Neutering is the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies, in both cats and dogs. But some owners may be anxious about making this decision on behalf of their pets. They may be concerned about possible behaviour changes, weight gain, or other health issues in their pet.

Even those owners who are convinced of the benefits of neutering may be unsure about the best time for their pets to have the surgery. There are also more options for different types of surgery and some medical options.

Neutering is not a trivial procedure but the benefits outweigh the welfare implications in many cases. Neutering should always be performed with adequate anaesthesia, and pain relief should be given to an animal pre- and post-operatively.

We strongly support the practice of neutering cats and dogs to prevent the birth of unwanted kittens and puppies, which can increase the stray population as well as impacting the health and welfare of the mother. Neutering can also prevent or reduce the instance of various health conditions associated with the uterus, ovaries or testicles. However, there is evidence that it may increase the risk for other health conditions, particularly in some breeds of dog.

We recommend that cats are neutered at around 16 weeks due to the difficulties of preventing unwanted breeding.

We recommend that female dogs are neutered in most cases due to the impacts of unwanted litters noted above. The case for neutering male dogs is more complicated and should be considered on a case-by-case basis.

For both male and female dogs, we recommend the procedure is not carried out until the animal has reached maturity as the loss of hormones can have an impact on musculo-skeletal development. Skeletal maturity is reached between 12 and 23 months, depending on the breed, with larger breeds maturing later.