Hi Reg. That’s a tough decision, and the answer will depend on how severe the heart disease is and the perceived risks of anaesthesia as well as the estimated lifespan. I apologise that only the vets who are managing your cat will be able to give you accurate advice.

We adopted our first cat, a Persian Ragdoll 3 months ago after he was rescued. We took him to a vet, the next day after bringing him home, for vaccines and a general check up.

He was estimated by the vet to be about 9 months old. He was found to have ear mites, fur mites, a retained testicle and stage 3 heart murmurs. Subsequently, he was diagnosed with Aortic Valve Insufficiency after an echocardiogram.

We had planned to neuter him from the very start. At first, it was to avoid undesirable behaviours. Then it became apparent that it was the best for him, so as not to risk developing tumors in the retained testicle. From physical examinations, the vets were unable to determine where the retained testicle was.

We are torn between putting him through the castration surgery and risk losing him now due to the anaesthesia risks involved due to his heart disease. Or just let him enjoy his life to the fullest, without having to go through surgery to avoid a tumour which may not even be there by the time his heart gives up. What should we do? Really appreciate your advice.

Hi Mama. That’s so unusual that I have never seen or heard of anything similar, which leads me to wonder if the diagnosis was only suspected or confirmed in some way (like cardiac ultrasound or post-mortem examination). Without that, for something so rare that seemingly escaped detection three times, I wouldn’t be making too many conclusions as there could be another explanation. However, the article you’ve just read is an excellent way to get an early warning sign. But remember too that when a cat is taken to the vet subtle breathing problems become quite obvious with the addition of stress and so I struggle to see how it would’ve been possible to miss cardiac disease.

I care for several outdoor ferals through out my town. I work a coalition to have the spayed and neutered and receive ALL their vaccinations. They are then released back to their outdoor families. I also build small approved houses and place them in out of the way places. We change the hay and spray once a month. My issue is. Taking in 3 brother cats to be neutered and they all died from a congenital heart disease. So unexpected?! How could they not know? Im not the vet. Im a foster care giver.

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