Kitten testicle descent

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Virginia Campbell — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 18:02:46 GMT

For "owned" (non Cats Protection) males I like to leave it closer to 5 or 6 months as long as it doesn't live with an entire female sibling and hasn't started spraying. I don't know if early neutering has been shown to be a risk factor for slipped femoral heads and I know it's not common, but it is nasty and in the one case I have seen it was bilateral, unpleasant and occurred in a male that had been neutered young (can't remember exactly how young but definitely 4mo or younger)

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Virginia Campbell — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 17:55:22 GMT

[quote user="Ashlea"]I do quite a lot of early neutering for an animal charity and quite often find male cats with incompletely descended testes at around 8 weeks. Usually under GA with a bit of a poke and prod they can be moved into place for a scrotal castrate. I've delayed one or two where they've not been palpable at all during conscious exam and then found them with no problems at 11-12 weeks.[/quote]

We do the work for the local CP shelter and had quite a few of these - some not palpable under GA- so we changed protocol and instead of the shelter just booking a litter in, we have a conscious grope of the whole litter at one of our shelter visits before booking them in.

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Ashlea — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 17:35:27 GMT

I know I'm a little late to the discussion now but if it helps I do quite a lot of early neutering for an animal charity and quite often find male cats with incompletely descended testes at around 8 weeks. Usually under GA with a bit of a poke and prod they can be moved into place for a scrotal castrate. I've delayed one or two where they've not been palpable at all during conscious exam and then found them with no problems at 11-12 weeks.

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Anthony Todd — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 17:45:56 GMT

No I haven't, as you would expect, being an oldie, so I'm glad the message has changed.

"Six months" was way too late!!

BUT:

The first season usually occurs around six months but can be earlier.

from

http://www.thecatgroup.org.uk/policy_statements/neut.html

and

From around the age of 5 to 8 months, kittens reach sexual maturity and are therefore capable of breeding and producing kittens themselves.

from

http://icatcare.org/advice/neutering-your-cat

and

Puberty usually occurs at around five to eight months in cats, although it can happen as early as four months depending on the breed of cat. We recommend neutering both male and female cats from an early age. However, it is important to note that the vet responsible for your cat will specify when they are prepared to carry out the neutering operation - usually at around four months. Cats Protection’s current policy is to neuter pet cats from four months and ferals from weaning age.

Such a wishy washy message! Although 4 months is mentioned later on.

from

http://www.cats.org.uk/what-we-do/neutering/faqs no less!!

and

Typically, your furry companion will become mature when she reaches 5 to 8 months old, according to the Feline Advisory Bureau. At this point, your kitten can have kittens of her own, leading to a number of unwanted little babies for you to deal with.

from

http://pets.thenest.com/age-spay-female-cat-6302.html

Not to "prove" you wrong, but just to make a point that the message should be, by all, and every time and without wishy washy pretext:

4 months!

Even then owners will have been told by a neighbour or friend to "let it have a bit of fun", or something equally banal and silly, and then it's too late!!

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Thomas Johnson — Sat, 23 Jan 2016 08:46:14 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Todd"]

It starts with education. If you look at the posters from the charities a lot say "spay at six months".

[/quote]

Have you looked recently? Both the RSPCA and CP are pushing neutering at 3-4 months of age.

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Anthony Todd — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 21:37:03 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"] Kate What apals me is that people are deliberately breeding kittens,[/quote]

It starts with education. If you look at the posters from the charities a lot say "spay at six months".

[For some reason there is a sort of religious obsession with castrating males at 6 months which everyone adheres too with a passion, I suppose it's the idea that one male can only ever service one female......]

Of course by the time the new owner gets around to it it females will be nearer 7, and a lot of queens come on heat at well under 6 months actual, let alone six months at an underestimate.

And, as well, a lot of queens come on heat, go out, get mated and the owner is totally unaware.

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Hannah Wynne Richards — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 18:36:05 GMT

Kate What apals me is that people are deliberately breeding kittens, when others are being contract killed because they've no chance of finding homes. If we had been sufficiently successful at neutering that every kitten was a wanted kitten, then I'd have no quarrel with the price - in fact, I'd welcome a high price, because then the owners would look after it, so as to protect their investment,

Wynne

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Martin Atkinson — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 12:18:34 GMT

OK its not quite on thread but is to do with dodgy breeders. I had a black Lab puppy in the other day for vaccination and I was surprised how big and healthy it was and how everything had been done correctly. I commented to the new owner how unusual this was and what a sad state of affairs it is that this is the case.

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Anthony Todd — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 22:42:39 GMT

[quote user="Kate Richardson"]no not always palpable IME at 7 weeks of age, who did the palpating?[/quote]

Nobody yet, but if they're not there at second vacc hopefully we can cancel the deal.

Check the price of "ragdolls"

Ah, the ads don't mention price but there's this...

Adorable ragdoll kittens for sale for around £550. We now have 6 ads from 13 sites for Adorable ragdoll kittens for sale, under pets & animals.

I was staggered too but it's market forces I suppose.

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Kate Richardson — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 16:47:44 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"]

A veterinary surgeon's son buying a pedigree kitten!

Arlo, where's the smiley for someone collapsing from shock?

Wynne

[/quote]

I'm more collapsing in shock at the price....Anthony, you need to have a very stern word with him- people who are prepared to pay this much for a kitten are essentially condoning this type of rip off. Actually not just shocked, angry. (Not with you Anthony, at this scenario in general)

And in answer to the testicles bit, no not always palpable IME at 7 weeks of age, who did the palpating?

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Anthony Todd — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 16:09:10 GMT

[quote user="Martin Atkinson"]I would tell him to walk away from it and rehome a kitten from one of the many that get dumped in every vet's surgery every day.[/quote]

I was presented with fait accompli.....and young children, in this day and age, get their own way.....

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Anthony Todd — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 16:07:18 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Dennison"]Sometime's there isn't an obvious scrotum when they're tiny IME.[/quote]

Yes, I seem to remember you could see a bilateral sort of hair thinning where the scrotum would be....

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Anthony Todd — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 16:05:20 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Wynne Richards"] A veterinary surgeon's son buying a pedigree kitten![/quote]

Definitely not my idea.... only slightly redeeming feature is that it is [allegedly] a cross between two "pedigree" breeds.

I know, I know, don't ask why it is "therefore a pedigree...."

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Martin Atkinson — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 15:53:43 GMT

I would tell him to walk away from it and rehome a kitten from one of the many that get dumped in every vet's surgery every day. At least I would demand a discount of what it would realistically cost to perform an abdominal castration. The one advantage you have as a vet is and idea of what that would be. I cannot imagine either of my daughters doing such a silly thing after all they seen and heard from my practice.

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Anthony Dennison — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 11:50:06 GMT

Sometime's there isn't an obvious scrotum when they're tiny IME. Also, I have giant hands with sausage fingers so would probably struggle to palpate tiny testicles. Usually can feel them easily by 9-12 weeks (primary vaccination time).

Though I'm not overly thorough to start with - quick feel, if nothing obvious I'll recheck at the 2nd vaccination, byt that point they're usually big enough to feel.

RE: Kitten testicle descent

Hannah Wynne Richards — Thu, 21 Jan 2016 10:05:02 GMT

A veterinary surgeon's son buying a pedigree kitten!

Arlo, where's the smiley for someone collapsing from shock?

Wynne