Veterinarians have traditionally advised clients to have their cats spayed and neutered at 6 months, but because cats can begin reproducing before then, the American Association of Feline Practitioners has updated its position statement on pediatric sterilization in cats to recommend spay/neuter by 5 months of age.

The AAFP says that this earlier age will help reduce the number of unplanned litters of kittens, because cats can become reproductively active as young as 5 months.

Early spay/neuter not only reduces the number of unwanted cats in animal shelters, it also improves the health of your cat over his or her lifetime, by reducing breast cancer and uterine infections in females and fighting-related injuries and behavioral problems in males.

The organization Feline Fix By Five is working to raise public awareness about the importance of early spay/neuter in cats.  They report that many owners do not know when they should have their cats fixed, often assuming it is in the 6 to 9-month range.

You can read more about the importance of early spay/neuter in cats on their cat parent resources page.  And check out this video for a quick overview:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FRCZun7etc&w=560&h=315]

We advocate for spay/neuter here at FACE too!  Did you know that all pets receiving a FACE grant for emergency veterinary care must be spayed or neutered?  If they aren’t already fixed, owners must agree to spay/neuter at the time of their animal’s treatment, or within a set timeframe (based on the pet’s health).

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