At what age is ok to neuter a kitten?

KitKatLondon

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Hello there! I'm in talks with a breeder to buy a kitten. They look very responsible and by the book, apart from they neuter the kitten at around 13 weeks old, after both vaccinations. I've heard some vets in the UK (including my own) recommend waiting until 6 months. Are there any real risks involved? What's the general practice? Many thanks :)
 

LTS3

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It varies. Some vets still stick with 6 months. Others will do it at 2 lbs / 2 months of age. As long as the procedure is done with a licensed vet, there are little risks. Rarely do you have a kitten die during the procedure and that's usually only because the kitten had a previously unknown heart or other condition.

 

Lari

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My cat was a feral kitten and the TNR spayed her at about 13 weeks. This was a couple months before I ended up adopting her, but we've never had issues.
 
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KitKatLondon

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Ok great, thank you!
 

missymotus

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6 months is very old fashioned, great you’ve found a responsible breeder neutering before adoption.

we’ve always neutered our kittens before adoption with the surgery at 10-12 weeks, never had any issues.
The kittens recover near instantly with their mom and litter mates in their familiar environment.
I would not support a breeder who wasn’t responsibly ESN their babies before placement.
 

Antonio65

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All the vets I know here (Italy) wouldn't touch a kitten for fixing if they're younger than 6 to 7 months old.
I had to fix dozens of cats (both mine and ferals), but they were all older than 7 months.
 

Norachan

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The idea that you have to wait until a kitten is six months old is quite old fashioned. These days reputable vets will do the procedure before that and we recommend that people get their pets spayed or neutered by five months old. It's an idea made popular by lots of shelters and animal welfare groups.

York County SPCA Blog

https://www.unitedspayalliance.org/activities-projects/feline-fix-by-five/

Feline Fix by Five Months

'Fix By Five' Initiative Encourages Vets To Follow New Spay/Neuter Protocols - PetGuide
 
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KitKatLondon

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Thanks Norachan this is great to know! All good then.
 

Norachan

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You're welcome. I'm looking forward to seeing some kitten pictures when you get your kitten home.

:loveeyes:
 
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