Alley Cat Allies has long supported pediatric spay and neuter, which is performed when healthy kittens are about 2 months old and weigh 2 pounds. Now the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and other veterinary groups are slowly moving in this direction.
In a recent decision, the AVMA endorsed a recommendation that veterinarians spay and neuter cats by 5 months of age, one month earlier than had been customary. Cats, however, can get pregnant as young as 4 months. The Veterinary Task Force on Feline Sterilization made the new recommendation.
The Feline Fix by Five campaign, spearheaded by Esther Mechler and Joan Miller, advocated for the task force’s recommendation. Mechler has been a driving force in the spay and neuter movement in the United States for the past 30 years.
*This article was originally published in Alley Cat Action, Volume 28, Issue 3, Spring 2018.
