What is a good age to get my kittens fixed?

Question

They're about 20 weeks (4 1/2 months) old. I have a male and a female the same age and litter. I've noticed my male taking more interest in my female lately.. and I'm not sure what age it's safe to have them fixed.. I'd like to have it done as soon as possible, before my male starts becoming teritorial, or my female goes into heat for the first time.

Answer 1

Time to get them fixed is NOW or you will have lots of kittens running around soon.

Answer 2

Get them fixed now. Kittens can be fixed when they are just 2.5 to 3 lbs. Your kitties will be healthier and happier if you get them spayed and neutered, so please do so right away.

"The best time to alter your pet is before the animal reaches puberty. Many experts feel that six months of age is an ideal time to spay or neuter. However, there have been numerous studies done that show that healthy kittens spayed or neutered as young as six weeks of age do quite well. The recovery of such young kittens is very quick, and to date, no negative significant concerns have been found. Spaying and neutering kittens and puppies that are healthy at a very young age is becoming a growing trend that has been endorsed by major humane organizations including the Humane Society of the United States, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Humane Association, and the Cat Fanciers' Association. "

Answer 3

Some vets still insist on waiting until cats are 6 months of age, but more and more are neutering sooner. It's usually safe to neuter/spay cats as long as they're at least 6 weeks old and weigh at least 2lbs. If your male is starting to show some "interest", I'd say it'd be a safe bet to find a vet who will neuter them now.

Keep in mind that neutering/spaying isn't a guarantee that a cat won't ever spray. Some fixed cats will revert to that behavior in times of stress. But it WILL guarantee that you won't end up with unwanted kittens, and it cuts your cats' chances of cancer.

Here's a compelling argument for early spay/neuter:
http://cats.about.com/cs/spayneuter/a/earlyneuter.htm

Answer 4

Please don't listen to the people saying 1 year old, cat's are sexually mature by six months old you could have a litter of kittens before you even thought about getting got them neutered.

At the shelter where i've done some work they will spay a female at 400g and a male at 350g do not wait!

Answer 5

Ask your veterinarian when they would be willing to spay and neuter your kittens. It can be done at any age, but usually the vet will wait until the cat is more developed, as surgery is easier on a larger animal.
There are a lot of reasons to have them "fixed". Spaying (removing the uterus and ovaries from a female) decreases the risk of mammary cancer, while neutering (removing the testicles from a male) removes the risk of testicular cancer.

Answer 6

The female needs to be spayed sooner than the male needs to be neutered. Females can go into heat as early as 5 months.. Males usually can reproduce at 6-7 months. They can both be safely desexed now.

Answer 7

OH NO!! You better get them fixed right away dear .Yep at age 4 months now is time to get them fixed.
Used to be at age 6 'months but not any more .I am a Vol at out local Angels of Assisi clinic and they do the spay /neuter at anywhere from 8 -12 weeks or atleast 4 lbs and have to be healthy ......
Esp.if the Male is interested in the girl!!
Please get an appt with your Vet right away don't hesitate !!
also check to see if their is a clinic nearest you that preforms low cost neuter/spay surgery's.
Look under Angels of Assisi on the web in your area...
ps... i also have only over 13' cats ...as a rescuer too!

Answer 8

Get your babies fixed ASAP, kittens can mate and become preggers as early as 5 months old...I learned this the hard way. My kitten was 5 months old when she literally tore out the dryer vent and escaped the house. She came back 2 days later and now we are expecting babies any day...mind you we didn't want babies but we are responsible pet owners and will take responsibility for the little ones to come. So, if you don't want more little ones around, please get them fixed as soon as possible.

Answer 9

Some vets will fix them at that age. I've always waited to 6 months and one cat I rescued, the vet wanted me to wait until she was a year. Only because she was so small, and she never came into heat before that. So just ask your vet. All the best;^)

Answer 10

These days most vets say you can have them fixed as early as you like. Most cat breeders fix their kittens before sending them to their new homes to avoid people breeding cats that have no idea on heredity and inter breeding, and that haven't paid the extra costs for breeding rights. I bought a kitten and he was already fixed at 16 weeks.