Is my cat too old to be neutered? What's the maximum age limit?

Hello. There is belief that neutering a very young kitten (2-4 months of age) which is commonly done now may limit the size of the urethra and make it easier for a urinary blockage to occur if the cat has infections or cystitis. Your year old cat has already grown as much as he is going to and neutering him now will not change anything with his development. The benefit of neutering him is to reduce his desire to mark territory in the House by yeinating on it. The odor of his urine would also be much less intense and that can be a positive for an indoor cat. Neutering him at this age should not have any detrimental effects. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It may be that they are heading towards sexual maturity or the female cat expressed her anal glands. Most neutered male cats will lick themselves while their penis is out. I would consider neutering him sooner, as long as he is 5 lbs I think it is fine to do before 6 months of age. Good luck!

Of course it's not too late to neuter Fluffy! You won't be accused of animal neglect for not doing it sooner, it's great that you want to have it done now. You can set up an appointment with your vet to have it done soon :-)

How lovely of you to bring him Cactus! Even though he's not showing behavioral signs now, it doesn't mean that he won't start spraying to mark his territory and want to go outside to roam. Also intact male cats tend to be poor groomers, causing them to become matted and scruffy-looking. On the other hand, neutered male cats tend to pay more attention to themselves and keep themselves clean. I think having him neutered would be a good idea. Best of luck.

Hello, they should be at least 2-4 months old, have both testicles descended into their scrotum, and weigh at least 2 lbs. They should also have had their vaccines up to date and should have been dewormed, although both of those can be done the day of surgery. Hope this helps.

Neutering will keep him from roaming as much although if he continues to go outside he may still fight with other cats. The urine marking in the house may stop but there is no guarantee as he is already older. If they are neutered young (like less than 6 months of age) then that behaviour is virtually non-existent. So, to answer your question......maybe some of the bad behaviours will stop but there is no guarantee. Regardless, it is better to have him neutered and I highly recommend it.

Male cats that are neutered after they reach sexual maturity are more likely to continue to exhibit behaviors that were caused by testosterone even after they are neutered. These behaviors can include urine marking and humping types of behaviors. That is one of the reasons that we recommend neutering before sexual maturity. If the shelter neutered him before you adopted him, then I would not doubt that he is neutered, but you certainly can have your veterinarian examine him just to be on the safe side. Cats that have testosterone in their system will have physical characteristics that your veterinarian will be able to determine on exam. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.