How do I know my cat is ready to be sterilised?
The guideline is when your cat is six months old. Yes, it is still considered a kitten, but like humans, puberty is reached by cats when they are considered ‘teenagers’ – still young cats. For male kittens, the signs include: protruding testicles, spraying urine around the house, trying to run away. For female kittens: meowing loudly and continuously, bending into what is known as lordosis or the mating position – rear end up, tail to the side, hind legs ‘paddling’. Cats may come into sexual maturity even as early as four- or five-months old. Some cats take longer, up to eighteen-months old, but these are usually pedigrees such as the Siamese. To play it safe, sterilise at six-months old.
