At what age should you spay/neuter your cats/kittens ... when I got my cat, the theory was she had to weigh over 'x' pounds in order to be put under anesthesia ... but that was 9 years ago ... At what age does a female cat go in to her first heat? Where can I find a list of low cost spay/neuter organizations in our area (Johnston Co/Wake Co)? Is it illegal to take a neighborhood cat, who is outside ALL the time, to be neutered, if you dont own him? I'm trying to help out a few friends with 'un-fixed' cats and kittens in the area ...
Many vets now perform 'pediatric' spay/neuter services - generally, the kitten or puppy needs to weigh at least two pounds. Some vets still believe that the 'old school' time of 5 1/2 - 6 months is better, however in most shelter situations, pediatric spay/neuter is practiced on a daily basis with no adverse affects. As far as the 'neughborhood cat' - I've taken a couple of Tom cats who were brutilized from fights - I didn't know who owned them, only that they showed up on my porch with ripped ears and in overall nasty shape. . .I returned them to the neighborhood and never saw them torn up afterwards. . .I call it a 'good Samaritan' thing. . .as far as legality goes - there is a leash law in Johnston and Wake counties - I feel it is better for the cat to be neutered and returned, then tossed into a shelter where they might only have a 20% chance of being adopted at best. . .these cats were obviously owned by someone who didn't give a darn. For low cost spay/neuter see Snap NC's website 60.00 for a male or female - includes shots and pain meds - a bargain in my opinion. http://www.snap-nc.org/services.htm BTW - how's Smiley Riley doing?
I second SNAP. Nice folks, inexpensive, and the same service you'd get at a vet's office (without the private room, I suppose... but it didn't seem like my cat minded much!) I think I had her spayed at 6 months... some people say you should wait until they have their first heat (female cats), but not sure that it really matters.
I really liked SAFE Haven for Cats. We've used them a few times now, and have nothing but good things to say about their spay/neuter program. I paid $100, and that included a full exam by the vet, female spay, rabies & distemper shots, FeLV test, Revolution flea & tick treatment and a pain meds shot after the surgery. They even cleaned her ears, clipped her nails, very thorough in my opinion. I think the website is www.safehavenforcats.org
