Cat Spay Cost for 2024 (And How to Save)

Responsible pet parents choose to spay their female cats to prevent unwanted pregnancies. The decision to spay your fur baby can bring up a number of questions, including the cat spay cost involved with the surgery.

What Does it Cost to Spay a Cat?

Cat spay cost is determined by a number of factors including your location, the operating facility, payment method and your fur baby’s medical history.

Location

Generally speaking, you’ll pay more for a spay in a large city than a smaller, rural town. So for instance, a cat parent in Los Angeles will most likely pay more for a spay surgery than someone in Rutland, Vermont.

Payment Method

The payment method you choose will also determine your overall cost for spay surgery. As an example, some vets may offer you a discount if you pay in cash. Other vets or financing options like Care Credit may allow you to pay for the surgery in installments. This would increase your total cost over time.

(NOTE: Many pet insurance providers offer wellness packages that pay for the costs of preventative care such as spaying, vaccinations and microchipping.)

Complications

As we mentioned, spay surgery is a fairly uncomplicated procedure with a limited risk of negative side effects. To decrease the risk even further, most vets will take preventative measures and order blood tests and possible other diagnostic tests to rule out any underlying health condition. These tests can increase the overall cost.

As with any surgery, there is a minor danger of complications such as an anesthetic reaction, internal bleeding, post-op infection and suture reaction. Should a medical complication occur that requires further medical or surgical treatment, the overall cost can also increase.

Facility

Spay surgery was once only offered in a traditional private veterinary practice. Now however, lower cost alternatives have cropped up over the last decade or so. 

The following are average cat spay costs you can expect at various types of clinical facilities:

• Private vet practice – $300 to $500
• Animal shelters and rescue organizations – $50 to $150
• Mobile pop-up clinics – $60 to $80
• Low-cost clinic – $30 to $50

There are also charities that provide subsidized or free spay services for those individuals or families that qualify. ASPCA can usually provide you with a list of low-cost or free programs in your area. There may be other animal organizations in your town or city that can also point you to those organizations that offer free or subsidized spay surgeries.

It’s important to mention that lower cost care doesn’t necessarily mean lower quality care. Having said that, low-cost clinics may not have the means to offer pre-surgery blood work, which is really important to rule out any underlying health concerns.

Be very certain you know who will be doing the surgery and inquire into their procedure. Those low-cost facilities who focus more on a high turnover rate may cut some corners that could result in surgery complications for your fur baby. 

Benefits of Spaying Your Cat

Did you know that, on average, an unspayed cat can have up to three litters of kittens (with an average of 4 kittens per litter) in a single year? So the first and most talked about benefit of spaying and neutering is always that it will help to control the cat population. We don’t need any more sweet kittens winding up in shelters in search of a forever home.

But spaying your cat also offers her medical benefits.

Pyometra

Removing your cat’s uterus can help prevent a life-threatening condition called pyometra. This is an infection where the uterus fills with pus. If left untreated, a cat can quickly die from sepsis.

Mammary Cancer

Spaying your fur baby will also lower her risk of developing mammary cancer later in life. Intact female cats are 86% more likely to develop mammary cancer than those cats who have been spayed at age one or two.

Spaying cats even earlier in life, under the age of 6 months, have a 91% reduction in the risk of developing mammary cancer.

Lost Cats

Female cats in heat are constantly in search of a mate. These fur babies are far more likely to try and escape the home. Sadly, when this does happen, these cats are at risk of becoming lost and even injured. Spaying your cat will stop her from going into heat.

Can Pet Insurance Help with Cat Spay Cost?

Traditional accident & illness insurance plans don’t cover the costs associated with routine or preventative care. Because of this, more and more pet insurance providers are offering add-on wellness packages to cover costs for spaying and neutering, vaccinations, dental care and more.

Pet Insurance Review makes it easy to compare insurance providers so you can find one that will help with cat spay costs.

And to give you an idea of the insurance companies on the market, here are the top providers based on reviews from pet parents just like you:

References:

Howe LM. Current perspectives on the optimal age to spay/castrate dogs and cats. Vet Med (Auckl). 2015 May 8;6:171-180. doi: 10.2147/VMRR.S53264. PMID: 30101104; PMCID: PMC6070019.

https://www.petmd.com/cat/care/evr_ct_how-much-does-it-cost-to-spay-a-cat

The information contained on this blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. It is not a substitute for professional veterinary care. Always consult with your veterinarian before making any changes to your pet's health care or treatment plan.

The authors of this blog are not veterinarians and do not claim to be experts in pet health. The information provided here is based on our own experiences and research, as well as information from reputable sources. However, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of this information.

We encourage you to do your own research and consult with your veterinarian before making any decisions about your pet's health.