Tanzanite Cattery Information

In Australia and throughout much of the world it is currently recommended that male and female cats be neutered at around 5-7 months of age and older. As far as the "older" goes, the closer to the 5-7 months of age mark the better.

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There is less chance of your cat developing a testosterone dependant behavioural condition if he or she is desexed at a younger age. The reason for the 5-7 month age specification is mostly one of anaesthetic safety for elective procedures.

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When asked by owners why it is that a cat needs to wait until this 5-7 months of age to be desexed, most veterinarians would say that it is much safer for them to wait until this age before undergoing a general anaesthetic procedure.

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The theory is that the liver and kidneys of very young animals are much less mature than those of older animals and therefore less capable of tolerating the effects of anaesthetic drugs and less effective at metabolizing them and breaking them down and excreting them from the body.

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Younger animals are therefore expected to have prolonged recovery times and an increased risk of suffering from severe side effects, in particular liver and kidney damage, as a result of general anaesthesia.

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Consequently, many vets will choose not to anaesthetize a young kitten until the correct age being 5-7 months of age for an elective procedure such as neutering.