NYC vet/clinic that will spay a pregnant cat?

June 26, 2018 8:43 AM

I inherited a pregnant stray that is less than a year old and one month pregnant. I think spaying her now would be the best option.

The local vet we took her to said she had no chip and was less than a year old. She also had no collar and had been hanging out on someone's stoop for a week. She was very hungry. She's only six pounds. The vet also said she was one month pregnant but would not perform a spay (in case it's not clear to anyone, this terminates the pregnancy. Cat pregnancies last about two months so she's halfway along).

I'd like to get this taken care of sooner rather than later, and I don't have a ton of time right now to look for places to call. Can anyone recommend me a vet or place? I'm in South Brooklyn, but I could go anywhere in Brooklyn or lower Manhattan. I'm fine with paying a couple hundred dollars if I have to, but no more than that.

Finally: I know this is really sad, but unless you are personally willing to take kittens or know someone who will take kittens, please do not post anything about how I should ask around to friends and family and coworkers, Craigslist, etc. to try and find homes for these kittens. The overpopulation problem in NYC is huge, and I see stray cats (including kittens) every day on the walk to the subway that I feel bad about. My social media feeds are constantly deluged by friends trying to get other people to adopt their foster cats and kittens or rescue groups trying to find last-minute homes for cats in kill shelters. Yes, I could take them to a no-kill shelter, but that's just taking up spots for other animals. Also, this cat is less than a year old and only six pounds. I can't imagine giving birth will be risk-free for her. I love animals, and I feel so cold-hearted already.

posted by unannihilated to Pets & Animals (24 answers total)

(I don't have a vet to recommend since I'm not in NYC, but this was what happened with our little cat - she was too thin and weak to really carry the pregnancy. It was sad, but there wasn't a really good option.)
posted by Frowner at 8:58 AM on June 26, 2018

I do not think it is sad or unethical, I think it is fine, and for the reasons you suggest. (Your young underweight cat would probably not have all the kittens survive anyhow.) I'd probably look for a cat vet, or ask a shelter or rescue who they suggest (most shelters will do this to all pregnant cats). It is a slightly higher risk operation, and the later you wait the harder to find a vet for.
posted by jeather at 9:07 AM on June 26, 2018 [5 favorites]

I've mostly had terrible experiences with Brooklyn vets (including Animal Kind and Park Slope Veterinary Center). I had an okay time with Pawsitive Vet. I've heard good things about One Love and Abingdon Square (that one is in Manhattan).
posted by unknowncommand at 9:09 AM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

Hmmm...now that I'm looking at Pawsitive's website again, maybe they don't perform hospital-type services? One Love definitely does, though.
posted by unknowncommand at 9:13 AM on June 26, 2018

You could call the Animal Medical Center and get a referral of a trusted vet closer to you. When I have a medical issue with a pet that my local vet can't address, they are my first call. They are also my local vet's first call. They are awesome.
posted by The Bellman at 9:19 AM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

The people at Crown Heights Animal Hospital are very kind and definitely do in-house spays. Dr Katz did a wonderful job with my (fortunately not yet pregnant, but only five pounds and in heat) little stray. They are, unfortunately, expensive, as a lot of NYC vets are, but perhaps if you call them and explain the situation they might be able to offer a discount? They're easy to get to by subway.
posted by halation at 9:22 AM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

Call the Animal Medical Center at [phone]. If you don't get an answer, ask for help at their appointment line: 212.838.7053. They may be able to help you find a vet close to you who will do the spay/abortion or they may perform the operation themselves. (The AMC is expensive, but it's possible that the operation will be within your budget.) When I had cats and dogs, they were the very best resource for questions like this, and they saved the life of one of my cats once. They're located at 510 East 62nd Street and their zip is 10065.
posted by zarq at 9:23 AM on June 26, 2018

Maybe the ASPCA's mobile spay clinic (they say they take pregnant animals).
posted by pinochiette at 9:49 AM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

unnannihilated, please do not feel badly about this. I agree with you that this is the best decision to make right now and I am a MASSIVE bleeding heart when it comes to animals. The universe keeps sending me cats/kittens and I keep taking them because I love them.

I wish you luck and peace with your decision. Again, it's the right one.
posted by cooker girl at 10:09 AM on June 26, 2018 [9 favorites]

It's possible that the first vet you saw refused to spay because of the increased risk of hemorrhage, complications and recovery in a pregnant cat. At least here in the Midwest, those potentials increase the cost of a spay dramatically. We were in your shoes 5 years ago; a "standard" spay was generally around $150, but spaying during pregnancy pushed the cost to $350+ at multiple clinics. (Our decision isn't your decision of course, but after getting the quotes we opted to wait and find homes for the kittens ourselves after weaning.)

I'm not near NYC so I can't provide specific referrals, but based on our experience, definitely confirm pricing with clinics.
posted by muirne81 at 10:46 AM on June 26, 2018 [3 favorites]

not in nyc, but here a good resource for this would be a vet school. kinda thinking those might be short supply in the city but thought i would throw it out there.
posted by domino at 11:11 AM on June 26, 2018

I can't give specific recommendations but when a good friend of mine had a pregnant stray turn up on her doorstep, she ended up working with Alley Cat Allies' "Feral Friends Network" to find a local person who did TNR, and they in turn recommended a vet who did low-cost spay/neuter. They did not have an issue with the fact that the cat was pregnant. (It was noted afterwards that the pregnancy would probably have killed the cat in the absence of human intervention.) I am fairly certain that Alley Cat Allies is active in NYC.
posted by Kadin2048 at 11:40 AM on June 26, 2018

Little Wanderers, a cat rescue organization in the Inwood and Washington Heights area of Manhattan, would very likely be able to recommend a vet for this procedure. (They have a kitty right now that is having this procedure done, but the post on facebook does not say who the vet is.)

You might be able to contact them by sending a message from their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/littlewanderersnyc/
posted by merejane at 12:43 PM on June 26, 2018

Call the good folks at Tribeca Soho Animal Hospital and tell them what you need. I'm absolutely sure they can do the procedure or advise you on where to go. THEY ARE EXCELLENT.
posted by jbenben at 12:54 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

Now that I posted and hope you are dialing their number, their professionalism is unmatched, and unlike other nyc vets I've been to or simply tried to make inquiries with, they are GREAT about talking to you on the phone and/or having a doctor call you back to see if they are the right office for your need. There is no one else like them in nyc as far as I know (knew, I don't live there anymore...)
posted by jbenben at 12:57 PM on June 26, 2018

(No recommendation, but nthing everyone who said not to feel bad about spay/abort. It's a luxury to rescue a pregnant cat and allow her to go to term. And it means kittens already born won't get homes. I hope you find someone who will do this. PM me if you need someone to contribute to costs.)
posted by ereshkigal45 at 5:01 PM on June 26, 2018 [1 favorite]

I hope you come back and let us know what the result was.
posted by tzikeh at 5:33 PM on June 26, 2018 [4 favorites]

not in nyc, but here a good resource for this would be a vet school. kinda thinking those might be short supply in the city but thought i would throw it out there.

domino, this is a misconception. Teaching hospitals at veterinary medical schools are staffed with highly trained board-certified specialists and have state-of-the-art equipment... and charge accordingly. I'm not sure why people think that going to a veterinary school hospital is like going to a cosmetology school. It's not actually the students doing the diagnosis and treatment, though you may deal with one in the exam room as they learn how to talk to clients.

Also, FYI there are only about 30 veterinary schools in the country! Less than one per state, except in rare cases (Alabama). Animal Medical Center is amazing, as is any Blue Pearl clinic.
posted by SinAesthetic at 4:32 PM on June 27, 2018

I used to volunteer as a fosterer with Hyde Park Cats in Chicago—some of the most intensely committed, cat-adoring, animal-welfare-first folks I've ever met—and I fostered a young tuxedo cat who they had given a kitty abortion/spay. She was little, and terrified of humans, and she lived under my couch for two months. I don't think she would have survived a pregnancy. And then one day came out, hopped onto my lap, and decided she loved being petted. Like a switch had been flipped, she decided she adored humans and trusted us completely. It was wild. She found an adoring forever home shortly thereafter.

My point is: you're doing this lucky little kitty a huge kindness, and you're preventing more kittens in the world who won't necessarily have such great luck (or will take the place of existing cats who need those homes). Go forward with a clear heart.
posted by alycoop at 6:52 PM on June 27, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: A friend of a friend who does rescue work was able to recommend a vet who would do the surgery at low cost. Her appointment is tomorrow. The ASPCA mobile clinics were also quite reasonable ($145 for spay, vaccinations and microchip, no extra charge for pregnant animals), and when I wrote to ask them if there was a cut-off point in the pregnancy after which they would no longer spay, they gave me a number to call to schedule an appointment since time was of the essence. I looked at some private vets recommended by Alley Cat Allies, and they were terribly pricey - $250 just for the spay.

I'm still feeling bad and have been wondering if I should get an x-ray to see how many kittens there are. If it's just one, it would be so nice for her to keep her baby. Even two maybe I could swing. I know it's rare to have so few kittens, but it's my understanding it is more common if the mother is very young, and this one is (7 months to 1 year window, and she is only six pounds).
posted by unannihilated at 8:39 PM on June 28, 2018

Response by poster: I didn't ask about an x-ray, I just dropped her off. I cried the whole way to work.
posted by unannihilated at 6:23 AM on June 29, 2018

Honestly, I know this is so hard, but you've made the right decision. If you feel this cat would benefit from a friend, there are a lot of other kittens and young cats who need homes. A full pregnancy would be very hard on the cat, and she'd quite possibly be too young to even take care of her kittens properly, especially without other cats to help. (Domestic and feral cats generally take care of kittens in a group.) You'd have a 24/7 job taking care of the kittens, plus the cat, plus extensive vet costs, and probably a LOT of heartbreak.
posted by jeather at 8:15 AM on June 29, 2018 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: I just picked her up from the vet's. They said she had an infection in her uterus, and that she and the kittens all probably would have died.
posted by unannihilated at 3:14 PM on June 29, 2018

She's an incredibly lucky kitty to have found you, and you're brave and wonderful for caring for her. I hope you two have wonderful, long, happy lives together :)
posted by alycoop at 10:48 AM on June 30, 2018 [2 favorites]