The words spay and neuter are often used in the same context, but they dont mean exactly the same thing. These two words are often used interchangeably, and while the term "neuter" can be used in either context, "spay" cannot.
Female Animals
Spaying is an abdominal surgery that removes a female animals reproductive organs. The specific organs removed usually include the ovaries and the uterus, although in younger animals it is only necessary to remove the ovaries. The medical term for spaying is ovariohysterectomy.
Male Animals
Neutering is a term that can be used interchangeably for male or female surgery in an animal. However, the term is used most often when referring to a surgical procedure that removes a male animals reproductive organs, specifically the testes. Sometimes this is called castration or, when referring to horses, gelding. For neutering, the medical term is orchiectomy.
Other Terms
The term fixed is not gender specific and can be used to describe the surgery done on either male or female animals. Other non-gender-specific terms include sterilization, altering or gonadectomy.
Considerations
To have a male cat neutered is just as important as having a female cat spayed. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, having this procedure done can be beneficial to your pets health and will help to reduce the pet overpopulation problem that America faces today.
When to Fix
The conventional age for a male or female animal to be spayed or neutered is six months. According to the American Humane Association, a cat or dog can be spayed as early as six weeks of age. There are many proponents to early-age neutering, including the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association.
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