You have to check with your vet because it is up to them and what they are comfortable with, but most shelters and rescues will spay/neuter once they weigh 2 lbs.
What age can you spay and nueter?
We have 2 kittens, Peanut a female who is about 4 wks old and Mack who is a male and is 7 wks old. I won't them both "fixed" as soon as they are old enough. I don't want kittens and I'm hoping to catch Mack before he starts spraying since we rent, I definitely can't have him doing that, not that I'd want him to anyhow. 
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All of the vets I've used preferred 3-4 month at earliest, but I imagine it varies from vet to vet.
Miss M was spayed at approximately 6 months due to health complications. If she had been healthier it would have been 12 weeks. I am a fan of delayed spaying and neutering or not spaying neutering, but because of how young and how often cats go into heat I say get it done as soon as possible. As is we had some calling behavior immediately following the spay, the vet assured me that this was because we got her in right before her first heat. A matter of days later and she would have gone into heat.
I get my kittens desexed (& microchipped) at 10-11 weeks, which is in between their set of 2 vaccines.
It varies based on your vet.
Our rescue group uses a "pediatric spay / neuter" vet specialist. Males must be 2.5 pounds and females 3 pounds.
I personally wouldn't wait any longer than 16 weeks.
Our rescue group uses a "pediatric spay / neuter" vet specialist. Males must be 2.5 pounds and females 3 pounds.
I personally wouldn't wait any longer than 16 weeks.
diotima when she was about six months old. i was told she was already spayed (someone was re-homing her to me from a shelter) but nope. she went into heat and went right to the vet. i would have done it before but they can do it during.
my first cat was already neutered and he was about 2 when i got him, baci was 11 months (i was sick and then i forgot until he started peeing where he shouldn't--but it was weird because he never sprayed. he was puddling) and houdini was when i got him at 20 weeks.
i'd just do it and get it over with. the younger the better with neutering, spaying i'm not totally sure about but my cat has been fine.
my first cat was already neutered and he was about 2 when i got him, baci was 11 months (i was sick and then i forgot until he started peeing where he shouldn't--but it was weird because he never sprayed. he was puddling) and houdini was when i got him at 20 weeks.
i'd just do it and get it over with. the younger the better with neutering, spaying i'm not totally sure about but my cat has been fine.
Wow, reading your responses it struck me how much things have changed!
When I got my first cat, Rosie, in 1981 we had to be sure she was six months old before she was spayed (or until she came into season) and the same with my second cat, Polly, 17 years ago.
With Ruby (whom we adopted last October) as she was between 12-18 months when we got her, they spayed her before releasing her - but I suspect she had already had a litter, although she didn't even seem fully grown.
I have a friend who has had lots of cats over the years and frequently doesn't bother to get them spayed. Her current cat still seems very small but is already expecting! She says she likes them to have at least one litter before spaying - people used to say this years ago (I remember my grandmother saying this) but tbh I didn't want to have to re-home kittens and I think that as pets they are just happier being spayed as early as possible.
When I got my first cat, Rosie, in 1981 we had to be sure she was six months old before she was spayed (or until she came into season) and the same with my second cat, Polly, 17 years ago.
With Ruby (whom we adopted last October) as she was between 12-18 months when we got her, they spayed her before releasing her - but I suspect she had already had a litter, although she didn't even seem fully grown.
I have a friend who has had lots of cats over the years and frequently doesn't bother to get them spayed. Her current cat still seems very small but is already expecting! She says she likes them to have at least one litter before spaying - people used to say this years ago (I remember my grandmother saying this) but tbh I didn't want to have to re-home kittens and I think that as pets they are just happier being spayed as early as possible.
Okay. Thanks everyone. I will be bringing them in when Peanut is 8-10 wks old for their first shots, so I'll ask my vet then when I can spay and neuter. Might look around and see if I can find somewhere that does it for cheaper too though. Seems when I got my last cat, it was spendy. What do you guys pay for spay and neutering?
It's pricey. Boys are cheaper, but it ranges from $75-$125ish here unless you go for the low cost clinics.
i don't know where you are. i'm in denver and i paid $220 for diotima and that was like 14 years ago, i think baci was about $150 or so and that was only four years ago. houdini came that way, but it was like $140 to adopt him with the first round of shots.
i don't know how much it is at the low cost clinic but i'm sure it's much less. they should be fine, just no frills but i would imagine they're competent.
call your local ASPCA or dumb friends league.
i don't know how much it is at the low cost clinic but i'm sure it's much less. they should be fine, just no frills but i would imagine they're competent.
call your local ASPCA or dumb friends league.
Wow! I got Mia at 7 weeks old from the Animal Protective league here in Central Il and I paid a $50 adoption fee. She had her first shots and was spayed at 6 weeks. She has been the perfect cat for me. Very healthy (picky about food though, lol).i don't know where you are. i'm in denver and i paid $220 for diotima and that was like 14 years ago, i think baci was about $150 or so and that was only four years ago. houdini came that way, but it was like $140 to adopt him with the first round of shots.
i don't know how much it is at the low cost clinic but i'm sure it's much less. they should be fine, just no frills but i would imagine they're competent.
call your local ASPCA or dumb friends league.
She turned 1 yesterday.
Okay thanks. I think when I brought my last cat in (a female) about 2 yrs ago, it was around $65.
i know. even though i read all the papers and receipts and such, i've wondered a little about it. the guy who owned "the barkin' boutique" (a dog bakery with a few cat things thrown in there) also was a volunteer for the dumb friends league. it was over here at the pavilions and i went in to buy cat collars. he had brought a lot of the kittens available for adoption and put them in cages around the shop. one of the guys brought houdini over and shoved him in my arms, "LOOK ISN'T HE CUTE!" LOL (i said, "oh i really hate you because now i can't leave the store without him").Wow! I got Mia at 7 weeks old from the Animal Protective league here in Central Il and I paid a $50 adoption fee. She had her first shots and was spayed at 6 weeks. She has been the perfect cat for me. Very healthy (picky about food though, lol).
She turned 1 yesterday.
two things: less than a month later they were giving kittens away, with a waived adoption fee, etc. the girl whose father owns the shop across from them adopted the same week i did and we both went back and said, "little discount maybe?" (no lol) (well can't blame us for trying.)
i realize dumb friends has to stay in business, but there's an animal hospital out by them that regularly runs specials where you can take your cats and get them neutered or spayed for nothing, no questions asked. it isn't all the time but if you catch it right you can get it done, so free adoptions, especially in kitten season, aren't unheard of. (houdini's b.d. was a week ago, he's 2.)
second thing: he's already out of business LOL. well, you know those play cubes you can buy at walgreens for about $6 each? they're just fabric, kind of ugly colors but you can buy a few and hook them together. well, he was selling them for $30 each!!! needless to say, after the first experience, i never went back in that store.
it wasn't really a planned thing, it was totally spur of the moment. normally i would never do something like that, but it just happened. i'm pretty max fund and the cat shelter in lakewood charge considerably less to adopt animals.
cute place, just way overpriced. only there maybe a year: Barkin' Boutique - CLOSED - Northwest - Denver, CO
Kittens shoulld be 3 lbs here to be s/n. FYI Do not let your kittens get vaccinated when they are s/n. Its too hard on their immune system. Wait till they have recovered. Weve had tragic results from doing that.
There are many low cost s/n clinics and they run specials also. Humane Societies generally do reduced price s/n. Check in your area.
do research on the internet and make up you own mind about vacinnating, when and how often. Little Big Cat library has articles on the issue.
There are many low cost s/n clinics and they run specials also. Humane Societies generally do reduced price s/n. Check in your area.
do research on the internet and make up you own mind about vacinnating, when and how often. Little Big Cat library has articles on the issue.
Hmm, I'm getting the controversy about vaccinations? Can you post some links so I can read on it??
Im on my phone & cant copy and paste. Google Little Big Cat library. Do search for the articles on vaccinations that are written by the vet.
More and more vets are pulling back from excessive vaccinating. My vet now just gives the original vacs for indoor cats.
More and more vets are pulling back from excessive vaccinating. My vet now just gives the original vacs for indoor cats.
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