thoma@reed.UUCP (Ann Muir Thomas) (11/11/85)
*** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE *** Someone recently said that cats shouldn't be neutered/spayed until they are 9-10 months old, and claimed that this is when they are mature... Most of the cats I have known from kittenhood on didn't reach their full physical growth until they were about 2 years old; while younger than that, they remain sort of skinny and gangly and clumsy (like a teenager, ya' know!) Ann Muir Thomas "life in a day/what can I say" -- Simple Minds
jla@inuxd.UUCP (Joyce Andrews) (11/12/85)
> Someone recently said that cats shouldn't be neutered/spayed until they > are 9-10 months old, and claimed that this is when they are mature... > Most of the cats I have known from kittenhood on didn't reach their > full physical growth until they were about 2 years old; while younger > than that, they remain sort of skinny and gangly and clumsy (like a > teenager, ya' know!) The growth that is important is the maturation of the genitals, including sex organs and urinary organs. Females that are spayed too early (dogs AND cats) tend to get bladder infections. Some female cats can get a skin problem from the hormonal level too low too soon. Males that are castrated too soon tend to be open to "tom cat syndrome" urinary problems later on. I don't know that if there is a problem for male dogs who are castrated too soon. Probably very few are since the NEED for castration (spraying) doesn't occur in male dogs. I've only known one emergency castration--a male doberman/German Shepherd I was responsible for socializing after he was taken from his owners as a cruelty conviction. The neighbor's Irish Setter came in heat--did you ever try to explain to a 140-pound dobe/shepherd that he's not allowed to do that? Did you know that a 140-pound dobe/shepherd can rip his way out of a garage door? Have you ever seen longhaired doberman puppies? (the castration was too late) BTW, "Lurch" (the dobe/shep) still lives with my sister. He has had surgery to repair spinal problems he suffered when he lived with his former owners. Although he is a sweet, loving companion, harmless to everything, including my sister's many cats and her miniature poodle (another one of my cruelty cases), the UPS driver doesn't even slow down when he brings her packages--he just tosses them out in the yard. The real danger at her house is the feral kitten we raised on a bottle. It's now 18 pounds of dynamite, fiercely loyal to my sister and her husband, and actually dangerous to everyone else. Joyce Andrews, AT&T Indy inuxd!jla