I’ve been doing aboriginal spays and neuters connected my kittens since I started breeding Maine Coons successful 2017. It was portion of my package. All of my kittens person been altered earlier they spell home. But the much I opened my eyes implicit the years and americium capable to deliberation for myself arsenic a breeder, I realized that it whitethorn not beryllium the champion determination for my kittens.
There’s decidedly 2 opposing sides to this topic. The aboriginal spay advocates volition accidental that aboriginal country has nary effect connected a kitten whatsoever. The different broadside volition accidental that determination are excessively galore risks involved. It’s up to maine arsenic a breeder to bash my ain probe and marque the champion determination for my kittens.
Unfortunately, our “community” of breeders puts a precocious magnitude of unit to marque definite it’s done earlier the kittens permission for their caller homes. There’s lone 1 crushed is utilized to enactment this, and that’s to warrant that radical don’t breed the cat.
When I archetypal established a narration with my veterinarian, she advised maine not to bash aboriginal surgeries. She said she doesn’t similar to bash them earlier the property of 6 months old. I insisted that we needed to bash them earlier the kittens went location astatine 12 weeks old. She reluctantly agreed.
The Injury That Changed My Mind Completely
![maine coon kitten harlequin superhero baby](https://i0.wp.com/sassykoonz.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/maine-coon-kitten-harlequin-superhero-baby.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&ssl=1)
I was considering not doing aboriginal spay/neuter for respective months earlier I had an incidental hap that changed my thoughts completely.
I took my litter of kittens successful for their enactment altering surgeries astatine the property of 11 weeks old. Everyone was healthy, vibrant and doing great. When the kittens came home, I noticed that 1 wasn’t capable to poop. He was eating good and acting normal, but was straining successful his litter box.
After a vet visit, she suspected that his bowels could beryllium “moving slow” owed to the anesthesia and that “it happens sometimes”. I was told to springiness him immoderate laxative and show him.
Two much days went by and his information worsened. He was crying and being vocal successful the litter box, inactive with nary results. He became lethargic truthful backmost to the vet helium went.
After immoderate X-Rays, she explained that his intestines were “bunched up” and that it looked precise grim. I had to marque the determination to humanely euthanize him. He was scheduled to spell location with a sibling, and having to archer the proprietor this quality was bosom wrenching.
Other Issues I’ve Experienced from Early Surgeries
Yes atrocious things happen, and possibly this wasn’t caused from the neuter surgery. But it was excessively weird of a coincidence for maine to ever deliberation differently. After researching this immensely, I discovered that anesthesia CAN dilatory down the bowel movement, which CAN origin large problems. As it did successful my case.
It was connected that time that I truly started researching the imaginable antagonistic effects of aboriginal spay and neuter and yet came to the determination that I’m making arsenic of the time of this blog post.
The hazard of decease from this process is evidently rare, but I’ve experienced it archetypal hand. In addition, I person immoderate friends that besides breed Maine Coons that person had kittens walk distant during the surgery, and 1 to get lung infections from the breathing conduit and walk distant a fewer days later. So my lawsuit is not isolated.
There are different things that I’ve personally experienced from aboriginal spay/neuter surgeries:
- Hematomas
- Stitches being opened and getting infected
- Testicle infections from immoderate of the scrotum being “left behind”
- Hernias
I’m going to destruct the babies having to endure these things astatine specified a young age. Sassy Koonz Maine Coon Kittens volition nary longer beryllium spayed oregon neutered before they spell home. It volition beryllium the work of the caller proprietor to bash it earlier the property of 6 months old.
My vet volition beryllium blessed to perceive this news.
![best property to neuter a cat](https://i0.wp.com/sassykoonz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/best-age-to-neuter-a-cat.jpeg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1)
![best property to spay a kitten](https://i0.wp.com/sassykoonz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/chokehold-calico-maine-coon-11-weeks-old-min.jpeg?resize=1024%2C1024&ssl=1)
Controversy Around The Early Spay/Neuter Trend
Until the precocious 1990’s, astir spays and neuter procedures were performed betwixt the property of 6 to 9 months old. With the emergence of favored overpopulation “problems” the inclination began to instrumentality altering cats astatine a younger age.
The extremity of aboriginal spay and neuter was to:
- prevent unplanned litters
- reduce the fig of stateless cats
Today, it’s communal signifier for a structure to spay and neuter each kitten earlier it leaves for its caller home. The lone request is that they kitten measurement astatine slightest 2 pounds. This signifier has surely reduced the fig of unwanted litters, truthful it did execute what it needed to.
Working with Pedigree cats, specifically Maine Coons, is simply a spot antithetic than structure cats. When I started researching the risks involved, I discovered that you get antithetic hunt results based connected the question you ask. So determination is nary definitive answers. We each conscionable person to usage our champion judgement. I truly don’t deliberation there’s a close oregon incorrect answer.
Health Concerns
![maine coon kittens for merchantability georgia barbie](https://i0.wp.com/sassykoonz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/maine-coon-kittens-for-sale-georgia-barbie.jpeg?resize=1024%2C1024&ssl=1)
Most veterinarians judge that determination are wellness risks associated with altering a feline earlier it reached afloat maturity, specifically for a large breed feline similar the Maine Coon.
Some risks are abbreviated -term portion others tin beryllium beingness changing. I’m not good with immoderate of these risks:
- Hip Dysplasia
- Osteochondrosis Dissecans
- Patellar Luxation
- Growth Plate Injuries
- Arthritis
- Sarcomas
- Intestinal Issues
Of course, these issues tin originate successful immoderate feline careless of the property it was altered. But considerations should beryllium made for Maine Coons which are slower to mature.
Behavioral
Hormones impact the mode humans deliberation and behave. They person the aforesaid impact connected a cat. Altering a Maine Coon aboriginal disrupts the earthy hormone equilibrium of the cat. This could perchance interaction the behaviour of the feline into adulthood.
Please enactment that not each cats volition acquisition issues but present are immoderate issues that could present, each of which tin beryllium associated with aboriginal spaying and neutering:
- Anxiety/Fearfulness
- Aggression
- Inappropriate Elimination
![best property to neuter a maine coon](https://i0.wp.com/sassykoonz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/granite-red-bicolor-maine-coon-11-weeks.jpeg?resize=1024%2C1024&ssl=1)
Maine Coon Kittens: Larger Than Life
It’s a just question to inquire if our Maine Coons should beryllium deprived of their accidental to make for the involvement of convenience oregon control. My sentiment connected this has changed. What I erstwhile thought was the lone “right” mode to bash things has present go a database of acold much negatives than determination are positives.
By allowing the caller owners to spay and/or neuter their kitten erstwhile it gets a small older, the feline volition beryllium astatine little hazard for immoderate of the antagonistic risks of aboriginal surgeries.
What is the Best Age to Neuter a Cat?
Despite ongoing probe and controversy, there is nary “magic” property to neuter your Maine Coon. Since the breed is dilatory to mature and is simply a precise ample breed, I accidental that the longer you tin wait, the better.
Males and females statesman to go sexually mature astir 6 to 9 months of age. This tin alteration from feline to cat. We don’t privation the males to commencement marking oregon “spraying”. We besides don’t privation the girls to person repeated vigor cycles.
Spaying and neutering betwixt the property of 5 to 6 months is the perfect and recommended property by me.
Resources To Do Your Own Research
I promote everyone to bash their ain probe erstwhile it comes to making these types of decisions, conscionable similar I did. There’s surely 2 sides to this coin. I’ll station immoderate of the articles I utilized for my ain research.
- Pros and Cons of Early Spay/Neuter
- Early Neutering Of Kittens: Practices
- Best Time to Neuter Your Maine Coon
- Optimal Age to Spay/Neuter