I think it was about $345.00. The place we went to was known for being a bit over priced. I have no idea what exactly that all included though.

Males are cheaper than females. My vet charges around $550 for a male cat.

Woah. I didn't realize how reasonable our vet was! She's excellent and has taken care of many pets of our family and friends. Maybe that's why it is so difficult to get an appointment. :o

Neuter plus vaccines and a basic blood screen for our kitten cost us $155.00 last September.

Wow!..I haven't had a cat neutered in a very long time since all mine are rescues and they come "done"..And the cats cost anywhere from $50-$100 for a kitten so i guess that's a deal. They have all their shots as well, are wormed, defleaed and have their rabies shot..

My cats and kittens, too, have always been neutered before they get to me. Adoption fees range from $50-$75, so I guess that is a deal.

The last time I had to take in a male kitten to get it neutered was almost 20 years ago in Chicago. I also got a fecal done, ears washed out, ear mite medicine and vaccinations. I took out a $100 bill and laid it on the counter.

It wasn't enough.

This kitten had been a stray kitten, and I was getting him neutered and vet checked in preparation for rehoming him. As I was digging in my wallet for more money, I decided I wasn't going to adopt him out. He was my cat. I had just bought him.

He lived a long, pampered life.

Frankly it surprises me that neutering and spaying costs so much now.

premier and plasticgarden,

I don't know where in the United States you live but $345 and $550 to neuter a male cat sounds outrageous. The neutering is a simple surgery. Even if the cats are adults this seems so high.

Here in Kansas City, Missouri my full-service vet charges $85 for male cats and $100 for male dogs. We have low-cost spay and neuter services available that run about $35-55 depending upon if it is a cat or dog and male versus female.

The very high prices must include much more than the surgery. It would be good to know because if someone adopted a furkid from someone else they would have sticker shock with those prices since they also need to pay for all vaccinations, exams, microchips and any other things that come up. Of course, this doesn't include food, leash/accessories, crate/kennel, toys and classes.

I have to hand it to you that you could save up for those important surgeries.

Robyn

Actually the higher prices are about the same where I am too. It has been a few years (my youngest is 4). It may vary depending on clinic type - i.e. mine doesn't have an option for low-cost so you would go someplace else for that. I suppose too...do they all use isoflurane, how do they monitor blood pressure during surgery, etc.

I will have to check to see what we paid, but I think our city picks up much of the tab.

Here in Dubai, one vet charges about $70-90 for neutering (male and female kitten respectively), another charges $100-120.

When I needed to vaccinate Pumpkin and her kittens before homing them, I learnt that the clinics get the Tri-Vac for as little as $10 (that's how we managed doing that for all eight of them), and they charge their clients $80 for the vaccinations, and another $40 for an external health check.

Assuming vet costs in the US are way higher than in this region, $345 - 550 still sounds a bit too much.

550 sounds outrageous to me to neauter a male cat. Does that include bloodwork and iv fluids? I think the clinic where I work charges around 160 for a dog but bloodwork and fluids are extra if the owner wants that. We're not the highest nor the cheapest around here.

Lisa

When I had my male cat, and female dog done at the same time it was less than $200, and that included an overnight stay since I was on jury duty and had to be in court before drop off time on surgery day.

My vet bases her spay and neuter costs on weight. I think I paid around $150 for a 6 month old lab, a couple years ago.

I agree that it is a very simple operation to neuter a male cat and that $550 is a shocking price but that is the way it is. The fee is for performing the actual operation and an overnight stay. It does not include bloodwork or shots. Anything extra is billed separatedly.

There probably are some places around that might be somewhat less but I doubt they would be a whole lot less unless you went to some type of low cost spay place.

My vet is outstanding. He owns the hospital and has five other vets and about thirty other people working there. It is a full hospital. I have been with my vet for years even before he purchased the hospital.

I have dealt with a number of vets over the years and he is the only one who I totally trust and he has never let me down. His fees are sometimes higher than other vets but he is so worth it.

I also think the fee will vary depending on the area. My vet and I are located in one of the most expensive areas in the country.

I would find out EXACTLY what is included in the price of the neuter. $180 sounds like there may be pre-anesthetic bloodwork included. $550 sounds like there is a LOT of stuff included besides just a routine non-cryptorchid cat neuter. The surgery itself takes a grand total of 15 minutes from knock down to full recovery, even when I (a 4th year vet student) do it- it's literally a snip-snip, tie-tie, and done.

If the cat is cryptorchid (non-descended testicles) or is also getting an annual PE (which may be required if the vet hasn't seen your cat in over a year), vaccines, heartworm prevention, flea control, and pre-anesthetic bloodwork, pain control, all those things add to the base price. I personally think that $100 is a high-end price for the surgery, no matter where you live.

It is imperative to compare apples to apples when checking prices.

We paid $90 for our most recent stray. This included blood test for diseases, neutering, earmite treatment, one application of frontline, and all shots.

The vet that is going to do our puppy charges 97 bucks to neuter him. I cannot imagine $550! I do not know what the other vets in this area charges as I am using the vet that I have gotten the best ratings on.

My sister just had her female cat (6 months old) spayed, and the spaying itself cost $50. That's it, just fifty bucks. The shots and tests, because my sister found the kitty as a stray and wanted the works done to make sure the kitty was okay, cost $75. So, all together, $125.

Meghane is so right...In working with a rescue organization, we've had many, many cats spayed/neutered and here in SWPa, the cost is fairly reasonable...We also have a clinic that will spay/neuter ferals for a donation...It is completely run by volunteers, local vets giving up their Sundays to help out...Also, in checking with the local Humane Society, they will give reduced price coupons to be used at your local vet...I just can't imagine paying that much....

I pulled my receipts from 2003. The total includes very basic baseline testing ($45), FELV/FIV tests ($40). The total with those is $280 - so without was just under $200. This is a cat only clinic with two board certified feline vets - so their rates tend to be a bit higher even for basic things.

I got my puppy spayed about six months ago, and the basic spay was $65. The pre-surgery blood work was $30. With her remaining puppy shots, and having her microchipped, the grand total was $147.35. My vet determines the spay based on the dogs weight, so it's closer to $100 if you have a large breed dog, and they charge you double if your pet is in heat.

A neuter is $45 for cats, and dogs under 20lbs.

I know that there are other vet clinics in my area that charge $250-300 for the whole package, and people pay it, but the vet I go to, offers low-cost spay and neuter, specifically so people won't be put off by the price.

Kitty cost me about 100 to spay, I didn't get a breakdown but I did from the vet I had always used and including lab, anesthesia, meds, IV, etc it was going to be over 300 and that's why I chose the cheaper place. They got the job done but later I learned that some places don't even use anesthesia, just tie animal on a board, no lab, the cheapest way. I felt really bad after that because it was very impersonal, just drop her here and pick her up at 5 o'clock. About a year later, the state closed down that hospital because of past problems.

What kind of places don't use anesthesia? Tie the animal down?

Years ago I had seen spay and neuter places open up and just disappear after a while. I wonder if they had problems like that described by terrapots.

That is a concern. So many people just look for the lowest cost and will drop their animal off any where just to save some money. Although it is a simple operation for males, it is still surgery. It is not simple for females. There is a lot of risk involved.

Thanks everyone for your responses. Premier: $550? That sounds outrageous to me! It sounds like my vet is pretty much right in the middle of the road. Adopting an already neutered pet is certainly a good deal - I paid $70 for my 1 year old neutered rescue dog this past spring.

My estimate does include pre-surgery bloodwork, anesthesia, monitoring etc. And this particular vet and his assistants really do try to keep costs down in other ways, so I really shouldn't complain. The little guy will lose his $180 marbles next week as planned.

"I don't know where in the United States you live but $345 and $550 to neuter a male cat sounds outrageous. The neutering is a simple surgery. Even if the cats are adults this seems so high. "

I live in Maryland which is a very expensive state to live in period. I agree it is outragous (and it was a male too)
Too bad I didnt know about the lower cost clinics that do it back then.The only good thing is,he is a great cat and we've had him forever so it was worth it.

Around here it cost under $100 to neuter either a male or female cat.

While looking for another receipt yesterday I found the one for Dude and Thistle, it was $95 for the 2 of them to get "tutored" (from a funny story I heard once), and spend the night.

I know firsthand that vets fluctuate greatly around here. We used to drive back into the city when we first got our dog - 30 miles one way - we saved that much $$ over the expensive vets here. We live in an area surrounded by lots of big "estate homes" and I suspect the vets charge what they can get.

We finally found a good and reasonable one after years of driving back into the city.

Maybe it's the same way in Connecticut.

Here the SPCA does it for about 50.00 dollars, but if they haven't had shots it's like 113.00 for everything. Standard adoption fee is 75.00 to get one from them. The last vet I called was 250.00 dollars, I hung up the phone.

I think there is frequently too much emphasis on low cost neuter/spays. The pets well being should be of more importance. Not saying the vet should be able to rip you off, but I think sometimes the low cost options are low cost for a reason. Please read this link....'Before a Routine Surgery'...and the story of the relief vet doing low cost neuters and spays. What an awful story.

Here is a link that might be useful: vet techs

Another option for low cost spay/neuter if you have a "vet college" in your area, they MAY offer a low cost clinic so the Vets can get their "real life" training. By the time they get to this level they know their stuff, just need to "practice".
They are also under the supervision of an experienced vet.

Great tip, scottymam - thanks!

I sort of stopped reading this thread after 300 bucks for a cat. To me that is just crazy. In our area, just outside of Nashville, it's about $100 for a cat. If you visit your local shelter or humane society, you can obtain a coupon that cuts that cost in half or a third. From the local shelter, it's $35 for a cat or $85 if the cat is in heat.

I simply cannot fathom more than $100 for a cat spay or neuter. Neuter should be less than the spay since it is a less invasive surgery.

Silvergold, intelligent link, hope some will read it.

No idea what the cost of a spay neuter in my area is or was. It's probably the least expensive part of owning a pet. To paraphrase the vet tech in the article Silvergold linked - I'm frugal, but I don't price shop for vet care.

I have good vets, and when a new specialist is added I interview and select based on qualifications, experience, and reputation. Cost comparison is NOT part of the decision when ensuring quality care for my dogs and cats.

I think a spay/neuter quite a different situation than a medical emergency. I don't see a problem with getting the surgery done with a shelter or SPCA. If you adopt from them, they operate on the animal before you can take it home. Why should they not be trusted with other animals? Quality care is one thing, paying for the vet's Mercedes is quite another.

If you check with "Friends of Animals" you will get a certificate for $50.00.This was over ten years ago .I think they are still in business

Cat most recently spayed, I paid $75.

My original cat was adopted from no-kill already spayed and up to date on shots, adoption fee was $98.

Goldy, I did check with Friends of Animals, in fact that is how I found this vet in the first place. But the certificate only applies to the spaying part, not the pre-anesthesia bloodwork, or the other stuff that goes along with it. In the end it was only going to save me $15, so I'm not going to bother. This vet has been very good to me and my animals, so I'm not going to give him a hard time about such a small savings.

Things have changed.I took my dog in and the next day picked him up .$50,.00 is all I payed.This was seven years ago.

The going rate in this area by private vets is around $250 + boarding for neutering a male dog w/ anastesia . I don't know how to spell that word sorry. :-) A vet we were at today to get a microchip charges $270! Also charged near $50 for a mchip so I guess you can say ouch. When you adpt from the public animal shelter its included in their nominal fee.

My first cat went to a fancy cat hospital right outside of DC to get spayed about 3 years ago. Even with a reduced fee spay certificate from the local SPCA it cost a lot more then 500.00.

If you really like your vet then maybe it's worth it for you, but I would check around. 2 hours away from DC near where my sister lives (now I live there too!) it costs around 100.00 for a spay, so if you have family decently near I'd check around them as well.

Good luck finding a place both you and your fur-baby love! :-)