【新手篇】Cat Myths - Separate Fact From Fiction (2/5)

【貓貓知識匯總】 >> 【貓之新手篇】 >> 【貓貓有趣小常識】

My cat will get fat & lazy if it is desexed.

By desexing your cat, you are preventing it from contributing to the very serious over population of kittens & cats. Entire male cats run the risk of testicular cancer, abscesses caused by fighting, being hit by a car while roaming, FIV (Feline Aids) & FeLV. Entire female cats have a greater risk of breast cancer & can develop pyometra (infection of the uterus), plus she can contract FIV & FeLV from an infected male, car accidents.

Some entire females will often go off their food when they are in heat, which happens several times a year. Entire males will roam the neighbourhood looking for a female to mate with. Both of these can cause cats to become underweight. When your cat has been desexed, it's mind is no longer on finding a partner. So, while a desexed cat won't gain weight as a result of the operation, an entire cat "may" lose weight because it has other things on it's mind.

If you find your cat is putting on weight, it is recommended that you seek advice from your vet, NEVER put your cat on a diet without veterinary supervision as this can lead to a life threatening condition called Hepatic Lipidosis. Regular exercise will also ensure your cat doesn't become overweight.

My female cat should have one litter before she is spayed

Not at all, in fact it is better to have her spayed before 6 months of age to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. 

Cats must be 6 months before they can be desexed.

With modern anaesthetics, cats can now be safely desexed as young as 8 weeks of age. For further information on early desexing, read this article. Early spay/neuter.

Cats always land on their feet.

Do cats always land on their feet? Well...it depends, if the cat falls a very short distance from the ground it doesn't have enough time to right itself. A cat will be seriously injured & quite possibly killed if it falls from a great height.  There is a new term coined by American veterinarians called "high rise syndrome". Due to the ever increasing human population, high rise apartments are becoming more the norm & vets are seeing many cats who have been injured falling out of high rise apartments.

Original Website: http://www.cat-world.com.au/cat-myths