Can a cat be spayed at 4 months, or is it better to wait?

When a kitten is adopted, especially as a young one, it’s common for some doubts to arise regarding the ideal age for spaying, isn’t it?

First-time pet parents often research the subject through various sources, but still, they remain uncertain whether a cat can be spayed at four months, as this information is widely spread. In this post, we’ll address this issue. Keep reading to find out!

Spaying is a greater good

Before answering at what age a cat can be spayed, let’s talk about the population control of these felines. Spaying is the best method for this purpose. With it, many kittens have stopped being abandoned on the streets and transmitting diseases to humans and other animals.

Kittens from NGOs and shelters undergo surgery around two months old because they need to go to new homes already spayed. Otherwise, they might become breeders due to the neglect of some adopters.

So, one situation is spaying a kitten from a home with conscious guardians, another is spaying abandoned animals to prevent the abandonment of others, an increase in the number of zoonotic cases, and cruelty to these furry ones. Now, we can discuss if a cat can be spayed at 4 months.

What is the best time to spay a male cat?

Although spaying has been a topic discussed by veterinarians for a long time, there are still doubts about the best time to perform surgery on felines, especially the neutering of male cats.

In the past, many professionals associated urinary problems, such as urethral obstruction, with early spaying. Therefore, the surgery was recommended at nine months of age.

However, with new studies and analyses of urethral obstruction cases, professionals observed that a cat has complete urinary development at five months, and this became the recommended age for neutering males.

There is still another unanswered question: why do some early-neutered cats have blocked urethras, but others do not? It seems that obesity plays a significant role in the condition. Therefore, the recommendation is to maintain a balanced diet for kittens.

What is the best time to spay a female cat?

Spaying a female cat is a somewhat simpler matter compared to neutering a male cat. The most indicated time is before puberty, as long as she already weighs 2 kg or more. Keep reading to learn if a cat can be spayed at 4 months!

What is the puberty of a female cat?

Puberty occurs when the female cat has its first heat cycle. The cat is classified as a seasonal polyestrous female with long days. This means she has more than one heat cycle per year (polyestrous) in seasons when days are longer.

This information is essential as it explains the reproductive behavior of the cat and what influences it. Anyone who has had a cat in heat knows how much she suffers because it takes a while to come out and soon goes into heat again.

The spaying of the female cat is done before this tumultuous event to avoid stress for everyone involved and, especially, her suffering. The age at which she usually enters puberty is from 5 to 9 months.

Therefore, there is no consensus among specialists. Some believe it is ideal to spay before the first heat, while others recommend waiting for the animal to develop. Now that you know if a cat can be spayed at 4 months, let’s address some myths that need to be clarified once and for all about spaying!

The neutered cat becomes sad

The guardian may be in doubt whether they are interfering with nature and leaving the pet frustrated when neutering the cat. However, this is not true. Animals do not create expectations of finding a partner and having children. They only follow the reproductive instinct.

When the sexual maturity of cats arrives, hormones make them go in search of partners, but solely for the purpose of perpetuating the species, nothing more than that.

The unneutered animal feels the urge to go in search of a female or male to reproduce, and if the guardian keeps it indoors, it suffers. So, don’t worry: neutering your cat is an act of love.

The female cat needs to have a litter to avoid breast cancer

This is one of the great myths about the female cat: she would have to become pregnant in every heat cycle to reduce the chance of breast cancer. However, what to do with so many kittens?

Spaying reduces the chance of breast cancer to almost zero, in addition to preventing pyometra, a very serious uterine infection that can lead the cat to death. Therefore, spay your female cat!

Can a cat be spayed at 4 months, or is it better to wait: Spaying makes the cat gain weight

What makes a cat gain weight is an energy imbalance or a decrease in physical activity. In the case of spaying, as the pet no longer competes for territory or partners, if it continues to eat the same amount of food, it will gain weight. To avoid this, simply control the portion offered!

Today, we answered for you the question “Can a cat be spayed at 4 months, or is it better to wait?” If you liked it, share it with your contacts, maybe there’s someone facing this dilemma, so you can help the owner and the kitten!