The Going Rate: Spaying a Kitten

Spring has definitely sprung on the Island, and that means a lot of people are thinking about … kittens!

But if you bring home a kitten, you also need to think about getting it "fixed," so as to avoid bringing more kittens into an already kitten-filled world. Spaying also helps protect your kitty's health — spayed cats are less likely, for instance, to get uterine infections and breast cancer.

This week, we asked local (and slightly not-so-local) veterinary clinics how much it would cost to spay a 6-month old female kitten who already has her shots. These prices are estimates. Costs can vary depending on the kitten's condition and any extra procedures or medications she may need. But you can get a general sense of how much a spay might cost you around town.

 $452 for basic spay (includes pre-anesthetic blood work, preliminary exam, antibiotics and other medications, and Elizabethan collar to keep kitty from chewing on her stitches).

$240 for basic spay package (including anesthesia, surgery and antibiotics). The fee will be higher if blood work, IV catheter, Elizabethan collar, and other services are needed.

$239 for basic spay (includes anesthesia, IV catheter, injection of antibiotics and surgery). Antibiotics to bring home are about $18 extra; blood work, if needed, is also extra.

Island Cat Resources and Adoption: If you adopt a kitten from this local rescue group, she'll come already spayed. $100 to adopt one; $150 to adopt two.

: The $87 adoption fee includes a mandatory spay or neuter for your kitten.  

East Bay SPCA: $60 for basic spay package; $30 for low-income. Or adopt an already-spayed kitten from East Bay SPCA for $50.