When To Spay Or Neuter Your Cat
There is debate among veterinarians about the time to spay/neuter your cat, says Dr. Adam Denish of Rhawnhurst Animal Hospital in Elkins Park, PA. There are three general options: Early or pediatric spay/neuter is done at six to eight weeks of age. Standard spay and neuter at five to six months. Finally, waiting until after the first heat, somewhere between eight to twelve months of age, he says.
As a vet who has done thousands of spays and neuters, I still perform them at five months of age. The pets are a good size, the owners have already trained and accepted them, and the anesthesia and surgery are usually safe, says Dr. Denish. The concerns over early spay/neuter are mostly due to the prevailing opinion that new owners may not do the procedure, and the pet is free to breed. The additional offspring contributes to the overpopulation of cats in the wild, as well as the burden of euthanizing unwanted and ill cats at shelters.
Whatever the age of your cat when theyre spayed or neutered, there are definite health benefits for cats of either sex to have the procedure.
Are There Benefits Of Getting Your Male Cat Neutered
Neutering is the term used to describe the surgical procedure where both testicles are removed to sterilize a male cat. Neutering prior to puberty will lessen the likelihood that your male cat is injured in a fight. Male cats like to mark their territory by spraying a particularly foul-smelling urine. He will start by spraying in his home, and as he matures, he will try to enlarge his territory by spraying outside of the house. This means, in many cases, encounters with other tomcats who are also battling for a larger territory will result in fights. Non-neutered male cats are more likely to get diseases through cat bites, so neutering early is important to stop these behaviors and keep him healthy.
What Are The Benefits Of Spaying Or Neutering Your Cat
Sterilizing your cat is good for your individual cats general wellness and behavior, and its also a positive step for all of cat-kind!
The first and most obvious reason to get your cat spayed or neutered is to reduce pet overpopulation. According to the ASPCA, every year in the United States, around 3.2 million cats are surrendered to animal shelters, with an estimated 58 million others living on the streets.
An unspayed cat can have up to 180 kittens in her lifetime. An unneutered cat can father hundreds upon hundreds of kittens in his lifetime. Its pretty easy to see how the cat population can multiply exponentially.
If youre interested in reducing the number of homeless cats in your community, consider starting or joining a trap, neuter, release program. Learn more about the impact of these programs from The Humane Society.
In addition to controlling the cat population, sterilizing your cat will also put the kibosh on some pretty annoying behaviors.
Male cats have increased risk of behavioral issues, including: urine spraying and fighting, which can put them at risk for diseases like feline leukemia or FIV if they get in a fight with an infected feral cat.
Spaying and neutering your cat will also help them live a longer and healthier life, with fewer health complications.
Neutered males are at basically zero risk for developing testicular cancer and are at lower risk for developing prostatitis and prostatic cysts.
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Lets Get The Expensive Part Out Of The Way
How much to spay a cat. In most cases the cost to spay a cat will vary from $100. Most vets will check liver and kidney function prior to surgery. Average cost to spay a cat.
Prior to the operation, your cat will be given an anaesthetic and once home, they will need to stay in for a short while, as advised by your pet. All animals must be between the ages of four months and Another situation is performing a spay on a pregnant cat.
Private veterinarians generally charge more and there can be a range of prices for spaying a cat, even from vets in the same city. 1) its too expensive and 2) they have misconceptions about the procedure. Your vet can perform the surgery, though that’s generally the most expensive option.
Some are cheaper and if you are lucky they can offer it to you for free. Cats can be spayed at most points during the pregnancy, but how far along they are will impact the cost. The cost of spaying, which is more complicated, usually ranges from $100 to $200.
Like any surgery, your cat will need some extra care as she recovers after her spay. Prices paid and comments from costhelper’s team of professional journalists and community of users. How much does it cost to spay a cat?
The answer to these questions not only relates to the geographical location, as we can see below. The total cost of the procedure usually covers the surgery and anesthesia as well as hospitalization. There are two big reasons people dont spay and neuter their cats:
Spay And Neuter: How Much Does It Cost To Fix A Cat And More
If you have a cat or are considering getting a furry friend, chances are youve heard about spaying and neutering. Its a common procedure and while the basics are fairly straightforward, theres still a lot you should learn before your cat is spayed or neutered, including the risks, benefits, and how to best help your cat after the procedure.
Just remember that although it can be difficult to see your pet in pain, chances are your cat will be back to being him or herself in a short time.
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Are There Benefits Of Getting Your Female Cat Spayed
Getting your cat spayed will prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which can be highly fatal in cats. Beyond that, its cost effective and will help both of you live in harmony together. She wont go into heat every three weeks and ruin your rug, and shell be less likely to wake you up meowing at the top of her lungs for a male companion.
Risk Of Diseases Is Significantly Lowered
Yes, with neutering, youre actually helping improve the quality of your pet cats life. If you dont believe it, The Cat Hospital veterinarian Dr. Robin Sturtz backs this statement up by saying that a neutered female or male cat lives longer based on statistics.
In male cats, neutering helps prevent testicular cancer. Neuter procedures on a female cat, on the one hand, help reduce breast tumors and uterine infections .
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How Much Does It Cost
The prices of spay and neuter surgeries vary depending on your cats age, with procedures for cats younger than 6 months typically costing less than for cats over 6 months. Procedures for younger cats are usually quicker and require fewer resources, like anesthetic, so theyre cheaper as a result.
Your geographic location also makes a difference, with procedures in the Midwest typically costing less than on the East or West Coasts.
If youre wondering why spaying surgeries are more expensive than neutering, its because spaying is a more invasive surgery. It requires the cats abdomen to be opened in order to remove the female cats reproductive organs. Spaying surgeries typically take around 60 minutes.
While neutering is still a surgical procedure, the testes are outside the body cavity, so they can be removed relatively quickly, and your male cat will be done with their surgery within 30 minutes.
Private veterinarians will usually be the most expensive options, especially if your cat has to stay overnight. There may also be spay and neuter clinics in your area run by non-profits. These usually cost a lot less and will be available on set dates. Spaces for these programs fill up fast, but you can find a list of low-cost spay and neuter programs on the ASPCA website.
What Are The Benefits Of Getting My Cat Fixed
Each year 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized. Many people dont have the means to raise a litter of kittens, and uncared for cats often end up living in the streets, mating, and having more kittens that become strays.
Reducing overpopulation and the issues associated with it is a societal benefit, but what are the benefits to you and your cat?
- Reduced Risk of Cancer Spaying helps prevent breast cancer in 90% of cats and neutering eliminates the chances of testicular cancer in male cats.
- Reduced Risk of Infection Your cat will have a lower risk of uterine or prostate infection.
- Females Dont Go into Heat Female cats are in heat for almost 1 out of every three weeks during the breeding season, and during that time theyll be crying out for mates and might urinate all over the house.
- Males Stay Closer to Home Neutered male cats are less likely to go out clubbing at all hours of the night to look for females to mate with. That means less sneaking out of the house and wandering around the neighborhood and less chance they will get a female pregnant, get in a fight, or get hit by a car.
- Better Behavior Male cats will spray urine all over a vertical surface to mark their territory, and they will fight other male cats to prove themselves worthy of a female cat, that is, unless they neutered, in which case this kind of behavior is much less likely.
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Male And Female Cats Are Less Likely To Get Cancer
Spaying your female cat helps reduce the risk of uterine or breast tumors, which, according to ASPCA, are cancerous in 90% of cats. Basically, spaying your female cat crosses a big disease off of the “ways to die” list, or at least moves it to the bottom.Neutering a male cat offers similar protection from testicular cancer and prostate problems.
How Long Does It Take For A Cat To Recover
Your cat should recover from the side effects of anesthesia in 12 to 48 hours, while the healing of the incision will take from 1 to 2 weeks to heal.
Your cat may seem fine after a couple of days, but its still important to keep them from running, jumping, fighting with other cats, and fussing with the incision area. You dont want their stitches to pop open.
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Is Spaying More Expensive Than Neutering
Spaying refers to the procedure to remove a female pets reproductive organs. Neutering procedures remove reproductive organs from male animals. In general, it tends to be more expensive to spay a pet than it is to neuter one. Thats because neutering tends to be less complex.
Spaying involves opening your dog or cats stomach to access the animals reproductive organs. Male sex organs are more accessible because they are on the outside, making the procedure less invasive. So, neutering is faster and requires fewer resources. But thats only one factor that can impact costs.
What Is Included In The Cost Of Spaying And Neutering
As mentioned earlier, the full cost of a spay or neuter procedure varies depending on where you go. In general, the price for spaying or neutering typically covers the procedure itself as well as anesthesia. But every location will bill differently, and many charges associated with the surgery arent always included in the base price.
For example, the following may appear separately from the surgery on your bill:
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Pain medication
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A cat carrier or e-collar
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Is It Possible To Get A Cat Fixed For Free
Many nonprofits do offer discounted or free spay/neuter services to those who qualify. The ASPCA outlines a list of low-cost programs across the country, including their own free services for qualified residents. Some animal shelters even offer support for spay/neuter expensesalways do your research and contact organizations nearby to find an option that works for you.
Is It Cheaper To Spay Or Neuter A Cat
Its usually cheaper to neuter a male cat than to spay female animals. A spay surgery is a major abdominal surgery, which takes more time and effort than a neuter surgery, which can be performed in minutes.
Unlike spays, which require sutures , cats that are neutered usually dont need any stitches. There is on instance where neutering is more expensive than spaying. If one or both testicles have not descended into the scrotum , the neuter surgery takes more time, requires sutures, and is much more costly.
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What Do I Need To Bring With Me At The Time Of My Scheduled Voucher Appointment
- Driver’s license or official ID card
- Proof of low-income or moderate-income status, unless you sign and submit an affidavit swearing that your income is within the figures listed on the table above for low income or moderate income.
- Proof of vaccines within the past year if you do not want your pet revaccinated. Proof is a rabies certificate, not a pet health record.
- An alternate contact number for the microchip registration: someone who has a different phone number than yours. If your pet is already microchipped, please tell us.
Arguments Against Spaying And Neutering
Spaying and neutering are recommended by the American Veterinary Medical Association. While there are plenty of benefits to getting your cat spayed or neutered, there are also a few disadvantages worth discussing.
Spaying and neutering do increase the chances of your cat becoming obese, and this has been reported by many scientific papers. Obesity is bad news for cats because it can lead to a wide range of health problems, including arthritis, urinary problems, kidney problems, and diabetes.
You should always keep a close eye on the weight of your cat and speak to your vet about how to manage this if it starts to creep up. Using a calorie-controlled diet or encouraging your cat to be more active can help them maintain a healthy weight.
On the whole, the benefits of spaying and neutering far outweigh the disadvantages. Cats that have been spayed or neutered generally live longer and healthier lives than their un-spayed and un-neutered counterparts. Unless you plan to use your male or female cat as part of a breeding program to produce registered purebred kittens, theres little reason not to spay or neuter your cat.
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Is Early Spay/neuter Associated With Orthopedic Problems
Three fairly recent articles discuss orthopedic concerns associated with early neutering of large breed dogs. These articles have led to confusion about the appropriateness of and age at which spay/neuter surgery should be performed.16-18 These articles were published in open access journals and have generated questions from veterinarians and the general public. With regard to these articles, 2 key points should be considered. First, the articles focus on large breed dogs, and their findings should not be extrapolated to cats. Second, no similar studies have found a relationship between spay/neuter and orthopedic conditions in cats.
How Much Does Spaying A Dog Cost
Spaying your dog will vary significantly in cost based on where you live and the size of your dog. Your income may play into the cost if you are using a low-cost service. Other factors that impact the cost include your dogs health status and age. Female dogs that are in season, pregnant, or obese will cost significantly more to spay than other female dogs. For a healthy dog that is not in season, the average cost of a spay is going to cost between $200400. Low-cost clinics will often spay a healthy, young dog for less than $200, with some spaying small dogs for as little as $4050.
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What Does Neuter A Cat Mean
The cat will be taken to the hospital and undergo a minor surgery that lasts from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Sterilization is the surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus, which means that the female will not be able to reproduce and become pregnant. This is a common surgery performed under general anesthesia.
Cost To Spay/neuter A Cat
Most vets and animal shelters encourage pet owners to spay or neuter cats before taking them into their homes. Having a cat fixed is a great way to help limit the population of local strays. Most veterinarian clinics offer the procedure at a reduced price. Many pet owners find that the cost to spay/neuter a cat is less than having to pay for complications down the road as a result of not having the procedure performed.
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Could It Cost Me More
The prices we have discussed here are approximate, as it depends on where you live, prices can vary upwards, but they usually do not decrease. While it is true that if you benefit from castration performed by an association or by your own board, it will be cheaper for you. Although, normally prices tend to fluctuate when there is no discount for the disinfection campaign, totaling from 120 to 300 USD.
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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