When to spay/neuter a kitten?

Question

I have two kittens that are around 15 weeks old. They are brother and sister. I definitely do not want them to breed for obvious reasons. But I need to know at what age should I spay and neuter them. Is there a time difference because of the sexes? Could my female kitten already be in heat? Do males mature faster than females? And does neutering a male kitten help keep him from wandering far from home?

Answer 1

I have just got 2 kittens, brother and sister.  My vet said boys can be neutered at 5 months and girls at 5 and a half months.

Answer 2

Female cats can come into heat as young as 4 months old (ours did).  In the UK, cats are usually spayed and neutered around 6 months old, but in the USA and Australia kittens are spayed and neutered much earlier.  See the link below for more details.

http://www.messybeast.com/earlyneuter2.h...

Call a few local vets to find out at what age they are prepared to perform the surgery.

Neutering and spaying are the best things you can do for your cats' health.  Not only will they be less inclined to wander off in search of a mate, but it will eliminate their chances of developing certain forms of cancer later on in life.

Answer 3

A healthy kitten can be spayed or neutered once it's eight weeks in age and two pounds in weight.

Please don't wait - because kittens can sexually mature as early as FOUR MONTHS which means they could mate which eachother in the next week or so!

Edit: wow Frank S - a YEAR?  Please educate yourself before handing out incorrect/dangerous advice like that.  And to the other response - that's complete BS that it "stunts their growth".  FYI Frank's comments are in reference to this site that lists all the dangers of the outdoors.  He seems to think it's "safe" outdoors for pets - further proof of his lack of knowledge when it comes to cats - http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac...  And as to the fact the only thing you remembered on there is the "sexual molestation" and what you have on your profile, well, frankly it's disturbing.

Answer 4

Best to speak to your vet. Some recommend neutering at 12 - 14 weeks, some at 4 - 6 months. Usually each is considered on a case by case basis.  Yes, the male will be far less likely to roam in search of the ladies, which can often lead to fights and road accidents etc.

Answer 5

about 6 months for both, vet makes final decision. bring in for check up and shots now, vet will set the date.

males are often done later, at about a year, but again, it is the vets call.

female wont usually go into to heat before 6 months.

female mature faster. he cant usauly father before 1 year old.

neutering, if done as a kitten, does help keep him home

edit - here we go again, percy the killer cat. at east you stopped posting about outdoor cats being sexually molested.

i am sorry you did not see the "6 months for both "part. or the "vet makes final decision. " or "bring them in now". i dont see how " males are often done later" is dangerous. as my advice was, bring them in now, the vet will decide.

Answer 6

Kittens can be spayed or neutered between 18-24 weeks, depending on weight. Do not wait till they are much older, you will have problems with the male spraying if he is not neutered before he starts.Once he is fixed he will be more of a home body. I have had a female go into estrus as early as 3 months, and babies having babies is dangerous because she is still growing. So watch her and get her spayed asap.

Answer 7

Yes your female could already be in heat. You should notice funny behavior such as rolling around, cat calling et. Yes you may have both of them fixed at this age. They are fixing them at 8 weeks old even. But I do not suggest you fix the male yet. I have a pet rescue and I have noticed the males I've had fixed at under 6 months old tend to have stunted their growth, but right at 6 months old is a good time to do so to prevent them from starting to spray urine everywhere!

Answer 8

males are usually done when they hit 2 pounds and females between 3 and 5 pounds. it used to be thought that having cats altered at a young age would stunt their growth as it does for puppies but now the studies show that that is not true. Cats are different than dogs when it comes to this. I would have the female done now and then the male as soon as you can afford it. Do not wait until it is a year old as it will have a 6 month start on spraying tom cat urine all over everything. Once they start that then it is tough to get them to stop. (oh and males do not come into heat, they just respond physically to a female in heat, both genders are completely driven by hormones until they are altered)

They will still play with each other and you will have to stop him from suckling her after her spay as you don't want the incision infected or opened. He will continue to do that but it should taper off as he gets older. Most cats do it for comfort, just like a baby sucking its thumb.

So.. to have huge, healthy, happy, long living cats... get them altered, vaccinated, regular vet checks, good food, fresh water, plenty of physical and mental stimulation, and keep them inside.... oh and plenty of love :o)