[Ilana]

Hello,
This is my first post. I like this forum and I hope I can learn a lot from it!

I am adopting a young Mom (about a year old) and her son (he will be twelve weeks old) in mid-November. They are both Oriental Shorthair tabbies.

I am really excited and happy, but also nervous and full of questions. My main concern is that neither of them will be spayed/neutered when I adopt, and the kitten will certainly still be nursing. I wanted to encourage nursing as long as possible so they can bond for life.

The breeder assured me the boy cannot impregnate Mom until he is at least six to eight months old, so I can wait three months to have them fixed. She is a reputable breeder, and I trust her, but I read on the internet that boys can become sexually mature at 4 months.

In addition, I am worried that Mom will go into heat during this time, which I read is very unpleasant. The breeder said she could have her vet give Mom a shot that will 100% guarantee that she will not go into heat for three months.

I have never heard of such a thing. Any advice on whether this would be dangerous to the nursing kitten?

Thank you all in advance. I appreciate any and all thoughts on the matter. :worship

 

[shan841]

First of all, hello and welcome!

Congrats on your new additions, its surely an exciting time.

You should follow your instincts here.....I would get mom and baby fixed ASAP. I fostered a mom and 4 kittens, and I still have the mom and one of the kittens. She went into heat when the kittens were about 8 weeks old. At that point, I took her and the kittens to get fixed. Having her spayed changed nothing as far as the bonding goes....I kept her separated from the kittens for a week so her incision could heal, but as soon as I let them be together again it was as if nothing changed. The kittens still nursed(even though she had dried up and they werent getting any milk) and mom still groomed them and treated them as she had always treated them. As they got older, she started kicking them in the head when they would try to nurse. This is something momma cats are going to do anyway, at a certain age, whether or not she is spayed.

Yes, the kitten can become sexually mature that soon and I really feel that waiting 6 months is the "old school" mentality. In rescue, most kittens are spayed at 8 weeks and 2 lbs. The kittens bounce back quickly, you would have never even known that they had surgery that day. I don't see the point in waiting, and of course, it all depends on what your vet is comfortable with.

I know nothing about the shot...I am assuming it's hormonal? Like Birth control? If thats the case, why not just get her spayed instead of putting her hormones on hold to be spayed later?

 

[Ilana]

Hi, Shan841, thank you for considering this situation.

I live in Switzerland, on the French border. The breeder is in France. The breeder is experienced and reputable and swears that there is no way the boy can impregnate the Mom until he is eight months old. She also swears by the shot to prevent heat/pregnancy for at least three months. I asked if the shot would make her milk toxic, and she said it wouldn't.

I want very much for the baby and Mom to settle in before I do anything that might upset either of them.

 

[Ilana]

Hi, the reason for my choosing the shot instead of spaying is because I do not want Mom traumatised before she comes to live at my home. Moving houses with her baby will be traumatic enough. I want to supress her heat until her baby can be neutered at the same time as her, after they are all settled in.

 

[Purple Sage]

I agree with shan841. Get the kitten neutered as soon as you can, but no later than 4 months. Neutering early may also help with any aggressiveness, although Oriental Shorthairs are pretty laid back to begin with. Good luck to you and your new family.

 

[Ilana]

Thank you so much for your reply.

I think it is applicable to wild cats rather than my situation.

I am adopting a pure bred Mom and her Son, not looking after feral colonies.

 

[shan841]

Thank you so much for your reply.

I think it is applicable to wild cats rather than my situation.

I am adopting a pure bred Mom and her Son, not looking after feral colonies.

I wasn't referring to feral cats, just homeless. Not any different than your "pure bred"

 

[librarychick]

I would suggest getting the mum spayed right away. At 12 weeks he doesn't need to nurse anymore, and if mum hasn't started weaning him yet she will right away. Once she's done then there's no need to rush with the baby.

Vets in my area simply won't neuter under 5 months for a male.

It might also be a good idea to ask a vet that you trust when you take mum and son in for a wellness check. When you get any new pets it's always a good idea for them to see a vet ASAP, even if they do come from a great breeder. If she really is a reputable breeder she'll be fine with it, or may even suggest a well-check herself.

 

[minikin44]

I would still recommend getting the momma spayed when you get her... 12 weeks is the ideal amount of time for a kitten to remain with its mom in order to be socialized if it's going to leave the momma... yours gets to stay with her. I'm pretty sure he will not still be nursing off of her by the time he's 12 weeks old (most would have kicked the kitten off to eat wet food on its own long before that point) and she will likely have gone back into heat by then too. It's not necessary for the kitten to nurse from the mom for him to continue to bond with her. Also, every time momma cat goes into heat, it increases her odds of getting certain reproductive cancers later in life.

 

[Ilana]

Hello, thank you everyone who replied. I completely agree that random homeless cats should be sterilized at the earliest possible age and not add to the unwanted animal population.

My question was about two pure bred cats that I am purchasing from a reputable breeder, and who will be indoors at all times, a Mom and a baby.

I actually found an answer to my question while I waited for replies --the vaccine we have here in France/ Switzerland is safe for lactating Moms and will suppress heat for 3 months minimum.

After that, baby will be 6 months old and I will have both Mom and baby neutered/spayed at the same time.

 

[minikin44]

Ah, I wasn't talking about random homeless cats... I was talking about cats in general as any cat can get cancer, purebred or not. I'm glad you found your answer, though, and that the shot is safe for the momma kitty.

 

[spotty cats]

How very unusual for a responsible breeder to adopt out an unspayed adult. The kitten shouldn't be homed until 12 weeks, Orientals often 14-16 weeks, which is a fine for the mum to be spayed before placement and she can still nurse afterwards - my retired queens do.

Slinkies are one of the precocious breeds, they can and do breed at 4 months. Yes the shot will control mums heat cycle but I'd want them both fixed asap.