2006-09-05 07:14:00 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Cats
Earlier is better.
A male that is neutered early is less likely to develop the habit of spraying to scent-mark his territory.
Spaying a female before she reaches sexual maturity eliminates the risk of mammary cancer, the number one cancer killer of female cats with developed mammaries.
2006-09-05 08:08:51 · answer #1 · answered by Mick 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Four to five months is the best time. Don't be put off by a vet who tells you you have to wait until six months. Most clinics will do it earlier. The Winn Feline Foundation did a long-term study on early spay-neuter and found that doing it as early as two months had no adverse effects.
People get taken by surprise when a female kitten has her first heat at five months and either gets pregnant or drives them up a tree with her yowling. Males who have not gone through the surge of testosterone associated with adolescence are not going to spray later in life.
2006-09-05 14:24:05 · answer #2 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Our kittens were fixed at 6 months of age, but others were done sooner, without any harm to the cat.
2006-09-05 15:20:16 · answer #3 · answered by Tigger 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It differs Vet to Vet. Some will do it as early as 8 weeks and others choose not to until 6 months. They are finding that the likelihood of spraying is minimized when it's done sooner and they heal faster. They say this also affects the 'softness' of their kitty looks that would normally change as they age.
2006-09-05 15:31:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They don't have to be as old as 6 months anymore, and 6-8 weeks is WAY too early. 3-6 months is the usual timeframe.
(There is no scientific proof that neutering/spaying causes a cat to gain weight any faster than its unaltered counterparts, regardless of the timeframe. It's best to get it done BEFORE the cat reaches sexual maturity.)
2006-09-05 14:21:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It use to be about 6 months but now they are recomending 4 months old. Each vet may have their own prefference but about 6 months old is a good age, because they are not quite sexually mature at that point.
2006-09-05 14:20:52 · answer #6 · answered by Lady 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I have always heard about six months, although sometimes the vet does it earlier. Not 6-8 weeks, though. At that point they should just be weaned!
2006-09-05 15:26:27 · answer #7 · answered by americanwoman22309 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
6 months old
2006-09-05 15:02:44 · answer #8 · answered by btlrboyz 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Six to eight months. Some vets recommend getting them fixed after their first heat cycle.
2006-09-05 14:22:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
At least when its 6 to 8 weeks old spay her
2006-09-05 14:20:02 · answer #10 · answered by daugtherofmerlin 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋