Vets receptionist keeps telling me that my kitten is younger than I think he is.

[Rollergirl1]

I am trying to book my boy in for a castration. He was born 1st October. I am trying to make the appointment for next Friday (30th) March and by my working out that makes him pretty much bang on 6 months (Oct to end of April = 6 months). But receptionist keeps saying he's less than 25 weeks which makes him just less than 5 months and so he's still too young, like a month too young. He will be 25 weeks exactly this Saturday. How on earth does this make him less than 5 months?!! 6 x 4 = 24 weeks. He'll be one day less than 26 weeks when I want him castrated so how is he too young?

Do Vets calculate the age of cats in a different way to us mere mortals?

Change vets, somme do it as early as 2 weeks - look at Cats Protection for a list

do you mean the end of april or the 30th march?

Sorry I meant the end of march.

I don't really want to take him to another vet as this place is 2 mins walk from our house so extremely convenient.

I just genuinely wanted to know if they work things out differently. I asked her how many weeks she classed as 6 months and she was about to say 30. But that would mean that she was working to 5 week months every month, which isn't right.

Our computer system changes an age every 4.25 weeks by 1 month. Have they got the correct date of birth in their computer?

Lizcat: They do have the correct birth as they have read it back to me. And they have the correct amount of weeks that he is. He will be be 25 weeks old on Saturday. But she keeps saying that 25 weeks is less than 5 months old and I don't see how that can be.

Are you saying that your computer changes the age every 4 weeks and 3 days (rounding up) for each month of age? I still don't see how she could come to him being less than 5 months now but I see him as being 6 months by the end of March?

She is being an idiot. Whatever way you look at it 26 weeks is 6 months. So 25 weeks is 5.75 months.
I had my pair of boys done at 5 months as I'd read they were less likely to spray if they were done earlier. I'm not sure if that's true but after having had a spraying male who was done at 6.5 months. Our vet was fine with anywhere from 5 months on.
I would phone up and tell her you want it booked for the 30th despite her dodgy maths and point out that there are 52 weeks in a year.

I thought the 6 month thing was because most cats will be above the safe weight for a GA then, if they weigh the right amount before 6 months then it can be done sooner?

My two older cats were done at 4 months, one arranged by the RSPCA (I adopted him from there) and the other at the same local vet who did the procedures for the RSPCA. My younger two were done at 6 months and 1 year, my vet said it was weight dependent but we couldn't afford it before then so got the boy done and then the girl, they were kept in until they were done. I think the vet said above 2.5-3kg and they were ok to be done.

It is not unusual for vets to neuter cats from 4 months nowadays so really this actual age of no real concern. Have you considered trying another local vet maybe instead if your current vet surgery insists on sticking by their policy and their calculations?

I just lied to the vet & insisted they were 6 months when they were really only 5.5 months. I think you should come back & state their birthdate is really 1 September, "oops".

Around here it's hard to find vets that will do it under 6 months, too.

Well I insisted on an appointment for today and took him this morning and the vet examined him and said that she was perfectly happy to go ahead with it. She didn't even ask his age so I think it was just the receptionist being a div.

The vet said that she would explain the after-care when I pick up but said if all goes well she shouldn't really be affected in any way. Is that the case? Will he not be a bit sore at least?

This website may help you find a clinic who neuter early www.cats.org.uk/early-neutering