is there a preferred time for neutering cats? Some of the societies around here seem to want to do it almsot as soon as the cat is born. My vet advised me to wait, I think 6 months but this was a while ago I may be misremembering the exact time. I did this with the first cat (female). My second cat is male and was getting a bit aggressive so I had him done earlier (3 or 4 months?) hoping it would calm him down.
Wouldn't say it calmed him down, but he's gotten quite a bit better the last year or so.
Lisa Simpson
Unregistered
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- Mar 2, 2004
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- 21,960
My cats:
Bogart--neutered at 4-5 months
Buster--neutered at 7 weeks
Banzai--neutered at 20 weeks
Absolutely no difference between them. Buster was adopted from the county animal shelter and they won't adopt an animal out unless it has been sterilized. Bogey came from the Humane Society, and I had to bring him back at 4-5 months for neutering. Banzai is a purebred cat and he came from the breeder already neutered. I can't see any behavioral difference between them. Nor has Buster had any physical problems (to this point anyway) from being neutered early.
Bogart--neutered at 4-5 months
Buster--neutered at 7 weeks
Banzai--neutered at 20 weeks
Absolutely no difference between them. Buster was adopted from the county animal shelter and they won't adopt an animal out unless it has been sterilized. Bogey came from the Humane Society, and I had to bring him back at 4-5 months for neutering. Banzai is a purebred cat and he came from the breeder already neutered. I can't see any behavioral difference between them. Nor has Buster had any physical problems (to this point anyway) from being neutered early.
John Bentley
Critical Thinker
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- Apr 9, 2004
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- 448
I usually recommend that my clients wait until the cat is between 4 and 6 months old before neutering, but only because the anesthesia is safer when they are bigger. All of the old literature saying that castrating male cats at an early age led to urinary blockage has since been disproven. I know of no problems in early spaying of female cats (aside from the increased anesthetic risk, as stated above).
Going by your cat's names, I think I have one of your cats. Bugsy. Because he's a little gangster. You can pick him up anytime.
LostAngeles
Penultimate Amazing
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- May 22, 2004
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- 10,109
Since my last male came fixed, I never knew when to get it done. Females are generally six months, but I had no idea on boys. Now, some shelters do it at six weeks (these were foundlings during kitten season). When I was calling about looking for a vet for my boys, some seem offended at that concept. Like I had nailed their mom and slapped their dog. Not, "Oh no. Some shelters do that, but we don't," but, "*GASP* HOW COULD YOU?!" They'd rather the balls have dropped for obvious reasons.
Suffice to say, when we found they liked to be scratched in a certain area a bit too much and were cleaning a certain area a bit too much, then we could them fixed.
Rolfe
Adult human female
Now I will tell you to have your boy kitten neutered around 5-6 months. But then Rolfe was an entire tom of around 3 years old when I recued him, and he had the most perfect manners of any cat I ever met. And was unbeatable in the non-ped show ring.
My retired senior partner always said, if you want a nice-shaped cat with a good head, leave him a couple of years. And indeed I did leave Caramel until he was nearly two. He was a bit of a thug anyway, I can't see it made any difference. But he is a nice shape.
So, do as I say, not as I do.
Rolfe.
My retired senior partner always said, if you want a nice-shaped cat with a good head, leave him a couple of years. And indeed I did leave Caramel until he was nearly two. He was a bit of a thug anyway, I can't see it made any difference. But he is a nice shape.
So, do as I say, not as I do.
Rolfe.