Low Cost Spay/Neuter Information & Resources
 

By now most of you are aware of how full the shelters and rescues are each year; how many cats are euthanized due to shelters not having enough space; and how much of a cat overpopulation issue we have here in Ohio.  There are far too many homeless cats and kittens, and with that comes hardship and disease that could have been prevented.  

Here are a few important reasons why getting cats and kittens fixed is essential:  

  1. There will be no more surprise pregnancies, therefore lowering the issue of overpopulation.  Female cats can produce their first litter at 4 months old, and can have three litters a year with on average 4 kittens a litter.  That can add up to a lot of cats pretty quickly.
  2. The kitties will also be much more adoptable given the biggest upfront expense is already taken care of
  3. Spaying/neutering can lead to better behavior and health  
    • A spayed female won't go into heat each month, reducing the issues of frequent urination, discharge and yowling.  
    • A spayed female also has a much reduced risk of female cancers.  
    • A neutered male won't feel the need to mark his territory or roam long distances from home for a mate.
    • A neutered male also has a much reduced risk of male cancers.  
    • Spayed and neutered cats also get along much better with each other, reducing the instances of fights resulting in serious wounds and disease transmission, and have much better behavior around people since the hormones aren't surging.


Both males and females can be fixed at 4 months.  I like to wait an extra month for females just to give them a bit more time to mature internally, but if you have outside kittens and are worried about a local Tom cat making googly eyes with them, then by all means spay those female kittens at 4 months before they have their first litter.

Some vets will spay/neuter a kitten if it is at least 2lbs.  I am no vet, but I personally feel that that age is too young.  Many kittens have just been weaned at 2 months old and are 2lbs.  They just don't have the time to mature normally for their own health before they have such an invasive surgery.

Just so everyone is informed, the low cost spay/neuter options are a quick method, similar to an assembly line, and is a lot less personal than at a vet.  A vet might be more expensive, but they also offer a more personal touch, many even offer pain medication post surgery.  

However, the low cost option definitely is needed and serves an incredibly wonderful purpose.

So bottom line, the kitties need to be fixed, so whatever method you choose is a good method to keep from having more kittens.


The information below is by no means an exhaustive list, but I add more as I learn of them. Always check with your local area for low-cost spay/neuter options – Humane societies, rescues and some vets will know

National :

 

 

Ohio-based :