Peggy W. Larson, DVM, MS of Williston, VT recently made this video in her spay clinic on how to spay a cat in 5 minutes. A group of spay veterinarians worked together on Indian Reservations for several years and perfected this technique. This video would probably be of interest to veterinarians and perhaps a very well trained tech who could discuss the technique with her or his vet. Anesthesia is much more dangerous for animals or humans than the surgery itself. If you can shorten the anesthetic time, you can save lives. Shorter anesthetic time means faster recovery time. A five minute spay does not deplete the cat. Normally spaying a cat takes between 15 minutes and half an hour, depending on the experience of the veterinarian. Every time tissue is touched, varying amounts of inflammation occur. A good surgeon knows that the best protocol is to “get in and get out”. Some veterinary surgeons claim that a larger incision allows them to look at the organs in the body cavity. Sort of an “exploratory” during the spay. Unless the incision was three inches long or longer, the organs cannot be adequately seen. Obviously, smaller incisions heal faster because the body does not have to overcome the inflammatory response caused by excessive handling of the tissues. Smaller is better. Cats will recover much better with a five minute surgery.