Insurance prior to neutering?

greensalad

Good news on the microchipping front. They've agreed to honour the deal even if we book the neutering in on Tuesday. I'd say that's a sign of a good vets, I emailed them and they've noted on the system that we are due to receive a discount whenever the procedure takes place

No spraying from kitty thus far so I'm hopeful he's not at that stage yet and we can get the neutering done next week. I don't know how quickly they can get him booked in. SIL is training to be a vet and says the procedure takes minutes (and the anaesthetic takes the longest of the whole procedure) so I'm hoping to get him done ASAP.

Picture:

SensibleSarah

He's gorgeous! Good news about the discount too
Neutering is no biggie at all in terms of surgery - of course there is a slight risk as there always is for any operation, but all of the male cats and foster kittens I have had always bounce back (literally) within a few hours.

Just a word on the spraying though... Neutered cats can still spray (it just doesn't smell as bad) although them doing so indoors is less likely. Both my male cats (neutered at 5 months, now 12 & 10 years) spray in the garden.

greensalad

SensibleSarah wrote: »

He's gorgeous! Good news about the discount too
Neutering is no biggie at all in terms of surgery - of course there is a slight risk as there always is for any operation, but all of the male cats and foster kittens I have had always bounce back (literally) within a few hours.

Just a word on the spraying though... Neutered cats can still spray (it just doesn't smell as bad) although them doing so indoors is less likely. Both my male cats (neutered at 5 months, now 12 & 10 years) spray in the garden.

Ah I didn't realise they still sprayed! I've had three boy-cats growing up and none of them ever sprayed indoors so let's hope.

I'm still deciding what to do re: his schedule when he can go out. Depends how homely/outdoorsy he is I guess. We don't have a cat flap but are considering whether it is safe to keep a bathroom window open for him to come in by. The other alternative is just that we lock him outdoors all day in the summer months. We are going to purchase an outdoor cat house either way.

GwylimT

Fluffyqueen34 wrote: »

Kitty is 11weeks, old enough leave mum.Vet will neuter her at six months.She is the most gorgeous happy furbaby.

They shouldn't leave mum until thirteen weeks, did they say why six months? Its usual to neuter at 12-14 weeks? She will most likely have a call before then, so get a pair of ear plugs ready!

50Twuncle

GwylimT wrote: »

They shouldn't leave mum until thirteen weeks, did they say why six months? Its usual to neuter at 12-14 weeks? She will most likely have a call before then, so get a pair of ear plugs ready!

13 weeks is 5 weeks too old - 8 weeks is fine

GwylimT

50Twuncle wrote: »

13 weeks is 5 weeks too old - 8 weeks is fine

No it isn't, very few kittens are fully weaned at eight weeks of age, they certainly aren't fully socialised. Taking a kitten away from its mother when too young at eight weeks also prevents both the kittens and mother expressing normal behaviours. Thankfully the gccf don't allow backyard breeders to register too young, unvaccinated and unneutered kittens, sadly far too many people seek out backyard breeders to buy from as welfare isn't a concern, just the lowest purchase price possible.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Didn't make the slightest difference to Idiot Cat's insurance premiums. And, tbh, I'd rather take the risk of being charged more with a kitten in case the pre-op examination revealed something that required treatment or something came up during the procedure itself.

FWIW, I've always been lumbered with stray kittens around the 7 week mark, if not younger. They've had no difficulties - and two of them would have undoubtedly died if I hadn't had them to hand rear from about 4/5 weeks, as one had been abandoned and one was likely to be if I didn't take her.

The least well adjusted cat was the one where the previous owner had got her at around the 14 week mark from a reputable breeder, complete with papers. No idea how old she was when I took her in, maybe about six months, as she came into season a couple of weeks later (obviously the previous owner still wanted her when she was still a kitten and looked pretty, but changed her mind when she hit feline teenage years - but wasn't old enough to have a litter to sell on safely), but she was horrible until she was spayed, when she changed overnight to a slightly dim, but very affectionate ball of fluff. I never asked for her papers, as I didn't really give a monkey's how much she'd cost - I won't pay good money to a breeder when there are waifs and strays that need my attention more.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

greensalad wrote: »

Ah I didn't realise they still sprayed! I've had three boy-cats growing up and none of them ever sprayed indoors so let's hope.

I'm still deciding what to do re: his schedule when he can go out. Depends how homely/outdoorsy he is I guess. We don't have a cat flap but are considering whether it is safe to keep a bathroom window open for him to come in by. The other alternative is just that we lock him outdoors all day in the summer months. We are going to purchase an outdoor cat house either way.

Mine are 98% indoor cats, although they have access to an enclosed garden. I leave the shed door open for those rare occasions when they decide they want to spend some time outside. Admittedly, that's partly so that any stray female can find a safe place to have a litter, but they take themselves off to sleep in the warm shed if the back door blows shut. The back door has been open all day today - they're sound asleep on the sofa and the armchair instead.



He does look very cute, though - black cats are my favourites - if I'd had a choice with the waifs and strays I've had, I'd have picked black cats. But I've ended up with tabbies and a tortie.

greensalad

Insurance all bought. I got the lifetime cover but at a mid-cost plan so £1000 per condition per year.

He's been to the vets this morning and has been wormed and vaccinated. Booked for neutering this Friday and then more vaccs in a few weeks. Happy that he is being neutered quickly as he hasn't sprayed at all but shakes his tail like he's thinking about it (but perhaps doesn't know how just yet).

GwylimT

Does his tail kind of vibrate in the air? If so that is a sign of excitement, so don't worry too much about the dreaded spraying.