How old should a kitten be before being spayed or neutered?
by Sonia Atamian
(Calgary Alberta Canada)
Hi, I would like to know how old a kitten/cat needs to be before it can be spayed.
Sonia
Hi Sonia…. thanks for visiting and asking. I’ll answer the question in relation to spaying (female) and neutering (male).
I’ll quote from the best cat health book: Cat Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook, Fully Revised and UpdatedCat Care & Health Books).
Neutering
The best time is when the cat is 6 or 7 months of age. By this time the cat’s growth and bone structure are not adversely affected. If castrated before 6 months of age (before development of secondary sexual characteristics} “his penis may remain small”.
Spaying
The best time is at 5 to 7 months of age before the female cat goes into heat for the first time. Sometimes vets do it as early as 7 weeks of age. The vet authors of the above mentioned book say that early spaying does not cause health problems or long term behavioral effects.
Hope this helps.
See Neutering Cats too if you like.
Best
Michael
How old should a kitten be before being spayed or neutered? to cat health problems