Once your female cat reaches puberty (usually about six months), she will regularly be on heat for extended periods. These heats last for approximately one week every two to three weeks until she is mated. When your kitten or cat is coming into a heat, you may notice her displaying strange behaviours such as loud and persistent crying and frequent rubbing and rolling on the floor.

Reasons for desexing your female cat:

• removes the risk of uterine infection and cancer
• reduces the risk of breast cancer
• prevents unplanned and unwanted litters.

Other advantages:

In addition, but at least as important, by preventing unwanted litters you prevent the needless deaths of kittens and cats – or the spread of feral cats.

What happens when my cat comes in for desexing?

• An anaesthetic is given so your cat will need to be fasted from 8pm the evening before. The anaesthetic can cause drowsiness for 24 hours after the surgery.
• Desexing is a day procedure – your cat will come into the clinic in the morning and go home the same afternoon.
• If your cat has not already had a pre-anaesthetic blood test, we will recommend the test is performed on the day before the procedure. When the tests come back and all is acceptable, your cat will then be anaesthetised.
• Pain relief is given at the time of the surgery and extra pain relief can be arranged if your cat needs it.
• Stitches for females will remain in the skin for 10 days and after this time will be removed by our nursing staff.
• It is important that the sutures stay dry and clean for the duration – this means no bathing or swimming until they come out.
• The cat is not allowed to lick the stitches – an Elizabethan collar or bitterant spray is sometimes required.
• The stitches should be checked daily to make sure the wound is not swollen, hot, red or weeping. If you are concerned, the cat must be brought in for it to be checked.

Are there any dangers associated with the operation?

All anaesthetics face a risk. However, with today’s modern anaesthetics, pre-blood testing and monitoring equipment, the risk of a complication is very low.

Once your female cat reaches puberty (usually about six months), she will regularly be on heat for extended periods. These heats last for approximately one week every two to three weeks until she is mated. When your kitten or cat is coming into a heat, you may notice her displaying strange behaviours such as loud and persistent crying and frequent rubbing and rolling on the floor.

Reasons for desexing your female cat:

• removes the risk of uterine infection and cancer
• reduces the risk of breast cancer
• prevents unplanned and unwanted litters.

Other advantages:

In addition, but at least as important, by preventing unwanted litters you prevent the needless deaths of kittens and cats – or the spread of feral cats.

What happens when my cat comes in for desexing?

• An anaesthetic is given so your cat will need to be fasted from 8pm the evening before. The anaesthetic can cause drowsiness for 24 hours after the surgery.
• Desexing is a day procedure – your cat will come into the clinic in the morning and go home the same afternoon.
• If your cat has not already had a pre-anaesthetic blood test, we will recommend the test is performed on the day before the procedure. When the tests come back and all is acceptable, your cat will then be anaesthetised.
• Pain relief is given at the time of the surgery and extra pain relief can be arranged if your cat needs it.
• Stitches for females will remain in the skin for 10 days and after this time will be removed by our nursing staff.
• It is important that the sutures stay dry and clean for the duration – this means no bathing or swimming until they come out.
• The cat is not allowed to lick the stitches – an Elizabethan collar or bitterant spray is sometimes required.
• The stitches should be checked daily to make sure the wound is not swollen, hot, red or weeping. If you are concerned, the cat must be brought in for it to be checked.

Are there any dangers associated with the operation?

All anaesthetics face a risk. However, with today’s modern anaesthetics, pre-blood testing and monitoring equipment, the risk of a complication is very low.