Many people are under the impression that early age spay neuter is not safe - and, in fact, many believe that it adversely affects a kitten's behavior, health, growth or personality. This is not the case.
The Winn Feline Foundation (created by The Cat Fancier's Association in 1968 to create a source of funding for medical studies to improve the health and welfare of cats) conducted a long-term study to determine the effects of early age spay-neuter in cats. In the study
The kittens were divided into three groups:
Group 1 (11 kittens) were neutered or spayed at 7 weeks of age.
Group 2 (11 kittens) were neutered or spayed at 7 months.
Group 3 (the control group of 9 kittens) were not neutered until maturity and after the completion of the first phase of the study at 12 months.
An excerpt from the report:
"....There was generally no difference in food consumption between the three groups other than the differences between males and females, which were consistent in all groups. There was no difference observed in the growth rates in all three groups, although the males grew faster in all groups. Increased long bone length was observed in both males and females in Groups 1 and 2. This appeared to be due to the fact that physeal closing (closure of the bone growth plate) was delayed in Groups 1 & 2. This explains why cats neutered and spayed as kittens are frequently larger (longer and taller) than unaltered cats or cats altered later in life. This seems to be particularly true for males.
In terms of behavior, after 7 months, the cats in Group 3 were noticeably less affectionate and more aggressive prior to altering than the cats in Groups 1 and 2. Contrary to popular opinion, neutered animals were as active as their unaltered age mates.
Observations of urinary tract development showed no differences between the three groups other than the differences related to sex and these were consistent across all groups. The investigators measured the diameter of the urethra in the male kittens only and found no differences between the groups. Concerns have been raised that early neutering would result in smaller diameters in the urinary tract, resulting in an increased incidence of cystitis and related problems. This does not appear to be the case.....The results of this study so far indicate that the differences between cats neutered at 7 weeks and 7 months are insignificant. "
For a complete read, here is a link to the study report: http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/repo...ly-neuter.html
The recognition of safety and effectiveness of early age spay/neuter have led the AVMA, the American Humane Society, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals all to support early age spay-neuter - most of them for in excess of 10 years now.
The Winn Feline Foundation (created by The Cat Fancier's Association in 1968 to create a source of funding for medical studies to improve the health and welfare of cats) conducted a long-term study to determine the effects of early age spay-neuter in cats. In the study
The kittens were divided into three groups:
Group 1 (11 kittens) were neutered or spayed at 7 weeks of age.
Group 2 (11 kittens) were neutered or spayed at 7 months.
Group 3 (the control group of 9 kittens) were not neutered until maturity and after the completion of the first phase of the study at 12 months.
An excerpt from the report:
"....There was generally no difference in food consumption between the three groups other than the differences between males and females, which were consistent in all groups. There was no difference observed in the growth rates in all three groups, although the males grew faster in all groups. Increased long bone length was observed in both males and females in Groups 1 and 2. This appeared to be due to the fact that physeal closing (closure of the bone growth plate) was delayed in Groups 1 & 2. This explains why cats neutered and spayed as kittens are frequently larger (longer and taller) than unaltered cats or cats altered later in life. This seems to be particularly true for males.
In terms of behavior, after 7 months, the cats in Group 3 were noticeably less affectionate and more aggressive prior to altering than the cats in Groups 1 and 2. Contrary to popular opinion, neutered animals were as active as their unaltered age mates.
Observations of urinary tract development showed no differences between the three groups other than the differences related to sex and these were consistent across all groups. The investigators measured the diameter of the urethra in the male kittens only and found no differences between the groups. Concerns have been raised that early neutering would result in smaller diameters in the urinary tract, resulting in an increased incidence of cystitis and related problems. This does not appear to be the case.....The results of this study so far indicate that the differences between cats neutered at 7 weeks and 7 months are insignificant. "
For a complete read, here is a link to the study report: http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/repo...ly-neuter.html
The recognition of safety and effectiveness of early age spay/neuter have led the AVMA, the American Humane Society, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals all to support early age spay-neuter - most of them for in excess of 10 years now.