The exact age at which a male cat should be castrated depends on the SIZE of the cat, not how old he is. My vet favors waiting until he is at least 8 months old. Well since then he has had 2 more episodes and has been put on a special prescription diet (S/D for those of you who know what it is). My vet says that some male cats have a metabolism that produces urine which is fairly basic and it causes crystals to form. His current diet is designed to acidify his urine so hopefully no more crystals will form. He has never eaten dry cat food (he HATES the stuff). The problem with dry food is that it doesn't contain enough moisture. Cats don't need very much water and it's impossible to get them to drink it when they don't want to. One thing my vet has me to is to sprinkle a little salt on his food to get him to drink more water. FUS is dangerous but treatable if caught in time. If untreated the cat will die in about 3 days from uremia (internal poisoning of the bloodstream from the urine which he can't get rid of). The treatment generally consists of immediate insertion of a catheter to allow the urine to flow, lots of fluids, antibiotics to prevent infection, and relaxation of the urethra by muscle relaxing drugs followed by removal of the crystals. It is very easy to detect because you can actually feel when the bladder is distended. Bob Silverman (they call me Mr. 9)
rbc@houxu.UUCP (R.CONNAGHAN) (11/14/85)
In addition for the treatment of urinary problems in my male cat the vet recommends a dose of vitamin-C (100 mg or less) every day. This helps make the urine more acid, which helps prevent crystals from forming. The vet says any excess vitamin-C will be passed through the urine. I have just started this because we are currently going through a urinary infection and the antibioctics (sic) run out tomorrow. Luckily my cat takes the pill without any fuss (or loss of blood on my part). I am trying everything in my power not to have the little guys pecker wacked off. Does anyone know if urinary infections are more a problem with pure-breds? -- Robert Connaghan WE 32100 Microprocessor Group AT&T Information System - Holmdel, N.J. houxu!rbc
jca@drutx.UUCP (ArnsonJC) (11/14/85)
To get your cat to drink more water: if you feed your cat wet food of any kind, add water to that. It may make the food a little soupy sometimes, but your cat then gets more water in their diet. I have been doing this for years with my two "used to be" males, and have never had any problems. But then they are also VERY large cats. -- jill c. arnson ihnp4!drutx!jca AT&A IS, Denver (303)538-4800 Lily Tomlin says that the key element in power dressing is "...sort of like a scarf, sort of like a tie, sort of like a ruffle, and it doesn't threaten anyone because you don't look good in it." From @u(The Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe) (-: