Please review our rules and report infringing content or bad behavior. Our rules can be found here.
Some posts may be flaired as NSFW which can include injured cats or otherwise disturbing content. If you do not wish to see these types of posts, adjust your settings here.
Perfect answer. I agree with this one! I know many places do it sooner, but I am not one to take chances, and we just were taught this growing up. I wanna make sure they are a bit more mature first.
I do the females at 6 months, honestly, but know I have my males all done at 4 months, so they will not get pregnant. It all is what is best and healthiest for the floofers!
I know some can go into heat as EARLY as 4 months and see why some do it at 4 months.
Yes, every single one of my floofaloofs are fixed. There is no other way.
I do mine at 2 months and 2 pounds (they have to hit both). If they are done later it’s because there were health concerns etc or I just didn’t get them until they were older. (They do need to go through a full quarantine period beforehand, so I’ll know they are healthy first).
I also agree with this one. As being a former colony caretaker of a very large colony and also a tnr/rescue person that would rescue 75-80 kittens a year I think the majority rule is 4 months or 4 pounds
2lb, 8 weeks is typically the absolute minimum, though some places set theirs higher. The TNR clinic in my area is 12 weeks and 3lb, though my regular vet wouldn't spay my indoor kittens until they were four months (one was already in heat when she went in for the spay). Waiting until 5-6 months is risky if the boys and girls aren't kept separate. There's still a lot of outdated information being circulated about early neuters being harmful, but the benefits of early sterilization are well documented. And in the case of community cats, going in for a spay/neuter that young also facilitates socialization and adoption.
Most rescues in the US do 2 lbs which is usually 8 weeks. They won't adopt out a kitten unless it is spayed/neutered. The shelter I foster with will charge a deposit if the kitten is adopted prior to spay/neutering to ensure the adopter goes back for their appointment. I foster them until they are 2 lbs so they can go up for adoption.
My spay/neuter vet is 2lbs. I start at 3 months if active and healthy. Especially the boys, since getting them done early means no incision. I used to wait till 6 months until I recently learned females can go into heat at 4 months. Wow.
12 weeks or 3lbs. If the mom’s around, we like to keep the kittens nursing for 12 weeks and it’s just in time the spay mom before she can get pregnant again.
Umm - a week to 10 days after delivery, dams are back in call, in their "kitten heat".
My 17-YO neighbor wasn't aware of this, & was letting her nursing dam with a new litter GO OUTSIDE, "for exercise"!!!...
Thank God, it had only been 3 days, but she also didn't seem to understand the risk to THE BABIES, from their mom going out, unsupervised, to meet other cats / fight with raccoons / kill wildlife / eat wildlife, & be exposed to pathogens like liver flukes, etc.
Momcat could bring back distemper, FIP / FLV, etc, & tiny neonates have very little resistance. :----(
I stand corrected. I was given false information. Again, google is useful. Unfortunately, I listened to people around me. I don’t normally do that.
I’m eternally grateful that we had the mom and kittens in our backyard and could keep tabs on them. Mom was still nursing at 12 weeks. We got them all, mom and four kittens, within the following two weeks. All are indoor cats now. Two kittens were adopted out to people we know and all are living their best lives.
In the process we TNR’d four other cats (one a spay/abort). Only one still comes around. She’s fed outside everyday and has a cat house available that she doesn’t use. Kills me that she’s out there, but she’s feral and would need one on one concentrated efforts.
Socializing the stray mom and her four feral kittens on top of integrating the family of five with our own 14 year old was the best we could do.
Thank you Wrong-Pension-4975 for further educating me on this vast tragedy of human ignorance and irresponsibility.
Bottom line, don’t get a pet or animal (even a chicken), if you cannot properly care for or afford to care for them. And reach out for help if you’re struggling. There may be smaller organizations and church communities in your area that can help.
I wait until 6 months of age. However, my 16 week old kitten who is 3.4 lbs got neutered last Thursday. I work for the vet who did the surgery. I also allowed it to let a girl at work complete a video for her externship to get her tech certification.
How the heck is the OP, at a Jamaican pet shelter, spozed to HOLD ALL KITS til they're "10 to 12 mos old"??!! - that's a bloody joke. 😳
What should they do, put them into cryogenic sleep, with IV fluids for liquids & nutrients?... 😄
Also, prepubertal kittens have much less pain, heal faster, fewer complications, etc, vs 6-MO, or even 4-MO kits.
There's zero reason to put it off, even in owned kittens, with isofluorane gas to replace tricky, toxic, longer lasting injectable anaesthetics.
These kittens will have potentially had multiple litters by 12 months, likely will have other setbacks outside of that such as the males beginning to spray to mark territory, and will additionally put female cats at increased risk of developing mammary cancer later in life:
"To dramatically reduce the risk of feline mammary cancer, Dr. McEntee urges owners to have their female cats spayed before they enter their first heat cycle, as young as three to four months of age. Indeed, one study indicated that cats spayed prior to six months of age had a 91 percent reduction in risk and those spayed prior to one year of age had an 86 percent reduction."
- Mammary Tumors | Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine
Welcome to r/CatRescue,
Please review our rules and report infringing content or bad behavior. Our rules can be found here.
Some posts may be flaired as NSFW which can include injured cats or otherwise disturbing content. If you do not wish to see these types of posts, adjust your settings here.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
We prefer 4 months, 4lbs. I know some will do them at 3 pounds.
Perfect answer. I agree with this one! I know many places do it sooner, but I am not one to take chances, and we just were taught this growing up. I wanna make sure they are a bit more mature first.
I do the females at 6 months, honestly, but know I have my males all done at 4 months, so they will not get pregnant. It all is what is best and healthiest for the floofers!
I know some can go into heat as EARLY as 4 months and see why some do it at 4 months.
Yes, every single one of my floofaloofs are fixed. There is no other way.
I do mine at 2 months and 2 pounds (they have to hit both). If they are done later it’s because there were health concerns etc or I just didn’t get them until they were older. (They do need to go through a full quarantine period beforehand, so I’ll know they are healthy first).
I also agree with this one. As being a former colony caretaker of a very large colony and also a tnr/rescue person that would rescue 75-80 kittens a year I think the majority rule is 4 months or 4 pounds
2lb, 8 weeks is typically the absolute minimum, though some places set theirs higher. The TNR clinic in my area is 12 weeks and 3lb, though my regular vet wouldn't spay my indoor kittens until they were four months (one was already in heat when she went in for the spay). Waiting until 5-6 months is risky if the boys and girls aren't kept separate. There's still a lot of outdated information being circulated about early neuters being harmful, but the benefits of early sterilization are well documented. And in the case of community cats, going in for a spay/neuter that young also facilitates socialization and adoption.
4-ish months
Most rescues in the US do 2 lbs which is usually 8 weeks. They won't adopt out a kitten unless it is spayed/neutered. The shelter I foster with will charge a deposit if the kitten is adopted prior to spay/neutering to ensure the adopter goes back for their appointment. I foster them until they are 2 lbs so they can go up for adoption.
My spay/neuter vet is 2lbs. I start at 3 months if active and healthy. Especially the boys, since getting them done early means no incision. I used to wait till 6 months until I recently learned females can go into heat at 4 months. Wow.
Local shelters in my area are doing 1.5lbs. Just too many in need to wait.
12 weeks or 3lbs. If the mom’s around, we like to keep the kittens nursing for 12 weeks and it’s just in time the spay mom before she can get pregnant again.
Umm - a week to 10 days after delivery, dams are back in call, in their "kitten heat".
My 17-YO neighbor wasn't aware of this, & was letting her nursing dam with a new litter GO OUTSIDE, "for exercise"!!!... Thank God, it had only been 3 days, but she also didn't seem to understand the risk to THE BABIES, from their mom going out, unsupervised, to meet other cats / fight with raccoons / kill wildlife / eat wildlife, & be exposed to pathogens like liver flukes, etc.
Momcat could bring back distemper, FIP / FLV, etc, & tiny neonates have very little resistance. :----(
I stand corrected. I was given false information. Again, google is useful. Unfortunately, I listened to people around me. I don’t normally do that.
I’m eternally grateful that we had the mom and kittens in our backyard and could keep tabs on them. Mom was still nursing at 12 weeks. We got them all, mom and four kittens, within the following two weeks. All are indoor cats now. Two kittens were adopted out to people we know and all are living their best lives.
In the process we TNR’d four other cats (one a spay/abort). Only one still comes around. She’s fed outside everyday and has a cat house available that she doesn’t use. Kills me that she’s out there, but she’s feral and would need one on one concentrated efforts.
Socializing the stray mom and her four feral kittens on top of integrating the family of five with our own 14 year old was the best we could do.
Thank you Wrong-Pension-4975 for further educating me on this vast tragedy of human ignorance and irresponsibility.
Bottom line, don’t get a pet or animal (even a chicken), if you cannot properly care for or afford to care for them. And reach out for help if you’re struggling. There may be smaller organizations and church communities in your area that can help.
2lbs/8 weeks, in the US
Our rescue fixes em at 4 pounds works great
Once they reach 4 lbs
4 months
The boys be done at 3-4 months cause they are usually bigger. 5-6 months for the girls.
I wait until 6 months of age. However, my 16 week old kitten who is 3.4 lbs got neutered last Thursday. I work for the vet who did the surgery. I also allowed it to let a girl at work complete a video for her externship to get her tech certification.
Shelters spay them young to get rid of them faster. The inflow is enormous. Better wait 10-12 months otherwise.
How the heck is the OP, at a Jamaican pet shelter, spozed to HOLD ALL KITS til they're "10 to 12 mos old"??!! - that's a bloody joke. 😳 What should they do, put them into cryogenic sleep, with IV fluids for liquids & nutrients?... 😄
Also, prepubertal kittens have much less pain, heal faster, fewer complications, etc, vs 6-MO, or even 4-MO kits.
There's zero reason to put it off, even in owned kittens, with isofluorane gas to replace tricky, toxic, longer lasting injectable anaesthetics.
These kittens will have potentially had multiple litters by 12 months, likely will have other setbacks outside of that such as the males beginning to spray to mark territory, and will additionally put female cats at increased risk of developing mammary cancer later in life: