what age can kittens be neutered?

Question

I have a 5 month old kitten - He seems to be turning into a teenager - would neutering help him calm down? Also is it safe I would hate him to be in any pain or worse

this will sound stupid - but Cotes de rhones..... how'd you know he was called thomas

Answer 1

Male cats, tom cats, can be neutered, castrated, when they are 6 months or older. The castration procedure is carried out under general anaesthetic. The operation involves the removal of the testicles. There can be several reasons why a male cat has to be castrated. The main ones being it stops them marking territory by spraying urine all over the house and it suppresses their desire to wander and fight.

Medically the cat may only have one testicle descended into the scrotum, the other could be in the abdomen. If this is the case the cat should be castrated as the testicle in the abdomen could become a tumour. A tumour of this type can be life threatening if it spreads to other parts of the body. Unneutered males can be aggressive, in particular with other cats, they can get quite nasty infection from wounds from fighting over territory. They will mark their territory with urine, in the house and outside. This can be very smelly and the odour is very difficult to get rid of. They will also wander off, especially if they sense there is a queen calling nearby.

With both male and female cats, having them neutered, can make them have a tendency to gain weight, with some breeds being more susceptible than others. Once neutered try and cut out the treats, and increase the amount of time you spend playing with your cat, thus making them take more exercise.

Answer 2

There has been research that shows good results for kittens neutered at 7 weeks, so I guess it depends on your vet - some are not so experienced with baby anaesthesia, and they will recommend about 6 months old, which is OK.

The primary reason for neutering is decreasing the number of homeless kittens that unfixed cats will eventually produce.

Secondary benefits include: drastic decrease in the chance of some health problems (e.g., 90% decrease in the chance of prosthate cancer and, ahem, 100% decrease in the chance of testicle cancer); elimination of spraying and wandering (unless those are habbits already ingrained, as happens in old cats - like a year or older), et cetera.

To answer your specific question... My kitten was neutered at a bit over six months. He is almost a year old now. The effect so far have been (and there has been another male cat, a couple of years older, who behaves the same): if by calming down you mean make him less active - no. My cat can play as long as I have patience with him; if I don't give him at least two 20-minutes play sessions, he takes more time, usually from my sleep time (he doesn't really bother me, but he does run around the house).
If by calming down you mean make him less aggressive - yes, he is likely to definitely become so.

And no, he doesn't have any tendency to go fat, at least for now - neither does the other male cat neutered to my knowledge. Of course, in both cases food intake is controlled and there is at least some exercise, and the quality of the food is monitored too.

Overall, my advice is - get him neutered as soon as your vet will allow. You'll get a healthy pet, playful as a kitten and not likely at all to father unwanted babies someplace (even indoors only cats could sneak out somehow, and males would, for a female in heat).

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
what age can kittens be neutered?
I have a 5 month old kitten - He seems to be turning into a teenager - would neutering help him calm down? Also is it safe I would hate him to be in any pain or worse

Answer 4

He is good to go. Mine was done at 5 mths old. A neuter is easier then a spay. He won't be in pain for very long (a day or two) Mine tolerated his surgery well he pretty much came home and acted like nothing happened, he's now a sweet 4 year old. He is the black one in my pic. I see we have some conflicting answers here, I would check with your vet in case they have an age preference.

Comment regarding some answers above. If your cat is using a scratching post and not clawing your furniture then you do not need to have your cat declawed. It is a cruel and inhumane surgery and not to mention it is very painful for the cats. I know you didn't mention it but I just thought I'd put my 2 cents in.

Answer 5

My vet told me 6 months, but when I lived in Phoenix the humane society there would not let any animal out to be adopted unless they were neutered, so the 2 kittens I got in Phoenix were 9 weeks old and 12 weeks old.They are now 8 years old and are absolutely healthy. No problems. The male cats have it easier when they are nuetered. After they sleep off the anesthesia they are pretty much back to normal except for the stiches you would never know anything happened

Answer 6

Yes, 5 months is a good age to do it and he will be a healthier and happier cat as he grows.

The surgery to neuter a cat or dog is not invasive. Only a small slit is made in the testicles, sometimes it is not even stitched. The only difference you will see after the operation is some possible aftereffects of the anesthesia. He will not experience any significant pain.

Answer 7

From 6 months

Answer 8

I think about 6 months of age. Go to the vet or phone him and ask, if you are on a low income you can get them neutered at a discount if you live in the uk.

Answer 9

male cats often go off for a long time, spray everywhere and can get into alot of fight so its best to neuter them also if you don't you can end up with some unwanted kittens on your hands

Answer 10

can can be neutered at around 5month it can depend on your vets and the cat its self
yes neutered will calm him down but it does take a bit of time
yes i have had both my girl and boy neutered i have not regeted. they are so lovely