# How will my kitten's behaviour change after spaying?



## catlady88 (Dec 9, 2016)

At the moment my four-and-a-half month old BSH attempts to bite/attack after 10 seconds of stroking or grooming. 

What are your experiences of having your kitten spayed/neuteured? How much do they calm down and are they any less sensitive to touch? I'd really like to be able to groom her and give her strokes! :Cat

I read that young cats have high hormonal levels that can cause them to get over stimulated from touch. I'm hoping that things will change!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

It does sound as though your kitten is being overstimulated by touch...If this is something fairly new in her behaviour then it could be partly or entirely due to her approaching sexual maturity. Behaviour often does change around this time.My female kittens have always become calmer, more even tempered after spaying.

At 4.5 months she is at the right age to be spayed, and many vets are now spaying at this age, so I would go ahead and book her in for the op after Christmas. It is likely to take a few weeks after the operation for her hormone levels to settle down.


Bear in mind that she may be a cat who prefers limited strokes. One of my past BSH female cats was the same. She always preferred having her head rubbed than her back stroked, and I used to let her come to me for fuss, rather than me going to her.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

Have you asked your breeder the general temperament in her cats? Could be common in your kittens line, or also lack of socialising. None of our entire cats have been bothered by being stoked, cuddled, or get over stimulated.


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## catlady88 (Dec 9, 2016)

spotty cats said:


> Have you asked your breeder the general temperament in her cats? Could be common in your kittens line, or also lack of socialising. None of our entire cats have been bothered by being stoked, cuddled, or get over stimulated.


The breeder said they are cuddly and she's been breeding for eight years with happy cats. Perhaps it is a lack of socialisation. She has two children but I never saw them once when I visited the kittens on two occasions. The mother cat was very social and came over with her tail raised and doing the usual blinking at us and walking around our legs quite merrily. The father wasn't bothered to see us and was in another room.

Strangely, the first month we had her she was on my lap and liking touch, but now she doesn't like it.


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## catlady88 (Dec 9, 2016)

chillminx said:


> It does sound as though your kitten is being overstimulated by touch...If this is something fairly new in her behaviour then it could be partly or entirely due to her approaching sexual maturity. Behaviour often does change around this time.My female kittens have always become calmer, more even tempered after spaying.
> 
> At 4.5 months she is at the right age to be spayed, and many vets are now spaying at this age, so I would go ahead and book her in for the op after Christmas. It is likely to take a few weeks after the operation for her hormone levels to settle down.
> 
> Bear in mind that she may be a cat who prefers limited strokes. One of my past BSH female cats was the same. She always preferred having her head rubbed than her back stroked, and I used to let her come to me for fuss, rather than me going to her.


My plan is to book her in after Christmas. I hope that she calms down a bit and lets me groom her!!! :Shamefullyembarrased I wanted a cat that would let me love her. :Grumpy


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Have you spoken with the breeder about this recent change in your kitten's character? Under some circumstances breeders of pedigrees will offer to take a kitten back if the purchaser is not happy with them. But remember that a kitten's character can go through changes before they are fully grown adult cats. I have never found kittens (including my previous BSH) to be as cuddly and affectionate as they become when adult cats.


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## catlady88 (Dec 9, 2016)

chillminx said:


> Have you spoken with the breeder about this recent change in your kitten's character? Under some circumstances breeders of pedigrees will offer to take a kitten back if the purchaser is not happy with them. But remember that a kitten's character can go through changes before they are fully grown adult cats. I have never found kittens (including my previous BSH) to be as cuddly and affectionate as they become when adult cats.


After many emails back and forth with the breeder, she isn't willing to take kitty back. I'm worried that kitty may not change afer being spayed and we won't be suited to each other. I'm not expecting a cuddly teddy bear, but I would like to groom her - for her sake and mine! I had a cat before and she loved strokes and groom time.

I'm going to be patient and see how it goes.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

I think that's the best thing - be patient and see how things go.  

My BSH girl got off to a very slow start with showing affection. I was not used to that as I had always had very affectionate cats before her, so I took it for granted all my kittens would be like that. I used to sit on the floor for hours and pull a length of string slowly towards me and over my legs, and if she approached me I would put treats on the floor for her. I never reached for her but waited until eventually, after weeks she got onto my legs and rubbed her face against me.

She turned out to be the most loyal and affectionate adult cat I've ever had, and with such a sweet nature. I missed her terribly when she died (of CKD at age 18). Mind you she never liked being groomed throughout her life, but it had to be done as both she and her brother moulted constantly the whole year round!


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