# Neutering a kitten at 3 and a half months old



## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

So what do you think...My vet offered me to neuter Chiquis two weeks from now. He must be 3 months and a half, almost 4. My boyfriend went pale and refused to do it at such an early age (considering that Gatito was neutered when he was 7). In the end the vet told us to think about it (find other opinions, etc.) and let her know by Monday morning.

I was reading this website Spaying and Neutering Guide for Kittens and Cats, from Bengal Cat Breeder Foothill Felines: Current Information for Spay and Neuter Decisions for Concerned Cat Owners!. They say and I quote: _"Spaying and neutering kittens and puppies that are healthy at a very young age is becoming a growing trend that has been endorsed by major humane organizations including the Humane Society of the United States, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the American Humane Association, and the Cat Fanciers' Association."_

I also worry about general anesthesia. I worry a lot. 

I'll appreciate any opinion or thought...and thank you again for all the help you've given to me. You're just wonderful.


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

I work at a spay neuter clinic, and from my experience, the younger kittens tend to bounce back much quicker from anesthesia. It's harder on the older cats. Doing it at a younger age reduces unwanted behaviors (spraying/marking/wandering) more effectively, and removing the organs (testes/uterus) when they are small and undeveloped seems to be much less of a shock to the animal's system.

I would say you should do it, as long as the kitten weighs at least 3 pounds. At my clinic the smallest weight we will do is 2 pounds.

Just wanted to add- a neuter for a young male kitten is a very quick, and often quite nearly painless procedure for them. With the small kittens, they hardly even require stitches, and there is very little blood-loss involved compared to females. Their little "jewels" are quite small at this age, its much easier than when they start to "go through puberty" ;-)


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## sephi (May 9, 2010)

i thought you have to wait till around 6 months old!


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## furryfriends251 (Jan 1, 2009)

It depends on the vet. Morey and Mitch (as well as their siblings) were all spayed/nuetered when they were 2 pounds (roughly 2 months old). That is the rule for where they were all fixed. However, the vets there, all they really do is S/N - it is a shelter that runs a program to have barn/feral cats fixed for free or any other cat for $10. I would guess they do at least 50 S/N a day there...


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Rescues here spay/neuter at 2 months/2 pounds (two months old - as long as they're at least two pounds). The twins were fixed at almost 10 weeks old (Cali was a runt, so Charlee had to wait for her to gain a bit of weight). Younger cats seem to recover faster, too. They were running around like little monkeys the very night they were spayed. (They were at a foster's house, not with me, they adopted me two days later.) They probably should have been kept a little more calm than that, but hey, they were wild little kittens.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

A kitten can be spayed provided they're at least 2 months old and weigh at least two lbs. RichandNito has much more experience than I, although my experience with my girls confirms what she said about the cats bouncing back when they're spayed/neutered early. 

Muffs was spayed at 10 weeks of age, before I adopted her. Muffs and her littermates were spayed/neutered in the morning, and I came to see her in the afternoon. The kittens were running around and playing. You would never have known they had undergone surgery earlier that day. Abby was spayed at 4 months (she was very tiny and she didn't reach 2 lbs until she was almost 4 mths old). She stayed overnight at the vets. When I brought her home the next day, she was running around and playing immediately. 

So, unless Chiquis is extremely tiny (less than 2 or 3 lbs), I would suggest you accept the vet's offer.


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## swimkris (Jul 17, 2010)

I agree with all the others here; 4 months is not too early. My cats were both fixed around 4 months old, and they bounced back quickly. I tried to keep them separated/calm like I was instructed, but they were adamant about playing within a few hours of coming home!


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## Hitomi (Nov 15, 2010)

they can be 8 weeks as long as the weigh 2lbs.......


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## saitenyo (Nov 28, 2010)

I adopted Apollo somewhere between 8-10 weeks, and the shelter's policy was to neuter him before letting him come home with me.

I actually picked him up directly from the vet clinic, and honestly I kept asking my boyfriend if he was _sure_ they'd neutered him, because it didn't seem like they had.

Basically, he was running around, playing, chasing toys, and acting totally fine like nothing had happened.  I had even accepted take-home painkillers for him, but ended up not even needing them. 

I think the popular opinion used to be that early neutering/spaying was unsafe, but I believe that view has shifted in recent times. More and more people I know are getting their kittens neutered at a young age with no issues or complications.

The big downside to neutering too _late _is once their hormones kick in, males can start acting like, well, unneutured males. I've known people who neutered their male cats fairly late, after hormone-related behavioral problems already began (such as spraying), and their behavior did not substantially improve after neutering.

So I wouldn't worry too much. Neutering is a far simpler and safer procedure than spaying (and even with spaying, Athena was spayed at 4 months and she was perfectly fine). 3 months old should be just fine!


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## SpellQ (Dec 12, 2010)

The big benefit to pediatric spaying/neutering as it's called locally is that their brains never have a chance to know if they are boys or girls. They end up having gender neutral brains as long as big kitty hormones haven't started flowing. Just as with people some kitties get these hormones trickling through their systems earlier than others so it won't always be early enough, but 6-8 weeks definitely reduces the chances that their brains will ever see those grown up kitty hormones which means they will be MUCH less likely to exhibit grown up kitty inappropriate behaviours. That is, of course, unless they learn those behaviours via other kitty demonstrations.


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## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

Thanks so much for your answers  You're great. I feel so much better about the whole thing now... I'll definitely go for it. I'll call my vet on Monday to make an appointment.

My poor little one! :catmilk


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Nothing to worry about...he'll be fine!


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## yellowdaisies (Jan 25, 2011)

I think you definitely made the right choice.  I firmly believe earlier is better, especially for boys!! Ours were spayed and neutered (we have a girl and a boy) before we adopted them at 4 months old. I'm not sure of their exact age at the time. Actually, where I live, shelters and rescue groups will not adopt kittens out until they have been fixed. I think I read somewhere on the internet (I can't remember where!) that this is actually the law for shelters/rescues in California, but I'm not entirely positive on that one...it sure seems to be, though. 

I had always been wary about getting a boy because of the spraying issues I'd heard about with other male cats...but then I discovered that the earlier they're neutered, the more likely they will never even consider exhibiting that behavior. Spencer has never tried it, and I don't think he ever will. And I'm so glad we got a boy, because he is just so goofy and I love him.


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## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

Today I took Chiquis to the vet and he was neutered. He seems fine, he already ate and went to the bathroom. He's sleeping with my other cat Don Gatito. So I'm very happy, thank you all for your advice! You're the best!

I've just taken this pic, not very good quality but you can see he's fine and Gatito is making some company  (and Gatito's girraffe and Chiquis' fox, their sidekicks)



_Mom! We're trying to sleep here!_ -Sorry boys!


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## MissMiss&Baby (Feb 12, 2011)

I was told the earliest was 6 months old! I prob wouldn't do earlier myself, it's hard enough at 6 months let alone any younger.


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## MissMiss&Baby (Feb 12, 2011)

Sorry didn't read the messages above! I think boys are ok to do earlier, the op is not as bad for them, well that's what my vets told me, cute pic


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

They're adorable! I'm glad to hear Chiquis is doing well. They recover so much more quickly when they're younger. Having seen how quickly my girls recovered, I now always recommended early spay/neuter.


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## Lenkolas (Jan 18, 2011)

Thank you Susan and Miss  it's been 12 hours after the surgery and he's running and playing all over the apartment.


I'm supposed to use a spray to prevent him from licking at the incision, but when I used it he got so scared of the sound the spray made he almost scratched me! Is it ok if I don't use it? or he'll lick too hard and injure himself? :?


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## RachandNito (Nov 21, 2008)

I would watch him. I've never had a problem with male cats bothering their incision. After about two days it shouldn't even be a problem, just make sure he doesn't pick at it and bother it.


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## Snarfums (Dec 28, 2010)

I just adopted a Maine **** at 6 1/2 weeks and the breeder I got her from said that she doesn't usually spay the females until about 8 months so their bones have ample time to develop. Thanksfully she hasn't gone into heat yet, but I'm thinking it's about time to get her fixed since she is a little over 7 months old now.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

Snarfums said:


> I just adopted a Maine **** at 6 1/2 weeks and the breeder I got her from said that she doesn't usually spay the females until about 8 months so their bones have ample time to develop. Thanksfully she hasn't gone into heat yet, but I'm thinking it's about time to get her fixed since she is a little over 7 months old now.


Their bones? I must admit I find that a very peculiar thing for a breeder to say. Most breeders around here (of all breeds) spay/neuter kittens before they are adopted, to avoid people attempting to breed them further. I agree...you should have your girl spayed as soon as you can, since she could easily go into heat anytime now, and then the poor little thing will be wondering why she feels so awful.


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## Mimosa (Dec 2, 2010)

Susan said:


> Their bones? I must admit I find that a very peculiar thing for a breeder to say. Most breeders around here (of all breeds) spay/neuter kittens before they are adopted, to avoid people attempting to breed them further. I agree...you should have your girl spayed as soon as you can, since she could easily go into heat anytime now, and then the poor little thing will be wondering why she feels so awful.


 Maine Coons are sometimes affected by epiphyseolysis, where the head of the femur spontaneously (so not trauma induced) breaks off from the rest of the bone. There seems to be an element of genetic predisposition for this condition but of course the bigger than average size and weight of the Maine **** might also play a role.

I've been to a lecture by a feline orthopedic specialist who had done a study on epiphyseolysis and he found that cats affected by epiphyseolysis suffered a lesion of the epiphyseal plate at about 12-14 months of age. 
The epiphyseal plate usually close at 7-10 months of age, but for some reason, probably "early" neutering (in this study this means neutering before 1 year of age) that closure appeared to have been delayed in the affected cats.
All the cats in this study were males BTW, the orthopedic clinic only saw one female cat with epiphyseolysis during the study but that was probably trauma induced.

So I can see what this breeder meant by letting the bones of their cat develop, but in that case she would even have to delay neutering the cats a little longer. And it does not seen to be an issue in females anyway.


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## Snarfums (Dec 28, 2010)

Wow, great info Mimosa. I'll call the vet tomorrow and see if I can get her scheduled since I think she is at a prety good age to be fixed anyways


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