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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

When to get male kitten neutered?

43 replies

Nahhh · 17/08/2021 22:31

My kitten is coming up to 5 months old. He’s had his first two lots of vaccinations. I was always under the impression that cats should be neutered ASAP but my vet says we should wait until he’s around 8 months old to let him “mature”. I’ve never heard of this before so I was wondering what other people’s opinions are.

He LOVES exploring the garden but is beginning to get too adventurous for his own good (see picture of him up a tree) and I’m worried that he will try and venture out soon which obviously isn’t a good idea pre-op….

When to get male kitten neutered?
OP posts:
Beamur · 17/08/2021 22:32

I think our last male kitten was about 6 months. I'd take your vets advice.

soddingkitten · 17/08/2021 22:36

We had Sodding neutered at around 5 months. He’s so dainty compared our previous Siamese boys I now think we should have waited a little longer. I have heard early neutering can stunt growth.

heymammy · 17/08/2021 22:39

My vet said 6 months for male kittens so I would keep him in for a wee while or try a nd avoid him leaving the garden... he will be getting to the fertile stage soon

heymammy · 17/08/2021 22:41

I put dkitten on a double length lead for garden walks 😅 in the run up to him getting neutered, just to make sure he didn't escape!

dementedpixie · 17/08/2021 22:42

It's advised at 4 months. I wouldn't wait until 8 months

DeathMetalMum · 17/08/2021 22:45

Both our cats male and female done at 12 weeks, reccomended by both the vets and cats protection. Female cat is on the smaller side but male seems a normal size to me.

GeorgeMichaelBluth · 17/08/2021 22:45

4 months and he's a big boy so it didn't stunt him.

ThreeWitches · 17/08/2021 22:50

4 months here too.

flightofthewilderbeast · 17/08/2021 22:51

4 months for both mine too

Willow4987 · 17/08/2021 22:51

Ours were between 5 and 6 months

AnnaMagnani · 17/08/2021 22:55

Mature? Only thing that makes them mature is getting their balls off otherwise it's non-stop fights, getting lost and getting the neighbour's pedigree cat pregnant.

If he'd been a rescue kitten he'd have been done weeks ago!

soddingkitten · 17/08/2021 22:56

I am finding these replies reassuring. It’s possible Sodding was always going to be smaller than his predecessors. His mum is slight.

Beamur · 17/08/2021 22:59

Rescues are done when they meet a certain weight and can be pretty young. Mine was a pedigree and the breeders recommend leaving it a bit longer.i don't suppose it really matters that much or there wouldn't be such variation.

icedcoffees · 18/08/2021 05:57

Our vets wouldn't do it until six months.

He's pretty dainty now at 15 months old. Our big fat male rescue was done at twelve weeks according to his papers and he's genuinely enormous Grin

Weighs around 8kg or so.

MrsCatE · 18/08/2021 07:05

Can’t remember but well before 6 months. I was told my the vet nurse that it was ‘unethical’ to get him done when I tried to book an appointment. I informed her that BastardCat was shagging his blankie, achieving a happy ending and having a fag afterwards.

idsisatwat · 18/08/2021 07:08

Our vet said 4 months/when he gets to 2kg. But I think that’s because we’ve got a brother/sister pair, so he’ll be going in asap

ItsSnowJokes · 18/08/2021 07:20

A lot of vets say 6 months. They can be done from 13 weeks and a lot more professionals are moving towards earlier times for males and females.

ponygirlcurtis · 18/08/2021 07:32

My two were done by the rescue centre when they came in at 14 weeks old. Both normal size male cats (one is quite big, can hear him walking around!).

crochetcrazy1978 · 18/08/2021 07:42

I had mine done at 4 months

spurs4ever · 18/08/2021 07:49

Go with your vets advice. My rescue kitten was done the day before we got him (11 weeks) and he humps everything in sight when he gets stressed. I'm convinced it's partly due to being neutered too soon x

JS87 · 18/08/2021 07:52

ASAP. I had ours done at four months. Had to insist at the vets as lots say six months but official advice is four months. Our last neutered male rescue cats sprayed in the house so I wanted him to get neutered well before puberty to prevent that happening. The last ones which sprayed were neutered around nine months.

Kotatsu · 18/08/2021 07:58

Go with your vet, but we had ours done at 5 months - but he was living with his sister (also done the same day), and already trying to have his way with her.

TBH, he didn't even notice (she had a harder time, had to keep them separate while she healed). Even the vet said that as soon as he was out of sedation he was yelling at everyone and demanding food and attention like normal.

LavenderAskew · 18/08/2021 08:04

Four months for my kitten I tried to keep him In until 6 months..

Certainly did stop him being adventurous or exploring (or being a master escapee).

nordica · 18/08/2021 08:08

You shouldn't let an unneutered cat out at all. They will wander off and can easily get lost as they will roam long distances, and contribute to even more kittens being born.

Mine was done at about 4 months because he has a sister of the same age and it was safer to get him done first (his sister was a bit smaller).

MilduraS · 18/08/2021 08:52

Mine is being done next week at 4 months. He's a Maine Coone so a bit bigger than average at 2kg when he was 12 weeks.

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