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Caring for Cats : How Much Does it Cost to Get a Cat Spayed?

The best time for your furry friend to be spayed or neutered is before she feels that first heat. Now, this varies depending on your pets breed and living conditions.

But frequently, cats experience this when they are 5 or 6 months old. To be sure, though, its best to talk to your veterinarian.

Price-wise, a neuter surgery costs less for cats that have not experienced their first heat since the procedure is much easier. The spay procedure gets more complicated if the female cat is in heat or pregnant.

What Happens During The Surgery

The surgical process for males and females is a little different. First, both cats will receive sedation to fall into a deep sleepthey wont feel a thing.

In males, there is no need to go internally. They will be given a general anesthetic beforehand. Vets make a small incision in the scrotum and remove each testicle.

In females, vets have to make an incision and work inside of the body to remove ovaries, uterus, and reproductive tract. So, the process is a bit more extensive, and the recovery is a bit longer for female felines.

What Complications Can There Be With Spaying

The biggest complications associated with spaying come from the potential weight your cat can gain, which in turn can lead to serious health conditions. Diabetes and joint disease are both linked to obesity in cats, while sedentary or indoor cats can end up with digestive issues due to a lack of movement and lots of time spent grooming themselves.

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When Should I Have My Cat Spayed Or Neutered

The commonly recommended time to get your cat spayed or neutered is before they reach sexual maturity at around 5-6 months old. Cats can also be spayed and neutered when theyre 6 weeks or older.

You may have heard that its best to wait until a female cat has had her first heat before you get her spayed, but veterinarians now agree that this isnt the case.

Every cat is an individual, so its best to book your cat in for an overall health check and examination before you arrange their surgery. Your vet may want to take a blood sample, and they will be able to recommend the best time for your individual cats surgery based on their health and circumstances.

What Is Spaying And Neutering

How Much Does It Cost To Get A Cat Fixed

Lets get the basics out of the way.

Spaying and neutering refers to the surgical procedures that permanently sterilize your pet. These common operations will prevent your cat from getting pregnant or from impregnating other cats. You dont want one ill-fated midnight rendezvous in your front yard to lead to an unexpected litter of kittens, now do you?

For female cats, spaying involves the vet removing both ovaries and the uterus. For male cats, neutering involves the removal of the testicles. Thats how you close the kitten factory down for business.

Now take a breath. We know this stuff is pretty intense.

Spaying and neutering are both routine and safe procedures, especially for younger cats. Lemonades favorite veterinarian, Dr. Stephanie Liff, spays and neuters dozens of cats a year at her New York veterinary practice.

While we do this procedure regularly it is important to remember every surgery is serious to that family, Dr. Liff says. So while routine and easy , we monitor closely and take extra precautions to keep everyone safe.

Spaying or neutering can help reduce the risk of your cat developing destructive behaviors and potentially life-threatening medical conditions, such as: different types of cancer, bacterial infections, and viruses. More on that later.

Yeah, were cute until we throw up on your pillow

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Low Cost Cat Neutering/spaying Service

There are also other spay/neuter services that offer their surgeries for $10 only if you qualify their requirements.

Spay & Save helps those who cannot afford to pay for the spaying or neutering of their cat through a private veterinarian.

Spay & Save serves the greater Portland/Vancouver metro area, including the following four counties: Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas or Clark County.

Cat owners who are receiving one or more of the following forms of government assistance qualify for Spay & Saves $10 cat spay or neuter:

  • Medicaid

Is Getting My Pet Spayed Or Neutered At A Clinic Cheaper Than Getting It Done By My Vet

Yes, its typically cheaper to go to a clinic than it is to go to a vets office for a spay or neuter procedure. This is because clinics tend to rely on state programs or donations to help cover their costs, while a vets office might handle all of those costs themselves.

Clinics and vets offices arent the only options though: Some pet stores offer spay and neuter procedures. The services at those locations, as well as the associated costs, may vary. Check with your local pet store to see if spaying or neutering your pet is an option there.

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How Can You Pay For Spaying Or Neutering Your Cat

Having your cat spayed or neutered can feel like an overwhelming expense, but the right pet insurance coverage could help take the bite out of hefty vet bills.

In addition to our base policy, which covers your cat for accidents and illnesses, Lemonade pet insurance also offers a Kitten Preventative care package, designed especially for young cats. This coverage can help pay for things like: spaying and neutering, microchipping, and their first rounds of vaccinations. Although they cant express it in words, your kitten will be grateful for setting them up for a long and healthy life. Your wallet will thank you too.

Why Does My Neutered Cat Still Look Like They Have Testicles

Female Cat Spayed within 10 minutes: Ligature technique

When a cat is castrated, the testicles are removed but the scrotum isnt. This means sometimes they look like they still have testicles after their operation. Over time the scrotum will shrink and become less noticeable. If you notice swelling or redness in your cats scrotum after their surgery, contact your vet for advice.

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Advantages Of Spaying Your Cat

There are many advantages to spaying your cat. Here are some of the most important:

  • Population control

  • Reduced risk of reproductive disease

  • Eliminating heat cycles

  • Behavioral advantages

Shelters and rescues are full of homeless cats, and feral cat populations in America cause problems for wildlife. Spaying your cat will prevent her from contributing to the cat overpopulation problem . Plus, pregnancy can be accompanied by costly, potentially dangerous complications for your cat.

In terms of health advantages, spaying your cat drastically reduces her risk of mammary and uterine cancer. It also prevents reproductive disorders like uterine infection , uterine rupture and torsion, metritis, and cystic changes. These conditions can be fatal and are not always treatablebut they are preventable, via spaying.

Health benefits of spaying aside, cat heats come with their own problems. Intact female cats are more likely to wander outside where they are exposed to other cats, cars, wild animals, fights, diseases, and injuries. Although cats do not generally have vaginal discharge during their heats, theyll often display behaviors that some owners find irritating, like increased meowing and howling. An intact female cat may go into heat as often as once per month.

Spaying And Neutering Benefits Indoor And Outdoor Cats

Indoor-only cats do live longer lives than indoor/outdoor cats. But if you choose to let your kitty outside then it is even more important to have them spayed and neutered. Aside from also extending their life span, they will fight less, have a decreased chance of cancers, and will not be contributing to the cat overpopulation problem.

You also wont have to worry about your female coming into heat. The process of going through a heat cycle is stressful on a female cat’s mental and physical state not to mention your own. It can create anxiety and periods of extreme vocalization that may stress out you, your family, and any other animals in the home. In the same way, a male cat that is intact may become stressed if he smells a female in heat nearby. He may vocalize, spray urine, and become aggressive to other cats in the household.

Spaying and neutering helps to make sure that your cat lives a longer, happier, and healthier life.

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Before Your Favorite Feline Goes Under The Knife Get The Facts

Your kitten is practically perfect in every way, so why should they need to go under the knife to get fixed?!

When you adopted your cat, you probably didnt imagine that a few months later they would need surgery. But trust us, getting your kitten spayed or neutered is one of the best things you can do for your kitty, and for the domestic cat population as a whole.

Around 80 percent of cat parents in the United States choose to spay/neuter their cats, usually within the first six months of their cats life.

Having your kitten go through any medical procedure can be stressful for a cat parent not to mention put some serious stress on your wallet.

Well take you through the what, where and why of spaying or neutering your cat, so you can keep calm when you drop your sweet kitty off at the vet and when you get that bill.

Heres what well be covering:

What Is The Average Cost To Spay A Cat

Differences Between Neutered &  Un

The cost to neuter a cat, both male and female cats, can range anywhere from $115 to $300. Some veterinarians charge more because they perform a blood test prior to the treatment to ensure that your kitten or cat doesnt have any liver or kidney problems and using an aesthetic wont be harmful to them.

A cat spay cost/neuter operation at a private veterinarian might cost anything from $200 to $400. You also have the option of taking your cat to a less expensive clinic. Typically, these are run by non-profit organizations, and all surgeries are carried out by licensed vets. Youll most likely be able to take your cat home the same day theyre treated.

The cost to get a cat spayed depends a lot on the country and the veterinarian. Usually, in Spain, spaying a cat costs between 30 and 60 euros. Municipalities sometimes run ongoing and outreach campaigns in which veterinary clinics may offer discounts.

If you are curious, the price of castration is from 75 to 150 euros.

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How Old Should My Cat Be Before Spaying Or Neutering

Some people dont know when their cats should be surgically sterilized. This confusion has led to more unintended cat pregnancies. Female cats can go into heat as young as 4 months old, but the average age is 6 months of age. This means that as young as 6 months old, your female cat can get pregnant.

Male cats reach sexual maturity between 4 and 8 months of age. As young as 4 months old, your male cat could start to reproduce.

Early spaying and neutering are promoted by shelters and rescue groups to guarantee that adopted pets wont reproduce. Most pet adoptions are only done once this procedure has been completed. This surgery can safely be performed on pets as young as 68 weeks old. As soon as they reach the proper weight, which is normally 2 pounds, they can be altered. Animals in rescue are spayed and neutered as soon as possible so they can go on to find forever homes.

A standard spay or neuter surgery for your pet should be performed when they are 56 months old. Waiting until after the cats first heat cycle, when they are 812 months old, is a belief that has been a cause of many unintended pregnancies and unwanted kittens. The surgery can be performed at this age and older, but the risks for health problems and reproducing increase as the cat gets older.

Spay Home Recovery Kit

Prepare ahead of time for your cats spay. This will make things easier for you on the day of, and keep things as calm as possible for both you and your cat. Your spay home recovery kit should include the following:

  • Elizabethan collar

  • Clean, dry bedding

  • Easily accessible food and water

  • Clean litter box

  • A closed-off room where your cat will be calm

The most important thing you can do to prepare for your cats spay is choosing a location where she will be calm and where you will be able to observe her. Make arrangements for outdoor cats to spend time inside for their recovery. If your cat likes to hide, consider enclosing her in a room where you can find her easily.

As you set up your cats recovery room, be sure to provide clean, dry bedding, as damp and/or dirty bedding increases her risk of contracting an infection. Be sure to also include a clean litter box and fresh water, and remove any toys that encourage exuberant play.

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When Should You Desex Your Cat

There are varying opinions about when is the ideal time to desex cats. It is often recommended to spay female cats before they get into heat, in order to avoid the nightly cat howling to call potential partners for reproduction. In rare cases, this behaviour of night howling can become a permanent behaviour of your cat.

Generally, it is recommended to desex your cat just before its maturity, at around five months of age and before a female goes in heat for the first time. However, some cats go into heat before they are five months old, therefore some vets will recommend desexing at an even earlier age.

A female cat can be desexed while she is in heat, but the operation is more complicated and recovery can take a bit longer. During the heat cycle there is an increase in blood flow to the reproduction organs, which are removed during the operation. The increased blood flow can cause strong bleeding during the operation, which adds another level of risk.

Cats can put on weight after desexing. This is because the cat is less active, and therefore it uses less energy. Food intake will need to be adjusted according to the cats energy use in order to prevent it from becoming overweight.

When To Spay/neuter Your Cat

How much does spaying a female cat cost?

Cats can actually be spayed/neutered as early as 8 weeks of age. Thats known as early spay/neuter and its a practice normally reserved for shelters and rescue organizations that want to make sure the kittens are fixed before they go to their new home.

For owners, the current recommendation is to have the kitten fixed before the age of 5 months. Talk to your veterinarian to see when the best date would be, based on his or her availability and the kittens weight and overall condition. Just try to make sure surgery is scheduled to take place before the kitten turns 5 months old.

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Why Does It Cost More To Spay Than Neuter

Spaying is a major surgical procedure that involves removing the ovaries and uterus of a female cat. Before the surgery takes place, your vet will want to draw the cats blood for testing to make sure she is healthy enough for the surgery. Diagnostic testing, anesthesia, pain medicine, and time in the operating room using resources all cost money. These things are factored into the price of the surgery.

There is more involved in the operation for spaying than neutering. Neutering is the removal of the testicles of a male cat. Removing them requires less work than removing a cats uterus. The operation does not take the same amount of time or resources. The recovery time can also vary greatly. No matter which operation your cat needs, the cost of both will always be higher at a private veterinarians office.

Low-cost spay and neuter surgeries are subsidized by tax dollars and donations. While the cost is much lower at these places than at a vets office, there is typically no bloodwork done beforehand. The cost is significantly lower because the clinics performing the operations are high-volume facilities. They spay and neuter all day, every day, intending to reduce the number of homeless and unwanted pets. Many of these facilities offer no other veterinary services besides spaying or neutering. Have your cat examined by your regular veterinarian to make sure they are healthy before bringing them to a clinic for their surgery.

Your Cats Will Be Better Behaved

Both male and female cats do ridiculous stuff when hopped up on hormones. Female cats, for example, howl and urinate everywhere when they go into heat, which is an absurd way to try to get a mate. Male cats urinate everywhere, too. In general, feline mating rituals make Tinder look a lot more civilized.Neutering your male cat can also help curb aggression problems. In fact, if you ever watch My Cat From Hell, possibly the best Animal Planet show, youâll see cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy tell cat owners to spay/neuter their insane cats almost every episode.

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What Does The Price Of Spaying Or Neutering Include

When you get a quote from your veterinarian, its always best to ask whats included and whats not.

Usually, the cost of spaying and neutering includes:

  • Full anesthesia for a female cat
  • Sedation and local anesthesia for a male cat
  • The surgical procedure itself, including suturing
  • Follow up and removal of stitches for females

What the cost of spaying and neutering usually doesnt include:

  • Pre-surgery blood tests
  • Special conditions some veterinarians may charge extra for operating on a cat in heat or one thats already pregnant.

Then there are items which some veterinarians like to include as a package deal while others dont

  • A general checkup
  • Vaccinations
  • Post-surgery pain management medications. These can be given in the form of a shot, pills or both.
  • A cat cone for females so theyll avoid chewing on the stitches .

These may or may not be included in the quote ask your veterinarian in advance.

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