Does neuturing a cat effect how big of a cat he's going to be?

[berties mum]

Bertie was neutered at 5 months and is an enormous cat - he's 19lb and the vet agrees with me that he's not even overweight, just very big.  His dad is a huge cat but I didn't expect Bertie to grow to the same size once he'd been neutered - in fact he's even bigger than his dad now.

[lisa77]

Well looking at Leo he is going to be a BIG boy anyway ! He is HUGE for nearly 6 months...

[blackcat]

When I got Smidgen, the breeder warned me not to neuter him until he was at least 9 months as his half-brother is such a big cat. She told me that neutering stops the growth hormone switching off , so they get bigger. He is certainly a lot bigger than I expected him to be and is only 7 months old!! He is currently lying on my left hand so typing is a bit of a challenge 

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

Misa is a huge cat but only has a small head..................but the brain in there is all feline and smart as hell 

[Team Svartalfheims]

Certainly with NFCs neutered cats are larger than their non neutered counterparts. Neutered cats are also heavier as they expend 25% less calories and don't spend their time calling/searching for a mate rather than eating. Personally if my vets would do it I'd neuter cats at 10-12 weeks old.

[unseeliechylde]

I would agree - I used to think our first cat, Ash, was small because he was neutered early (2 months), but he was neutered at the same time as having an op on his femur, which was broken as a result of a run in with some very vicious local kids (we initially thought it was a car, but the vet said no, a car would have done much more damage). I now think he was small due to a combination of genetics, and having sustained a serious injury at a critical point in his development. I'm assuming a deal of energy that would have gon into growth was redirected towards his (very long) recovery.

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I've heard lots of people say that neutered cats dont' grow so big and some people avoid early neutering in order to ensure the cat grows to it's full potential size wise, but there is actually evidence to the contrary.  I have a study bookmarked at home that compared the size of cats neutered early (paediatric neutering), about 6 months, and later.  The group that were neutered early actually grew to the biggest size.  I dont think neutering affects skeletal structure at all, but the hormones that entire males have tend to give them a heavier set, jowly look in the face.  I may be wrong, but I think that when those cats are eventually neutered and the hormones get out of the systme, the face shape will gradually revert to a less jowly shape.

Jaffa and Mosi are both big cats and they were both neutered at 5 months.

[Rosella moggy]

Our Tommie was neutered very young. We still have the photo we took of him just before his op sitting behind 2 table tennis balls  .  He was such a cutie (still is of course  ). Heavens knows how big he would have been if neutering early affected his growth. He is currently over 5kg and has been up to 6kg when younger with never an ounce of flab on him. 

Freddie on the other hand was neutered just before he came to us last year aged 5 and he is only 4.5kg and a little flabby. Neither have big heads 

[Ela]

Well I do know that people can often tell an unneutered tom or a late neutered tome by the size of its head.

I know one can often tell an unneutered tom or a late neutered tom by the size of its head.

All I will say if is a tom remains unneutered it is less likely live long enough for its owner to see its full potential.

[Desley (booktigger)]

It shouldn't do. I have seen some big cats who have been neutered at 8 and 12 weeks old.

[Gwen]

Ok so I had Ramses neutured on Friday before he came here and I was wondering after is getting neutured at such a young age would effect just how big a cat he was going to be.

Will it or not?