When should I get my cat neutered?

Question

My cat is 4 months old. I have heard several different things about the age a cat should be. I want to get him neutered before he sprays. The local vet says 6 months, but one of my friends told me to get it done now. There is another cat that hangs out at my back door (sliding glass doors) and my cat is constantly at the door meowing back and forth with this other cat. Does this mean he will try to mark his territory earlier? What is the best age to have this done?

Answer 1

Well, believe it or not vets are of two minds on this issue. Historically, we always did spays and neuters at 6 months, which is about the age of puberty in cats and dogs. It was believed that doing the surgery earlier would cause problems. Recently, (like in the past 10 years or so), several vets have started doing early spay and neuter - as young as 10-12 weeks! These vets have noticed some things. 1- they seem to recover better than those done later 2 - they are a little harder to do because you're working with smaller parts in a smaller space 3 - the problems they were expecting didn't seem to materialize, but they're waiting to see if it shows up when a larger number of these early spays and neuters are done. Some people believe that there might be long term effects of early neutering we haven't found yet. Nowadays, you only find this done in certain shelters and vet schools, so there isn't enough data to make a convincing argument to switch the whole profession over to early spay/neuter yet. It might happen soon though. One of my professors in vet school was a big proponent of it. If yours is an early bloomer, he may start to spray before 6 months of age. In that case, I often bump up the proceedure and do it right away. I myself have done several spay and neuter operations at 4 and 5 months of age without any problems - yet. I haven't done any at 12 weeks though. Neutering would be much more difficult then because the testicles haven't descended. As long as they are palpable, I feel relatively comfortable removing them since puberty is not at a definite age anyway.

Answer 2

cut back interior the male hormones after neutering does not reason hair loss. i do no longer understand the place you heard this in spite of the undeniable fact that that isn't any longer authentic. truly neuters often have extra coat. they have an inclination to get a thicker undercoat so they seem fluffier. a minimum of that's what I hear from people who teach some breeds the place it truly is an argument. & now and returned intact toms can look extra greasy. especally around the tail -- that is called "stud tail" . the main factor effect of neutering to the male cat's physique is the shortcoming of the "spines" on the penis. and the loss or cut back of the thick "stud jowls" (face padding) that some unneutered toms have. in the event that they have been over 2 yrs outdated or so whilst neutered they do tend to maintain thicker pores and skin on the neck. yet at last the jowls bypass down. yet differently that hormones impression coat is in woman cats, that once a being pregnant , thequeenoften sheds plenty yet it is common and it grows returned in a pair months. There are different hormones that do effect the coat and make it look undesirable in spite of the undeniable fact that that isn't any longer appropriate to neutering yet using ailment like hyperthyroid or diabetes. You shouldnt sense accountable for having him neutered and making him sense much less pushed to bypass mate and combat and in line with threat finally end up catching illnesses or getting wounds and infections from battling. ( and not being neutered often additionally leads to spraying urine interior the homestead to mark territory) . and youthful male cats are the class of cats maximum probable to be hit by way of automobiles, whilst they are roaming chasing women people. to no longer point out he now avoids particular varieties of maximum cancers. truly, you probably did the suited suited element.

Answer 3

6-8 months. I just got my cat nueterd 2 days ago and he is almost 7 months old. Trust the vet, your cat will be fine getting neutered a little later. Plus, after the surgery they act like their normal selves, not depressed like when they get vaccines. They don't even know what happens when they undego this sugery, nothing really changed that much o nthe outside.

Answer 4

Well, if you look at kittens in the pound, they are pretty young. But all of them are spayed or neutered. It is best to get the cat neutered as soon as you get it. When we got our cat, and did not get it neutered, it got killed by a car because it ran away to find a girl kitty. Even though the cat is right by your house, it would be best to get it neutered. Even if your cat does not get hurt, the person who owns the other cat might not want kittens.

Answer 5

I adopted a kitten who had been neutered at 8 weeks. He's perfectly healthy plus NO wandering, fighting or spraying. Go ahead and get it done.

Answer 6

If you recieved your cat from the humane society he or she should be neutered or spaded But it to the vet just incase it could be something else

Answer 7

It is probably best to get your can neutered young, so that you don't get blamed for all twelve of your neighbors cats. Also, this way, your cat won't be scarred for life.

Answer 8

I agree with the other 2 answers wait another couple of months then have it done.

Answer 9

vets alwasy did my dogs in the first six months before they have the episode

Answer 10

7 months shold do it my cat has had it done and is perfectly fine