Spaying or Neutering Your Persian CatThe Right Choice?

Most pet owners these days immediately have their animals spayed or neutered, in an attempt to control the pet population – and this is recommended and commendable. However, in the case of Purebred Persians, you might want to put some serious thought into this.

First, depending on the requirements of your breeder, you may be forced to have your Persian spayed or neutered – or it may be done by the breeder before the cat is even allowed to go to your home. If the cat is not to be spayed or neutered, you can and should expect to pay a great deal more for it – because this gives you breeding rights for the cat – which of course puts you in direct competition with the breeder.

You must also consider cat shows when you are determining whether you will spay or neuter your Persian cat. Most cat shows have divisions for altered and unaltered cats – they are seldom judged together, but beyond this separation, they are judged in much the same way. Obviously the behavior of unaltered animals is different than the behavior of altered animals.

This brings us to the case for spaying and neutering. If males are not neutered, they will spray to mark their territory. This is a urine odor that can be quite overwhelming and unpleasant for the owner of the cat. The only way to stop a male cat from marking his territory through spraying is to have him neutered.

In the case of females, an unsprayed female will go into heat several times throughout the year. This is usually accompanied by horrifying sounds at all hours of the day and night, which can be quite bothersome. Of course, if there is an unaltered male in the house, or able to make physical contact with the female cat, this results in a litter of kittens – which may not be wanted.

Spaying and neutering cats has become very commonplace, and is quite affordable. Of course, it costs more to have a female spayed than it costs to have a male neutered. You should make an appointment with your veterinarian by the time the cat is between three and six months of age to have the cat altered. You will be instructed not to allow the cat to eat or drink anything after midnight the night before, and to have the cat in the office early in the morning.

The veterinarian will perform the procedure, and you can typically take your cat home by that evening. The veterinarian will give you instructions on caring for the area where the cat has been cut, and if any sutures need to be removed, you will return to the veterinarian’s office in about ten days so that this can be done.