What are the effects of neutering a young cat?

Question

I want to neuter my kitten who is about 4 months old. I was told that neutering him early will change the way he looks. Like he will have more of a female (rounder) face rather than the more male face (longer snout - the Puma look). I like the male face and don't want to keep it from developing. Is there any truth to this?

Answer 1

The only thing I have noticed in neutering a young cat is no more other young cats. Get him fixed soon :-)

Answer 2

There is some truth to the body development of a male cat that is un-neutered versus a cat that is. They develop a larger head, bigger stance, fatter cheeks.

But you should also take the pros and cons of neutering into account when making your decision:

If you don't neuter:
They have a urine odor that will knock a grown man down
They can develop a spraying behavior
They tend to fight, especially outdoor cats
They can breed, creating that many more unwanted babies
They are more susceptible to testicular cancers
They can often have a more aggressive personality
They will develop the "tomcat" physical characteristic
Surgery risks increase as a pet's age increases

If you do neuter:
They are calmer
Less likely to develop aggressive behaviors
Less likely to develop a spraying behavior
Unable to breed
Risks of surgery decrease with the younger pet
Won't develop testicular cancer at all (cuz they're gone)
Will develop a slimmer head and body
Won't destroy your house trying to get outside to breed : )

It's your choice, just make sure you make an informed decision! Your vet clinic can give you more information.

Answer 3

I really don't think that's true.....it's weird, though.

The changes you can expect from a male after he's been neutered; a calmer cat. Seriously, it calms them WAY down.

A lot of people claim it makes them gain weight, but that's been disputed, as well. My male was getting fat eating dry Science Crap. Now that he's on 2 meals of quality canned food a day, he's losing weight and looking fantastic. And he was neutered over a year ago.

And no, his face hasn't changed.

It's also not true that 5-6 months is the EARLIEST you can have a cat neutered. Early neutering/spaying is becoming more and more common. Some vets and shelters will do the surgery as long as the cat is 8 weeks old and weighs 2lbs. or more.

Answer 4

Exactly--toms have those big tomcat cheeks.
I have a male I adopted who was five when he was neutered and still has those cheeks. I love em, but I wouldn't risk waiting to neuter a cat just for that.
The difference between neutering at 4 months and waiting till 6 months or so would be negligible. The only way to get the full tom look would be to wait until the cat was a year or so old before you neutered him, and as has been mentioned, you don't want all that trouble.
The difference between a longer snout/muzzle on a cat and a short rounder face has more to do with breed than gender.
Just for fun, check out the Cat Fancier's Association website for lots of pics of the different breeds.
http://www.cfa.org
Of course all my four cats are just domestic shorthairs! :)

Good luck!

Answer 5

He will still have the male characteristics just not as dominant as a tom.

From around the age of 5 to 8 months, kittens reach sexual maturity and are therefore capable of breeding and producing kittens themselves! Most people do not have the time or desire to breed from their cat and do not wish to add to the number of unwanted cats and kittens already looking for homes. Neutering a cat - castration in the male (removal of the testes), and spaying the female (removal of the ovaries and uterus) not only prevents unwanted pregnancies occurring, but also curbs unwanted behavioural patterns associated with sexual maturity and reduces the risk of certain diseases.

Castrating a male

Castrating a male is equally important as spaying a female to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Furthermore, entire male cats have a strong tendency to roam, to be aggressive to other males, to fight and to mark their territory by spraying urine (often indoors!) The aggressive behaviour puts an uncastrated male at much higher risk of serious infectious disease such as feline immunodeficiency virus (feline 'AIDS') and feline leukaemia virus , both of which are transmitted through cat bites.

Castration involves removing both testes under general anaesthetic through small incisions into the scrotum. As with the spay operation, withholding food from the previous evening will be required to minimise potential anaesthetic complications, and the kitten can usually go home the same day. Usually the skin incisions for a castration are so small that sutures are not required.

Post-operative care

Cats usually recover from the neutering operation remarkably quickly. They may be a little drowsy for a few hours, but by the next day they are usually very lively again. It is sensible to try to keep your kitten fairly quiet for a day or two to allow the internal wounds some time to heal. However, if your kitten seems unusually quiet or dull you should contact your vet. Also, if your kitten starts to lick or scratch excessively at the skin sutures, contact your vet to get a dressing or special collar to prevent any damage being done to the wound.

It is important to remember that once a cat has been neutered, there is a stronger tendency for it to become obese. You may therefore need to adjust the amount of food you provide should your cat start to put on too much weight.

Age for neutering

A cat can be neutered at virtually any age although it is usually done at 4 - 6 months old. Undesirable behaviour patterns may be more difficult to alter if cats are neutered when they are older. Some vets will undertake neutering in much younger kittens (2 - 3 months old) and this appears to have no adverse effects.

Answer 6

Get it neutered at 5-6 months old (that is the earliest they do it, I know). I've had all mine neutered/spayed and been so glad I did. It keeps the territorialism down, they get along much better, they are easier to live with, they don't fight nearly as much. He will still look male, not female. He's not getting female hormones, just less agressive male ones. Also, you can wait until a year old to do this when he's fully mature and his face has finished growing, but wouldn't it be easier to just "look" at a few Tomcats that are a year old at the Pet Store or Animal Shelter or even friends houses that aren't neutered or we're neutered later?

Answer 7

they could be a minimum of 8 weeks previous and weigh a minimum of two pounds. that's the earliest. no longer all vets will neuter that youthful, so which you would be able to could call around or ask your interior of sight humane society for a reference. The extra undemanding age is 4 to 6 months. each vet i've got ever delt with will neuter at this age. There are no unwell effects, mentally or bodily, linked with early neuter in cats.

Answer 8

Seems like no one yet has ever seen a true tom cat. They get very large at the sides of their cheeks. And believe me their urine has an out-of-this world smell you don't want to have in your house and they don't just put it in the litterbox - they may spray it all over the house.

So you will surely pay a price if you don't get your baby neutered now or at least by six months -- I don't mean seven or eight, six is the outer limit to avoid male tom cat problems.

Answer 9

Neutering your animal will have no effect on the way its face will look. (They are working on the other end. LOL) The younger you have a male cat neutered the better.

Answer 10

I've never heard of this. FIrst, you have to wait til the kittens is at least 6 months old. My cat was spayed at 6 months and there were no problems. I'd ask your vet if you have more detailed questions.