As a cat owner, one of the most important decisions that you need to face is to get your cat neutered. Neutering is the term used for removing the testicles of males and spaying for females when it comes to the removal of their entire reproductive tract. Normally, cats are neutered when they are 6-8 months old but some owners prefer neutering their pets as early as possible. It is suggested for kittens to be neutered when they are 8-12 weeks old and should weigh at least two pounds. Neutering and spaying benefit your cats a lot as it will prevent testicular cancer and prostate problems. This will also help your cats to be healthier and calmer. So how much does it cost to neuter a cat?
Average Cost of Cat Neutering
Normally, cat neutering services are priced at around $50-$100. The spaying service for female cats is around $100-$200 dollars since it is a more complicated process than neutering. Neutering male cats costs less since the procedure will be done outside of the cat’s body and isles invasive.
But keep in mind thatkitten neutering price varies depending on the location and the type of clinic that will perform the surgery or the veterinarian who will do it. In some case, these surgeries are priced higher.
A trip to the nearest pet clinic will give you some ideas on how much does it cost to neuter a cat. They can offer their services for kitten neutering at a good price. But some organization, shelters, veterinarians or pet clinics that specialize in cat neutering and spaying can give these services at a lower price. They usually require you to schedule an appointment but don’t worry about the price if it’s cheap because the surgeries are always done by licensed veterinarians!
They can offer their cat neutering services at around $20-$50.
The cost to spay a cat is around $50-$70. As always, spaying a cat is priced higher than neutering.
Spay/Neuter Service Centers
There are also cat charity programs and veterinary schools that offer these services. Some are cheaper and if you are lucky they can offer it to you for free.
Low cost clinics will offer these surgeries depending on the owner’s capability to pay and may sometimes require you to show proof of income to help you determine the cost of the surgery, either neutering or spaying.
You can also check for discount coupons offered by some veterinarians to lessen the cost to spay your cats or to neuter them.
In some cases, adoption shelters or humane societies will offer neutering or spaying cats as an inclusion to their adoption fee where you can save around $50-$60.
Other Costs Associated for Neutering Cats
Since cat neutering is a type of surgery there are other factors to be considered before the procedure. There will be bloodwork and vaccinations to be done beforehand to make sure that the kidneys and liver of your cat is working properly and is healthy and good for surgery. This option may cost around $40. If your cat is overweight or in heat you might pay an additional $25-$30 on the cost to spay a cat. An additional $50 to $100 more if your cat is pregnant. This depends on the stage of your cat’s pregnancy.
Laser surgery can sometimes be offered if it is available for spaying or neutering cats. There will be an additional of $30 to $60 or possibly more on the cat or kitten neutering price or spaying cost.
There may also be additional charges if cats that will undergo these surgeries are purebred.
Low Cost Cat Neutering/Spaying Service
There are also other spay/neuter services that offer their surgeries for $10 only if you qualify their requirements.
Spay & Save helps those who cannot afford to pay for the spaying or neutering of their cat through a private veterinarian.
Spay & Save serves the greater Portland/Vancouver metro area, including the following four counties: Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas or Clark County.
Cat owners who are receiving one or more of the following forms of government assistance qualify for Spay & Save’s $10 cat spay or neuter:
- Medicaid
- WIC
- Food Stamps
- SSI
- Section 8
- Public Housing
- TANF
- Oregon Health Plan
- Meals on Wheels
- Subsidized School Lunch Program
If you do not qualify on at least one of the above they offer their services at $20 for neutering cost for male cats and $25 for spaying female cats which are also a good price for these types of surgeries.
Sites like Humane Society and ASPCA have a list of locations where you can have these surgeries done.
Asking some of your cat lover friends about the price range for cat neutering or spaying can also help. And you can try asking local vet clinics for price quotes too.
Post Operatory Effect for Neutered/Spayed Cats
After the surgery, your cat may be groggy due to the general anesthesia given before the surgery. Make sure the cat rests comfortably when you get home. Your cat will recover from the general anesthesia around 18-24 hours so it is best to let it have some good rest. Your cat may also do more sleeping after the surgery so do not worry, it is normal as they are trying to gain back the energy that they lost before and during the surgery.
Let your cat have its “me” time and try not to touch it too much as it will feel a bit agitated because of the surgery.
There may also be some side effects like swelling or redness of the surgery wound, infections, and scarring. These side effects can be treated with antibiotics that the veterinarian will prescribe. The veterinarian might also prescribe some pain reliever medicine for your cat if it feels agitated or walks stiffly and does not want to sit for a long time.
Your cat may also have a poor balance so be sure to assist it from time to time to avoid getting the stitches damaged especially if the surgery was given to a kitten.