From: colli_c@aelle.cs.odu.edu (Catherine Collingwood)
Subject: Re: Spaying cat? HELP!
Organization: Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va
Date: Sun, 8 Nov 1992 20:22:58 GMT

In article <1992Nov8.032113.15373@galileo.cc.rochester.edu> barlow@prodigal.psych.rochester.edu (Rebel) writes:
>Hi! I am new to this group and a relatively new cat owner :-) Zeb is 
>approximately 8 months old and we got her from a shelter at 2 months old.
>I really love her a lot and have been having some trouble reconciling
>myself to the idea of having her spayed. It seems to me as though everyone
>just expects that you will have this done to your cat and I am really not
>sure.  Zeb is an inddor cat, very "outspoken" as the vet says and very
>playful. (yes my cat fetches too!!) I am very afraid that this operation
>will take away her energetic manner and make her docile....which is NOT
>what I want...I like her fiesty and mean :-) Books and vets always talk
>about how this will make your cat more friendly and cuddly...my reaction
>is "so will a lobotomy". I also feel as though this is unnecessary surgery
>and will be traumatic for Zeb and I feel as though I am taking away a part of
>her for no reason and that I am betraying her when she can't give her consent.
>My fiance says that if we keep her as a house cat its not fair to burden her
>with the sexual frustration and that spayed cats live longer and are healthier.
>I really need some advice from cat lovers...did your cats' personaliity
>change following spaying? was it really traumatic for you and the cat?
>Am I being silly?  Are spayed cats healthier/live longer? Has anyone
>else felt this way? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
>Jen (mommy to Zebulon, 8months)

Well, Mouse, the kitty who owns me, actually got -more- playful after we
had her spayed.  She did get a little more cuddly too, but to be quite
honest no one noticed much of a change at all when we had her spayed.  She
is still the same mercurial cat.
The biggest difference is that Mouse, who is also a house cat, used to 
try and explore the great outdoors whenever we would open a door.  Since
we've had her spayed, she slipped out once but turned around and came back
in.  I guess that the part of her nature that might lead her to take off
was affected either by the spaying or the partial declawing we had done
at the same time.  Personally, I don't mind this particular effect.  Even
if she had her claws our neighborhood is rough and I doubt she'd survive.

It doesn't do much toward hunting tendencies, though.  So far she's killed
crickets that have found their way inside.

I'd suggest going ahead with it.  Spayed cats are somewhat healthier since
they don't have to deal with such things as ovarian/reproductive tract 
problems and in some cases urinary tract problems also decrease.  I'm not
a vet so I can't say beyond that with any authority.

Good luck with Zeb!

--Lady Firebird

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Catherine G. Collingwood           colli_c@xanth.cs.odu.edu
aka Lady Firebird        NCSSM '92            Farmville, NC
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"As we see ourselves, so we act; as we act, so we become."
                                      --Hubbard