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That is a cat that is up to something!

I’ve heard if you leave them “intact” too long, they begin to ‘mark’ their territory. Yuck. If you get him snipped before he sprays, he never will. But ask your vet.

Apparently the average age of a male kitten reaching puberty is about 9 months.

Most vets recommend neutering by 6 months, just in case.

Regarding the garden… got any catnip growing? 😉

I am in favor of spaying and neutering pets, but I absolutely think the animal should be fully matured before the snipping and stitching is performed. Pets that are neutered too soon are pets with stunted brains, and never grow up mentally and socially. A permanently “juvenile” animal is a lousy pet, so it ends up in the animal shelter because the family can’t deal with the problems of an immature animal. People who train service dogs usually spay or neuter the dogs around three years of age, so the dog is mature physically and mentally.

I don’t know what the average age of maturity is for a cat. My cat was neutered when he was well past two, and we never had any of the problems that male cats often exhibit. If you want Mad Jack to be a good ranch hand, you have to let him grow up.

Vets want to get their hands on the animals as soon as possible, and I understand that. But in my opinion, they nearly always spay or neuter too soon.

Just my two cents …

But chickens are so delicious!

Yeah, I’m discovering if you ask the internet, vets recommend neutering as soon as possible — presumably because they’re afraid people won’t neuter at all.

I have had males that spray. It’s pretty nasty. But my main worry is that damn road and him becoming a wanderer.

Well. I won’t go any younger than six months, and I’d like to hold off longer. And ideally, as Deborah says, I’d love him to come to full maturity.

Impure!
Impure!

Impure!

Get yourself a British Burmese!
Not the defective Yankee ones either.

The vets are correct. Neuter ASAP. He’s old enough and it will have no effect whatsoever on his growth, intelligence, or socialization. The road, on the other hand, might.

All my animals have been neutered/spayed very early, around 6 months of age. They’ve all been very social animals (except for one who wasn’t). They all lived to be old by animal standards. My last animal is my current animal…a cat dumped by my property. She was as only as big as my out-stretched hand when she adopted me…about 1#. She was spayed then and had her ear mites and fleas taken care of at the same time. She is now old, fat, arthritic and 15 years old. I’ll love her till the day she dies…..just like I did all her preceding 7dogs and 1 cat.

In our perverted and absurd times, a cat dominates the house of Weasel. A cat (or about 8 of them per day) should provide proteins and cartilage for a high mileage mustelid. Instead, the cat is mau-mauing like some entitled usurper Weasel-organizer.

Deborah is a moron. Their brains are NOT stunted. Good grief. Get him snipped ASAP, before he learns to spray.

A lot of my cats were snipped early, and have never had stunting in brain or body size. The late great Coon cat mix, Arizona, was snipped at 8 months, and grew to be 14 lbs., not fat (and lived to be over 16). Little Tatiana the Siberian was already snipped at 5 months, and she never grew very big, but that was due to other health issues, and she was devilishly clever.

Keep Jack away from that road, and he’ll be fine.

Let me repeat: I believe in spaying and neutering house pets. But there are biological ramifications to the animal when we remove the reproductive organs and hormones too soon. Pups and kittens need those hormones to nourish developing bones, organs, muscles, and yes—brains. Neutering or spaying a mature dog or cat results in the best possible pet.

No wet pussy jokes? I am disappoint.

I can only speak to my experience. Vet would like ladies dogs fixed asap since delaying it could increase the risk of breast cancer (who knew). The guide dog school I raise for neuters them when they go back in for training (anywhere from 18 months to two years). The reason I was given is that, 1. they are looked at for breeding purposes, 2. their hips are x-rayed and since they are put to sleep for that they kill two birds with one stone.

So at what age would I neuter? Got me.

Get a goose and let him teach fuzzybutt what for….

Scube got Knicked.

I have never seen any issues with stunted physical development from early neutering. And since my cats grew about 5 times in size since then it isn’t like they stopped growing or maturing when the snip happened.

Frankly, with the crap that the sex drive puts cats of both sexes through, I imagine neutering is something of a relief.

You can definitely do it too soon, and end up with oversized kittens or puppies, but I don’t know exactly how late you should wait. I tend to trust vets when they say soon, but the “permanent immaturity” argument is compelling.

It definitely changes their behaviour and personality … but?
I think that they live longer from it … just like human knicks

Deborah drinks at the hippy watering hole a bit too much. Bones will close, regardless of going through puberty or not. Muscles will develop, although more fast twitch than slow twitch with less T around. Both will be influenced more by diet and exercise than whatever hormone stew their respective gonads ever could. Brain cells actually regulate the hormones, not the other way around. Snip them early and avoid STD’s, negative behaviors (spraying, roaming, fighting, “singing”), health issues (testicular cancer, rectal prolapse, prostate issues), and the possibility of even MORE unwanted, needlessly euthanized pets.
B.S. in Animal Science here. I got to do learn all about hormones and things like how manipulating hormones influence things, so I know a bit more than your average Joe.