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. 2020 Jun;22(6):514-520.
doi: 10.1177/1098612X19858800. Epub 2019 Jul 2.

A retrospective internet-based survey of French cat breeders about early-age neutering

Anne-Claire Gagnon  1 , Camille Langlade  2 , Samuel Buff  2 , Emilie Rosset  2
Affiliations

A retrospective internet-based survey of French cat breeders about early-age neutering

Anne-Claire Gagnon et al. J Feline Med Surg. 2020 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse cat breeders' application of and opinions concerning early-age (ie, <16 weeks old) neutering in cats in France.

Methods: This study analysed a retrospective cohort. A web survey was designed for French cat breeders and was published in June 2017 on the Facebook page of Livre Officiel des Origines Félines, the official feline studbook for purebred cats born in France. The early-age cat neutering habits, opinions and expectations of breeders were collected.

Results: A total of 999 breeders returned the questionnaire. Almost half of the breeders (49%) reported consistently requesting neutering of kittens before selling them, 32% claimed that they never requested it and the remaining 19% reported that they inconsistently requested it. When performed, 83% of breeders had kittens neutered at 12 weeks of age; for a large majority of these breeders (94%), the neutering was undertaken on their own initiative. Various reasons for neutering were provided, including the prevention of uncontrolled breeding, short- and long-term welfare benefits for neutered cats, and practical and economic reasons. Reported incidents related to early-age neutering were scarce. Nearly half of breeders who did not apply early-age neutering to their kittens cited a veterinarian's unwillingness to perform the surgery as a cause.

Conclusions and relevance: A large majority of surveyed French cat breeders supported early-age neutering that would occur before kittens were sold, most of the time at the age of 3 months. These breeders reported high satisfaction with early-age neutered cats, with a low number of incidents and accidents reported.

Keywords: Early-age neutering; breeders; internet; kittens; survey.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Main breeds and number of catteries for each represented in this study
Figure 2
Figure 2
Age of kittens when undergoing early-age neutering
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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