age for cat neuter/spay
In many parts of the world, due to cultural or economic prohibitions, bitches and dogs are not spayed or castrated unless they have reproductive tract disease. However, in the United States, virtually all bitches and dogs are rendered sterile by surgery at some point in their life. This discussion does not address the societal problem of pet overpopulation. The author feels that animals with no owner or guardian should be spayed or castrated before adoption into a new home as one of many initiatives necessary to decrease the number of dogs euthanized in the United States annually. With current anesthetic agents, anesthetic monitoring equipment, and surgical techniques, it has been demonstrated in multiple studies that bitches and dogs can safely undergo gonadectomy when as young as 6 to 8 weeks of age. The neutering procedure involves removing the cat's testicles. Most male cats reach their sexual maturity at six months of age. Cat owners frequently complain that their kitten's behavior changes. Many begin spraying walls and furniture as they mark their territory, a common behavior at this sexually mature age. They believe this myths in spite of vets and scientific organizations supporting the benefits and safety of early-age spay/neuter. To clarify: Early-age spay/neuter includes both pediatric surgery which happens at 6 weeks to 16 weeks, and spay/neuter done before 5 months of age. Humane Ohio will spay/neuter kittens when they’re eight weeks old and at least two pounds, and puppies when they’re eight weeks old and 2-4 lbs. (depending on the breed). It’s a myth that you can’t spay/neuter kittens and puppies when they’re so young; they actually bounce back from spay/neuter surgery very quickly! Photo: NCAimages / Shutterstock. 1  There are so many cats without homes that some shelters neuter kittens early, at 8 – 12 weeks old, so they are neutered prior to adoption. This is the only way they can guarantee that a kitten will be neutered. 2  Normally, cats are neutered at 6 – 8 months old. While it was common to wait until six months to one year of age, cat breeds seem to recover best if the neutering or spay is performed earlier. Extensive studies show that waiting until a kitten reached adulthood is not always best. During a female cat spay, surgical removal of her ovaries and uterus occurs. There are so many cats without homes that some shelters neuter kittens early, at 8 – 12 weeks old, so they are neutered prior to adoption. This is the only way they can guarantee that a kitten will be neutered. Normally, cats are neutered at 6 – 8 months old. Those of us in the animal sheltering and rescue world usually recommend early-age spay/neuter at 8 weeks of age, or as soon as possible after that. Promoting early-age spay neuter is part of the social responsibility we feel to do all we can to reduce 5,000 dogs and cats euthanized in animal shelters every day. We see the number of puppies and kittens barely 6 months old that come to shelters, suffering from such an early pregnancy.
8 weeks of age.