If you decide to adopt a kitten, you will also need to think about when to spay or neuter him. Doing it too early can have a negative impact on your health; however, if done in adulthood, the surgery will not have any benefit from the point of view of prevention. To find out if it is the right time to have your cat undergo the operation, you need to know his age, know how many months you get the most benefits from having it done and consult a veterinarian. With this information you can have him spayed or neutered at the right time.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Deciding When to Spay or Neuter Your Kitten
Step 1. Wait until the puppy is a few months old
It is still a matter of debate when is the optimal period to perform the surgery. According to some experts, it should be made at two months of life. Others argue that it is necessary to wait longer before removing the sexual organs for them to fully develop, so the operation should take place around four months.
In general, early spaying or neutering is encouraged to keep the feline population in check. Many vets agree that it is best to do it slightly early, rather than risk bitches going into heat and accidentally becoming pregnant
Step 2. Sterilize the female before she goes through her first oestrus cycle
The fact that a cat must have at least one heat, in order to then undergo the surgery, is just a rumor. Doing it before it occurs, on the other hand, has long-term benefits for her health.
Neutering a puppy before the first heat decreases the risk of some diseases that could arise in the future, such as breast cancer
Step 3. Consult your veterinarian
Surely he knows when is the best time to perform the operation. Discuss with him the best time and why he believes it is.
Feel free to ask the doctor any questions about the surgery. You need to inform yourself enough to be sure you've made the right decision
Method 2 of 3: Choose to Spay or Neuter the Kitten
Step 1. Consider the benefits for the cat
Those that concern health and that depend on spaying or neutering are many. Despite the difficulty of the surgery, this will protect the animal from possible future problems.
For example, a spayed cat will never get ovarian or uterine cancer, and she will not suffer from uterine infections
Step 2. Consider the benefits to your family
Spaying or neutering a cat not only positively affects him, but also you and your family. For example, it will eliminate the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy and, therefore, of having a litter to manage.
Cats that have undergone this type of surgery tend to be more submissive: a spayed cat is more likely to get along with other cats of her species, while a neutered male is less territorial and aggressive. Furthermore, the latter do not mark the territory by spraying urine on the walls of the house
Step 3. Consider the benefits to society
Preventing your cat from breeding helps limit straying. The fewer cats can breed, the less overpopulation is generated.
Also, if you are undecided about what to do, think about the fact that the kittens that could be born if you do not have the cat spayed or neutered, will have to find a home and this will take away the possibility of a cat in a cattery to be adopted. In many cases, strays come precisely from the abandonment of litters of unwanted pregnancies
Method 3 of 3: Determine the Age of the Kitten
Step 1. Weigh the cat
If you want to spay or neuter him at two months, you need to know when he has reached this age. Generally, two-month-old kittens weigh around 900 grams if they have been properly fed.
900 grams is the weight required to undergo the surgery. If the vet does this and the kitten weighs less, he may not survive
Step 2. Look for physical clues to age
If you are unsure of the cat's age, you can determine it based on some physical characteristics. Newborn kittens have their eyes closed and their ears plugged; if yours looks like this, it means that it is only a few weeks old.
- On the other hand, if the puppy has already opened his eyes and ears, but still has baby teeth, then he may be one to three months old.
- A cat that is growing - or already has - permanent teeth is at least four months old.
Step 3. Evaluate its development
A two month old kitten should be fully weaned. If the mother is still breastfeeding him, he is probably smaller. If you notice, however, that he is trying to wean him, for example by not letting him suck the milk, then he may be between a month and a month and a half old.
