I'm sure if u do a search on here you will find this topic has been brought up quite a bit!! My vet says anytime after 4 months is fine, of course depends on health, weight of the kitten. I'm sure others wil say earlier or even later, but I have alwys gotten ourt kittens fixed around 5-6 months of age (as long as in good health)

You can spay kittens as young as 10 weeks, although about 12 weeks is best. The earlier the better.

I have always followed the 6 pounds/6 months rule as laid out by many vets here. However, if you adopt from the Humane society they spay/neuter before you take it home, as early as 8 weeks old. I guess having people pay more and get a refund with proof of fixing wasn't working as many people weren't getting it done. Now it has to be done before you take the animal home.

I asked if that was safe, and I was told if the kitten died we could just pick another one! Not sure I liked that answer.

12 weeks is good and they breeze right through it. Older than that, they seem to feel it more and take longer to recover.

I belive why soem rescue organizations do it early is to ensure the spaying/neutering gets done!! And some breeders do it early because they want to ensure the animlas is fixed and the person buying it doesnt try to breed it (costs more $$ if you plan to breed it)
I asked my vet about early spaying /neutering and he saw no benefit to it and recommended against it, a kitten could have more problems with anethesia. He stated best to wait around 5 months or (depending on health, etc) Of course you ask 10 vets, and I'm sure their answers wil all vary. We have always "fixed" our animals around the 5-6 months of age and never had a problem. Our Siberian male cat will be going in around 5.5 months of age to get fixed!!

Absolutely spay the female before first heat to prevent mammary cancer when she is older. First heat can be as young as 5 months, so 4 months is a good goal. Young animals actually do better with anesthesia, recover faster, have a shorter surgery time, etc. I would not have an animal go under anesthesia at the same time as being vaccinated- separate vaccines and surgery by a couple of weeks. So if she finishes vaccines at 12 weeks, 14-16 weeks works out. I would also have them tested for FeLV prior to surgery and more vaccines, and to make sure their lifestyle is compatible with their FeLV status.

For the male there is no rush health-wise, but tom cat urine stinks! At the shelter and operation catnip, I've neutered kittens any time above 2#. Neutering is super-quick unless there are retained testicles (even then I did one in 12 minutes- first time!), so the males don't seem the least bit phased by the ordeal.

Congrats on your kitties!

The younger they are, the faster they heal and forget any fear/discomfort from the vet.

Our vet insisted 6mo and my daughters vet took care of it at 4 mo.
Lorie

I'm still reeling at the $600 price tag. Me thinks that vet doesn't want to be bothered with spays. Don't understand why, since that is kind of the bread and butter of the business, isn't it - that and vaccinations.

The rescue groups here start as low as 1 1/2 pounds, but I think that is way too small. I'd go with 4 months. I had a kitten get out and get pregnant at 5 months old once. It turned out very badly for her. She got very sick, and the kittens all died in-utero (sp?). I was pretty stupid about cats then, but I've certainly learned a lot since then.

Sally

pricewise sort of deopends on the procedure!! I was quoted over $1000, but that was going to be doen with lasers involved!1 Guess it is less stressful lonthe cat, and a quicker recover time!! I belive I paid around $300 last yr for our female to be spayed, usually less $$ for a male to be fixed. Guess i wil find out at the end of MAy,lol

We paid $275. Canadian for our girl to be spayed 2 yrs ago and that was with lasers airforceguy. Im not sure I would pay 1k for a spay.
Chester our young man was $95. a couple weeks ago.
Lorie