kapon day
know before you go
what to expect, more about our procedures, frequently-asked questions
ready for kapon?
age
CATS
Spaying and neutering may be done at any age.
Female cats are best spayed before their first heat cycle, between 4 to 6 months of age. Cats spayed younger than six months old have a 91% reduction in risk of mammary cancer. Cats spayed younger than one year old have an 86% reduction. Mammary cancer is aggressive and fatal in cats, and the risks increase in unspayed cats as they get older.
Male cats are best neutered at the end of puberty, between 6 to 9 months of age. This improves their health greatly by curbing testosterone-fuelled cat-to-cat aggression and other intact behaviour such as spraying urine for scentmarking.
DOGS
Spaying and neutering becomes a lot more complex for older, larger dogs, so it's always recommended to go for kapon in their first year.
Female dogs are best spayed at 6 months of age, before their first heat cycle. The chances of mammary cancer remains at below 1% if spayed before their first heat cycle. After their first heat cycle, that probability jumps up to 26%.
Male dogs are best neutered at 6 months of age. Although there are less serious implications for e.g. cancer development at an older age, intact male dog behaviour can be unpredictable and dangerous in many breeds, especially in households with young children.
general health
Our vet team doesn't require blood tests as long as the age requirement and health status of the individual is fit for surgery.
If pet owners are unsure of their pet's health status, it is recommended to have a CBC (complete blood count) conducted at a clinic two days prior to surgery.
The vet team inspects each individual for obvious clinical signs of any illness that would reduce the safety of the individual during surgery. They may choose to not proceed with surgery if they find anything concerning, such as a runny nose, wherein accumulated mucus can impede breathing while under anaesthesia.
what to expect, more about our procedures, frequently-asked questions
preparing for kapon
use secure crates
ONE CAGE OR CRATE FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL.
THIS APPLIES TO ALL REGISTRANTS, DOGS INCLUDED.
SECURE CRATES AND CAGES ONLY.
NO FABRIC BAGS.
Fabric or bag carriers are not ideal as they may impede breathing post-surgery. A secure metal cage or plastic crate is recommended.
If available, a suitable crate or cage may be rented from the organisers for a fee.
CRATE RENTAL
Small crate
400 php
Large crate
1,000 php
GUIDELINES
pets and fosters
FASTING
No food or water for EIGHT HOURS before going into surgery. Remove access to any food or water during the fasting period.
This is important as many individuals get nauseous under anaesthesia and the vomit reflex may be activated. An empty stomach makes it impossible for any liquid or solids to enter the lungs, and to ensure that breathing is not impeded.
Individuals should not undergo surgery if they haven't been adequately fasted.
HEALTH CARD
A health card shows the vaccination and deworming record of the individual and is important to avoid double-dosing, especially for vaccines.
Kindly have on hand the individual's health card if available. If they do not have one yet, the vet team will issue one after kapon day if needed.
RECOVERY CAGE
Individuals do not have to be isolated before surgery.
After surgery however they require cage-resting, one individual per recovery cage. This prevents them from fighting, since many individuals are aggressive in response to pain, fear and confusion post-surgery. There was a case recently of a cat being placed in a large cage with other cats to rest after surgery. They were unfortunately found half-eaten a few hours later.
Prepare an adequate space for them to recover that consists of their recovery cage, dedicated food and water bowls, fresh bedding and a clean cage cover.
Post-surgery, individuals are in a vulnerable state of weakened immunity. Ensure their recovery area is thoroughly cleaned and fully disinfected. This prevents any bacterial or viral infection.
strays and ferals
SECURE THE INDIVIDUAL
Trap and secure the stray or feral individual ideally for the duration of their fasting period. They may be fed immediately before their eight hours of pre-surgery fast.
For the safety of the individual and everyone else, please use secure crates and cages. Ideally, trap them in their recovery cage to prevent risk of injury while transferring them.
We have had escape cases at previous kapon days due to old, compromised or broken cages - resulting in feral males being set loose in other stray populations, risking physical injuries through aggressive fights, and the spread of progressive fatal diseases like feline parvovirus or leptospirosis.
Doublecheck that the individual is intact. We have had cases of trapped strays (of both sexes) who were found to already have underwent kapon surgery. For males this is obvious via external inspection, but for females invasive surgery is required to determine this. Anaesthesia and surgery have major health risks for individuals. Do not risk this where it can be avoided.
ISOLATION AND RECOVERY
Wear gloves and inspect individuals carefully and thoroughly while they are still calm from anaesthesia, applying antiseptic or anti-bacterial ointment to any wounds if needed.
Document any specific concerning observations in order to track how they progress while being cage-rested.
Observe them keenly during post-surgery isolation and recovery. As surgery weakens the immunity of the individual, be careful to clean and sanitise items that are introduced to their recovery cage, such as food bowls or litter boxes.
During Kapon Day many individuals also receive a vaccination. As with any vaccine, the individual may experience some temporary side-effects such as lethargy and an itchy injection site.
TREATING SKIN CONDITIONS
Our vet team offers ivermectin shots to help address any parasitic conditions. Ivermectin treatment should be followed-up every two weeks as needed, to be effective at eliminating parasites.
post-surgery recovery
cage-resting
In order to prevent the individual from hurting themselves through running, jumping or playing too much, it's crucial to cage-rest them immediately after surgery.
A large cage or a playpen will work well for this, though a large cage will work better for feral or hyperactive individuals. Line the cage or pen with pee pads. Prepare a recovery diet, which may simply consist of wet food with additional multi-vitamins.
Males typically require not more than 24h of cage-resting before they are well enough to be released from their recovery cage. Follow up with 3 days of observation.
Females however undergo a much more intensive surgical procedure, and therefore require a minimum of 4 days' cage-resting. We recommend 7 days of cage-resting, followed up by 3 days of observation.
AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE
Pee pad (S/M/L)
50 / 100 / 200 php
TYPICAL ISSUES TO LOOK OUT FOR
While recovering from kapon, the most difficult and crucial period is the 24h immediately after the anaesthesia wears off. Individuals will experience heightened pain, fear, and confusion, and they will be further stressed by the isolation and restrictions.
Individuals may experience redirected aggression. This is temporary and should subside after 24h. During this time, do not take any liberties with the individual, and always have protective items to shield or neutralise the individual if needed, e.g. a pillow to block attacks or a thick blanket to bundle them up. See this series of posts (1 - 2 - 3 - 4) for an extreme case of redirected aggression in a six-month-old alpha male foster cat.
Individuals may agitate their surgical wound by licking, biting, or scratching at it. This is not typical, but if it starts to happen, take immediate steps to prevent further agitation, by using a recovery suit or a soft or doughnut collar.
observation
For three days after cage rest, continue to inspect as often as possible and watch closely for any symptoms or concerning signs. Where observing worrying indicators such as bleeding, pus, excessive discharge, and foul smells from anywhere on the body, contact the kapon day organisers immediately, or take the individual straight to a vet clinic.
Otherwise, continue to observe the individual's general physical health (especially their poo) and continue feeding a recovery diet as a precaution if you feel it necessary.
GUIDELINES
settling hormones
behaviour change
Males and females will exhibit different behaviour changes in the months after kapon. This varies individual to individual. What tends to be common is weight gain after spaying or neutering. It's recommended to watch their diet in the months after kapon to prevent severe weight gain.
Males may still be able to impregnate a females in heat up to 6 weeks post-kapon. We suggest keeping the males indoors for that duration to prevent this. In the three months after kapon, males will gradually shed their excitable, aggressive behaviours. Behaviours such as territorial spraying may persist, though in many cases this disappears.
Females will no longer experience hormonal shifts that manage their heat cycles. A female in heat that is spayed will no longer be in heat immediately after surgery.
Nursing females will continue to nurse until the babies wean.
Her body will change in the following months to adjust to this. She may need a bit more food than usual to allow for this change. Body shape is likely to change in females that have previously been pregnant. Should any worrying changes occur that include lethargy, vomiting or diarrhoea as symptoms, take her to the vet immediately for a physical assessment.
responsible care
Individuals may change their behaviour suddenly and unexpectedly. Get to know their new patterns and figure out where they might need more support from you.
Should any worrying symptoms arise, as always, take them to their regular vet for a physical check-up.
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