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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

Neutering my boy kitten

40 replies

PussyGaPaw · 12/02/2023 15:27

Hi all,

Is 4.5 months too young to neuter my boy kitten? I've seen things about potential urinary /growth issues later on if they are done too early, although the vets have said it should be fine.

He is booked to go in this week and I'm having second thoughts. Obviously the vets are the experts but I'm conscious that they are (understandably) concerned with ensuring as many cats as possible get neutered, and I'm just a bit worried this might skew their advice.

To be clear - he will absolutely be getting done, I'm just not sure whether to wait a bit or not. I also have a girl kitten (his sister) so I obviously need to balance my anxiety about getting him done too soon with the potential for them to mate (no signs of this at all yet but I very much want to avoid this 😀). Does anyone have any experience?

Thanks

OP posts:
dementedpixie · 12/02/2023 15:50

My 2 boys were done at 4 months as that's what's advised. I'd get yours done ASAP especially as you have a female cat too

Wolfiefan · 12/02/2023 15:58

Definitely not too soon. Get him done and get her booked in too. Also worth microchipping if you haven’t.

Grizzledstrawberry · 12/02/2023 16:00

My 3 my boys were done early, think around 5 months, never had a problem with any of them.

dementedpixie · 12/02/2023 16:02

And yes mine also got microchipped when they got neutered

Original poster
PussyGaPaw · 12/02/2023 16:08

Thanks all. They've both been microchipped already. And I'll be booking the girl in once she's 6 months (she's absolutely tiny atm so want to leave it as long as possible for her. They don't really go out at all yet, either, so no rush right now, especially once the boy is done 😊).

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 12/02/2023 16:09

They mustn’t go outside at all until neutered.

catherinewales · 12/02/2023 16:11

I had mine done at 4 months. He was absolutely fine. The earlier you get him done it's less likely he will spray.

MissingNightshades · 12/02/2023 16:21

Hi, urinary problems are more common in neutered males in general regardless of how old they are done, however if you compare that though with the massive risk of STDs many of which can kill or shorten their lives it's much better on balance to get him neutered quickly.
If you've not had your own cats neutered before be warned, he will make a massive fuss about it and need lots and lots of attention, his sister will want to carry on as if nothing has happened even though hers is the bigger op.

ChatterMonkey · 12/02/2023 16:21

Ours were neutered when we got them at 12 weeks, cats protection do them as soon as they reach the minimum weight needed (cant remember what that weight is) no issues at all from either the male or the female!

Costacoffeeplease · 12/02/2023 16:26

They really shouldn’t be going out at all until they’re neutered, I’ve seen pregnant females at 5 months old. As soon as they can be done, they should be.

Plump82 · 12/02/2023 16:32

We have boy girl siblings and they both went in the same day at 4 months. Definitely didn't do anything with regards to growth for my boy as he's a giant. Please consider getting your girl done at the same time. If she comes in to heat it will be miserable for you both. My girl was and is still tiny and she was fine. The incision was less than and inch long.

leafittome · 12/02/2023 16:38

I did both my girl and boy at 4 months. Both recovered well. I was relieved once they were done. If it's too soon and would harm then surely the vet will refuse to do it?

MyGrandmaLizzie · 12/02/2023 16:42

We had our boy cat neutered at 5 months. No problems for him at all. When we collected him in the afternoon he was fine and you would never have imagined that he'd had an operation that day.

mathanxiety · 12/02/2023 16:42

You need to get them both done before they start spraying and marking territory in your house.

Kittens can be spayed/ neutered when they reach 2lbs (around 2 months).

mathanxiety · 12/02/2023 16:44

YY to pregnant females at 5 months.

One of my DDs fosters mother cats and their litters. The poor mothers are so tiny. Most are under 8 months.

mathanxiety · 12/02/2023 16:47

And don't underestimate what a female will do to get outside once she comes into heat. They get incredibly single minded and next thing you know you have half a dozen kittens to home.

Please reconsider your plan to get your female spayed at 6 months. She could have it all over and done with this week.

Floralnomad · 12/02/2023 16:50

Our Siamese brother and sister were both done at 5 months , would have been done slightly earlier but I had to wait to get the vet I wanted to do them . Much easier having them both away on the same day .

Catname · 12/02/2023 17:20

My vet told me that the risk is not the propensity to urinary tract infections but how they can manage the problem, if it arises, with a very tiny penis. I had my girl done at 5 months and my boy at 8 months, booked as soon as his hormones were evident in his pee. However, neither were allowed out until they were both neutered.

Maximo2 · 12/02/2023 17:28

We had our brother and sister neutered at that age as that was the advice, but the male ended up with a hip fracture at 18 months. It’s a common problem in males that are neutered before 6 months. He’s okay now but he was in terrible pain at the time. I had no idea there was a risk.

MissMaple82 · 12/02/2023 17:47

No way too young. Get him done. I volunteer with a rescue, please for the love of God get him neutered

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 12/02/2023 17:53

My two Battersea boy kittens from 5 years ago were done at 9 weeks before we got them.

No sign of any problems yet.

MissMaple82 · 12/02/2023 17:57

Maximo2 · 12/02/2023 17:28

We had our brother and sister neutered at that age as that was the advice, but the male ended up with a hip fracture at 18 months. It’s a common problem in males that are neutered before 6 months. He’s okay now but he was in terrible pain at the time. I had no idea there was a risk.

Absolute nonsense! There's a risk in early neutering before 14 weeks, but it far outweighs the risk of the sheer amount of unwanted pregnancies. Studies have proven the concerns are unwarranted. Neuter at 4 months is the recommendation

Maximo2 · 12/02/2023 17:59

Just repeating what the vet told me 🤷‍♀️

Lonecatwithkitten · 12/02/2023 19:44

Maximo2 · 12/02/2023 17:28

We had our brother and sister neutered at that age as that was the advice, but the male ended up with a hip fracture at 18 months. It’s a common problem in males that are neutered before 6 months. He’s okay now but he was in terrible pain at the time. I had no idea there was a risk.

The vet is mis-quoting the study which in,y included 26 cats over a 10 year period. The single biggest factor was that every single one of the 26 cats was obese, there was delayed growth plate closure, but this could not be correlated to age of neutering only that all the cats were male and neutered.

Original poster
PussyGaPaw · 12/02/2023 20:17

Thanks everyone. When I say the cats aren't really going out, what I mean is that they have been outside on the patio for a sniff and then they've run back inside, terrified, 5 seconds after going through the door 😂. Intrepid they must definitely are not 😁.

They are both definitely getting neutered (we've already paid for both of them), I just want to get the timing right. My boy will be going in this week, as planned - thanks for your reassurances - and my girl will be booked in soon.

OP posts: