Is it okay to neuter a cat with feline leukemia? What are the risks?

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sounds like Norbert has a great home. One question I always have is, was only one test performed? There can be false positive tests and some cats can get exposed to the virus and fight it off, thus becoming negative over time. A repeat test is advised 30-60 days after the first positive test to assess the leukemia status again. If that one comes back positive, a confirmatory test is usually advised. I would just keep him as happy and as healthy as possible. Follow your vets advise on preventive health care although, I would not be a fan of yearly vaccinations for a cat with feline leukemia. I would get him on a 3 yr vaccine schedule as soon as you can. The initial vaccines are usually good for one year but then you have an option to go to a 3-year protocol. I would keep him dewormed regularly to make sure he doesn't develop problems with intestinal parasites. If appropriate, make sure that he has an effective flea product on also. You want to keep him as healthy as possible. One other thing, when you notice any problems with him, get him seen right away due to his leukemia status. Early intervention will help him battle things that may come up like respiratory infections, urinary problems, etc. Good luck with Norbert

How lovely of you to bring him Cactus! Even though he's not showing behavioral signs now, it doesn't mean that he won't start spraying to mark his territory and want to go outside to roam. Also intact male cats tend to be poor groomers, causing them to become matted and scruffy-looking. On the other hand, neutered male cats tend to pay more attention to themselves and keep themselves clean. I think having him neutered would be a good idea. Best of luck.

Poor guy. You need to get him to a vet right away to have these areas flushed and then get him on a short course of antibiotics to prevent infection. Animal bites are notorious for getting infected because loads of bacteria live on pets teeth, which then migrates underneath the skin during the bite. Neutering your pet during this healing process is not an ideal time to do this; although, if your vet doesn't mind doing a quick snip at the same time to save from having to do two procedures, then go for it. I have seen several vets who will do this to help the owner out with expenses, plus a cat neuter takes literally 5-10 minutes to do. A neutered pet is less likely to get into so many fights outside, so there is an advantage to doing this right away.

Oh dear! I hate to disagree with your vet, but there's no evidence whatsoever that breeding is good for a cat's health. In fact, it opens them up to a much higher risk of disease and injury - so I would recommend having him neutered now, rather than waiting. If your current vet doesn't want to do the procedure, I would suggest checking with another vet in your area to see if you can find someone who will go ahead and neuter him. At 5 months old, he's plenty old enough to go ahead and have the surgery.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It would be safe to proceed as long as they are doing well based on the assessment of the veterinarian. I would keep the appointment and have your veterinarian proceed with an examination and determine if it would be safe to proceed with the procedure or not. I would say that if they are improving and doing well for the most part then it should be ok to proceed with the procedure. Good luck and have a great day!

Hello. There is belief that neutering a very young kitten (2-4 months of age) which is commonly done now may limit the size of the urethra and make it easier for a urinary blockage to occur if the cat has infections or cystitis. Your year old cat has already grown as much as he is going to and neutering him now will not change anything with his development. The benefit of neutering him is to reduce his desire to mark territory in the House by yeinating on it. The odor of his urine would also be much less intense and that can be a positive for an indoor cat. Neutering him at this age should not have any detrimental effects. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Great question, and good on you for wanting to get Lucchese neutered and vaccinated! Feline core vaccines include FVRCP (feline distemper combo) and a Rabies vaccine. If he is an outdoor cat, the FeLV vaccine (feline leukemia) should be considered. You can get him vaccinated at the same time as getting neutered, so I would make an appointment with a local vet to get these procedures done. I hope this helps!