Ideal age to spay a cat *for the cat*

[Sugar Plum]

What is the ideal age to spay a kitten/ cat for that individual cat, not the overpopulation crisis? Pediatric spays are new since anyone in my extended family had an unaltered kitten. I've done some reading and it makes no sense that there'd be no too young cut off, especially comparing to what's historically known about this in people (the castrati) and what is currently known about this in other animals. It would seem that it does impact development. I was guessing 6-9 months, based on what I remember from 30 years ago, but is there an ideal age?

Don't worry. Raphaela Puff won't have kittens. None of our pets have ever contributed to overpopulation or ever will. Please don't hijack this thread - I understand and, given the surplus of cats, fully endorse shelters fixing early.

Does anyone know?

 

[Jem]

I'm no expert, but as far as I know, it's best that it's done before they go into their first heat. The average for a first heat is 6 months old but in some cases it can happen as early as 4 months.
By spaying before the first heat, you are greatly decreasing the chances of cancer, infection and of course the awful experience of going into heat. It's very uncomfortable for most cats.
As for males, I think the timeline is still appropriate, it helps to prevent any hormone based behavior issues, which can linger out of "habit" if neutering is done late, as well as cancer.
As for if there would be any adverse effects if done TOO early, I'm not sure. But like I said, I think (in my non-expert opinion) 4 - 6 months old is not too early.
Someone with more experience will hopefully come along and perhaps correct or add to anything I said.

 

[lutece]

Here's a link to another thread in which the same question was discussed, including some links to research.

The Right Time To Spay Your Kitten?

Hi everyone I know this might seem like a silly question but when is the right time to spay your kitten? I have a 6 month old female and am just wondering what the studies have shown on spaying too early? Health issues? Growth issues? Behaviour issues? I do not intend for her to fall prego...

thecatsite.com

 

[Willowy]

Going into heat is just miserable for the girls. I've had a fair number of girls go into heat before I could get them spayed, and a fair number that I managed to get spayed before they went into heat. I haven't seen any differences (other than that week of howling for the ones that had a heat period). Ideally I'd say 14 weeks is a good balance between not wanting her to be too small and also not wanting her to go into heat.

I generally procrastinate with the males, it usually doesn't get done until they're 7 months or so. I do see a difference between those who were done after they were full toms and earlier neuters, but the full toms were all strays; I don't want to risk letting one grow up to start spraying. And the differences all seem to be cosmetic (full toms are cobbier and rounder in the face, even years later). Any time between 2-8 months ought to be fine, unless you have unspayed females around, then it should be done before 5 months just in case.

But my last vet wouldn't spay/neuter until 5 months (and I could usually sneak a 4-month-old in by saying "I dunno how old she is, maybe 5 months?" and he never objected). So I don't have much experience with early spays/neuters. But he retired and his replacement is a young woman who JUST graduated vet school in May of this year, and I've already heard she's been spaying/neutering kittens at 2 months, so that might be changing.

Oh, might have gone off-topic there. As to health of the cat. . .studies have been done. There doesn't seem to be a lot of drawbacks to spaying/neutering even at an early age. Although doing it before 8 weeks has mostly been ruled out. There seem to be some health issues identified in large dogs, who shouldn't be spayed/neutered before 18 months (unless there's a chance of unwanted pregnancy). But no such issues have been identified in small dogs or cats.

 

[fionasmom]

My vet will not spay before 4 months, including ferals and I have always followed that guideline if a kitten was in question. I have waited longer if I rescued an adult cat, but the heat was not anything that I enjoyed living through.