Spaying cats

[Joy1]

Hi to all cat owners. We have just had our two kittens spayed at the vets. They have had collars (funnels) on to prevent them pulling the stitches out. We have been told they have to keep them on for 12 days! This is much longer than i remember in England, I am sure that when our last cat was done in england she didn't have a collar and was allowed out fairly soon after the op. Is this nornal procedure in France? Our kitten are VERY unhappy with the collars! It is now day 4 so we are supposed to wait another 8 days before they go back to have their stitches out. What have other people been advised in France?

Thanks Joy

[Monika]

You are quite right Joy, neither our 3 cats nor two dogs had ever collars when they were spayed, nor did we have to keep them in for such a long time. There is an interesting french article on Spaying on: www.borta.org/asso/article.php3?id_article=3  As I understand it (but better read it yourself) they can resume normal activities between 24 and 72 hours after the operation.

If I have our 4 semi wild cats at our holiday home spayed (if I get my neighbour's consent!!), I could never leave them in that long, never mind putting them in collars. I would take the collars off but keep an eye on them, that they don't lick the stitches.

[Will]

We have had loads of cats spayed, and most of them have been fine without collars, though we have needed to get collars from the vet a few times. The procedure for us (we have special arrangements with the vet) is that we catch them, take them to the vet late afternoon. They stay in the pens at the vets overnight, to ensure they do not eat before the anaesthetic, get operated on during the morning, and we pick them up in the afternoon, when they have woken up. They are a bit dozey for the rest of the day, but the semi-feral ones are usually OK to be let out again the day after the op. Wearing a collar can be a bit disorientating but they soon get used to it.

Feral or semi-feral cats are given dissolving stitches, the more domesticated animals have their stitches removed after 10-14 days.

[Joy1]

Have just returned from the vets after their first check up. One kitten (Tabby) has slight swelling around the wound site. Probably because she is constantly climbing and jumping off things, despite my best efforts to keep her quiet! They have to both go back for a check up on friday (day 8) before the stitches come out next week! I guess all these check ups are why the operations cost so much -136euros each!!! I'm sure it was much cheaper in the uk! I guess the collars will have to stay on for now! Thanks for the replies. Joy

[Will]

I don't think a slight swelling is at all unsual in an active cat, but you should keep an eye on it. Our cats have not normally needed check ups though we pay less than half of what you have been charged (but as I said we do have a special arrangement). French vets seem to vary considerably in their approach to neutering - because comparatively few animals, especially cats, are neutered in France vets seem to develop their own methods and procedures, unlike Britain where things are rather more standardised. Your vet does sound very thorough.

[Joy1]

Yes the vet is certainly thorough- but then they ought to be for the price! The price does cover 2 check-ups and removal of the stitches. The vet has said if swelling no better by friday he will give an anti -inflamatory injection. The blasted kitten will not keep still! She is following me around the house crying because she is desperate to go out and is currently sitting on my  shoulder! Her quieter sister is sitting with the dog! I'll be very glad when the sitches are out and both cats can go outside again! Their favourite passtime outside is climbing to the top of a 20ft tree!We origionally only planned to take on one kitten, but couldnt bare to part them at the rescue centre, knowing the much more timid black kitten was unlikely to find a home, and they are sisters so what could we do but take them both![:D] All the best Joy

[Catalpa]

Assuming it's affordable, I'd always opt for two kittens at a time (or more!) because they do keep each other company, playing and curling up together. So many people have "iffy" vets who don't seem that interested in small animals that I'd be thrilled to have a vet who appears to know his / her stuff... even if it comes at a price. [:(] Don't worry over the kitten complaining about being confined - you could shut her in a bedroom with a bowl of water and a litter tray and get some peace! I would. Be hard! Ignore it. It's also usually the only chance you get to display human dominance over a feline. [:P]

One of our older kittens had to wear a collar for over 2 weeks when he was about 5 months old. I'm sure he hated it but he adapted incredibly well and developed a motion of swinging his head from side to side to help him see as he trotted around. The only problem was when he couldn't quite tell when he'd perched his bottom over the side of the litter try. [Www]

[Joy1]

Hi Catalpal. Yep, same problem here with the litter tray[+o(] I would shut her in the bedroom, except she then sratches at the bottom of the door and miaows pitifully! The other kitten then cries for her sister and the dog starts whining too! Oh the joys of having pets! It is good to have an excellent thorough vets, one of the benefits from living near a city, there is plenty of small animal work. In fact the vets surgery is much more modern looking than our GP's surgery! Joy

[Monika]

I was very interested what you said about spaying the semi feral cats Will. So you just let them out lets say within 24 hours of the operation? Without collar or bandage? I am now getting "cold feet" about it and think may be my french neighbour is right and I am being cruel, and we should just let nature take its course (as my neighbour always says). Just imagaine if the wound would open, or they would get infections then my neighbour could blame me!

[Will]

It's basically up to the cats. They will have comparatively warm, safe and familiar places to go - such as in a barn or cowshed - or if they want to stay with you until they feel up to moving that's fine. They are surprisingly resilient and what is really a major operation really seems to affect them very little. Our vet tends to do everything with a comparatively small incision underneath, whereas many English vets make a much larger opening on one side. It's far less distressing for the cat to be allowed to return to where it feels comfortable than to be kept in against its will. Infection is always a danger, I know, but we have up to now had no problems in that respect.

Any operation involves risk, during as well as afterwards, but you have to balance things out. An un-neutered cat, particularly a wild or half-wild one, will have a very short life with the stress of regular litters, and feeding the kittens, which themselves will probably have a high mortality rate if left to nature (and those that survive will merely add to the overpopulation problem themselves). Far better to have the cats neutered so they do not produce even more cats, and they themselves enjoy a much better and longer life.

That's my view, anyway, and it is supported by our French vet who supports what Mrs Will does to keep the cats on neighbouring farms (with the agreement of the farmers of course) healthy, happy and well-fed, without the problems that arise from over-population and in-breeding (most of the domesticated cats we have which started life as farm kittens before the neutering programme was completed have inherent health problems resulting from interbreeding, and an un-neutered colony which can soon grow from just a few cats will have far greater problems). 

[Joy1]

I think what Will and Mrs Will are doing is brilliant. Our kittens were up and about as soon as we got them home from the vets last week and both tucked into their food straight away with no ill effects. Cats recover very quickly! Much better to neuter an animal than to have unwanted kittens or puppies. All our pets have been neutered, (including our male Bichon Frise) .These kittens of ours are only inside because the vet said they should be -they are spoilt pets!!!!Joy

[Dave&Olive]

hi

 ok   we have had cats done in the uk a small 1" scar ( women help here I think they only take out the uterus ) but here in france they do a different op they take out the lot hence the long scar  ect....

   dave[+o(]

  ps just had our tommy done €46  and no he did not use 2 bricks

[Joy1]

Hi Dave and Olive. Our kittens only have a small 1" wound. They have had an ovidectomy(sp) where as in Uk our previous cat had a full hysterectomy. She also had the operation on her stomach (like in France) where as cats we had when i was a child had an operation on their side. Guess different vets have different preferences! As long as it does the job it makes little difference! Joy

[Will]

That's right, we have found that in France the op to remove the ovaries, done from underneath, seems more common while the vets we have used in England prefer to remove the lot. But I am quite willing to believe that others have different experiences, maybe it's a regional thing. Quite a lot of the feral cats we have had done were found to be pregnant: although it is obviously better not to spay a pregnant cat, our French vet will do it but to reduce risk removes the uterus as well. With one trio of females no less than 13 unwanted kittens were avoided.

[diotima]

I asked my vet about the difference a few months ago. She said that most vets (presumably meaning English vets) prefer the side incision as there's less risk of complications. The stomach (midline) incision is usually done on pedigree cats where the owner doesn't want to risk disturbing the way the coat lies, as the fur sometimes grows back unevenly after surgery.

[Will]

Joy, all the credit goes to Mrs Will, she is the one who always wants to help any animal in need. Our bichon frisé (or bison frise as I was disgusted to see one of the so-called quality papers called it, twice in one article, the other day) is neutered too.

[hoverfrog]

we had ours done here, and they did two minuscule inscisions, one on each side. Were supposed to keep them in for 24 hours but they got to the cat-flap first, albeit with a drunken gait! Back to normal within 24 hours.

February is 1/2 price for spaying cats round here!

[cooperlola]

I've posted this before, but think it's interesting.  My vet's alternative to the "space helmet" - very effective and as you see,it did not bother Lola!

[IMG]http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q103/cooperlola/catsinclLolabandaged1.jpg[/IMG]

[Monika]

I admire Mrs. Will, because I know it is not easy to persuade French people to spay their cats. I am now afraid to mention the subject, because my husband thinks I have upset our neighbour by nagging him about it.  

When is the time cats fall pregnant again (apparently in the winter month they don't)? I would not be surprised if we have 4x 6 kittens in May/June.

Cooperlola, your cat looks so lovely, that is such clever alternative to the "collar".

[tetley]

If you don't mind me asking, how much does it cost for spaying?  I have two kittens that are around 6 months old now, both females, we have just had the dog spayed which cost 158 euros......so hoping it isn't going to cost that times 2!

[cooperlola]

I paid just under 70 euros a year ago.

[Will]

We pay 60€ for females (less for males, obviously) but that does include the bulk discount (we get elevage or refuge rates).

I understand cats can come into season in January, or maybe January is a good time for operating, so you get them before they start calling in spring. I will have to ask Mrs W.

I do like the coat. One of ours came back like that, the first one we had done in France. It seemed to be because the vet didn't really know about spaying kittens, a view that was reinforced by the anaesthetic she used, which meant said kitten had to have 24 hour nursing care chez veto for a while to help her come round.

We now use a different vet ,of course, who understands small animals.

Incidentally, I am reminded of the lovely lady (now no longer with us) at the cat rescue place we knew in England, who always referred to the cats as being 'newted' and 'spaded'.

[Dick Smith]

Reminds me of a student friend who used to sex kittens (we all had them) - and had some spectacular failures. When we asked how she did it she described how she held them up and looked at their little faces. "Some look like boys and some look like girls..."

[Joy1]

Tetley, have just paid 136 Euros per kitten last week! I think this is on the high side, but we do get 2 check-ups after the ops included and of course removal of stitches on day 12.

Cooperlola, I love the picture of your cat. I wish our two could have had that instead of the dreaded collar[:D]. Both kittens are desperate to go outside but can't until the collars come off (incase they get stuck somewhere!) Joy

[Will]

Dick, I think your friend's method is probably just as good as any other. It seems to work for us most of the time.

[IMG]http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j205/vienormande/mikitwink.jpg[/IMG]

Who can tell which is the boy, and which is the girl?

They are Miki and Twinkle by the way, named by Mrs W with no influence from this forum at all. Scary, eh?

Sex kittens? Yes, I remember Brigitte Bardot, and look what she became.