Congratulations on your upcoming family member! Neutering is an excellent plan and will eliminate a lot of health and behavioral problems in the future. Typically, the cost for neutering can range from $55-$80. Call vet's ahead of time to find out because prices do vary. You may also want to call your local humane society because many times they will refer you to a low cost clinic and also may have a coupon for you to use - obviously they want to help anyone that will neuter their pets!
Declawing will probably run about $50 higher than the neuter - but it should be done at the same time. This lessens the burden of the cat having to have anesthesia more than once. The average age of these procedures is 6 months. Regarding declawing most will recommend only having the front claws removed. Your cat will have a recovery time of up to a month. I'm not sure if you are aware of the controversy about declawing but it is out there! Declawing a cat is actually amputating the first joint of each toe. If you look at your fingers, imagine having each amputated from the top knuckle up. It is can be a very painful recovery for the cat - because of the procedure and the pain many people are against it. There is also a chance of future behavioral problems especially if a cat is declawed when older than about 9 months of age. Many cats will not scratch furniture and other objects if there are scratching posts available for them to use. Just things for you to think about and if you would like more information on any of the above, I'll be happy to discuss further.
(Also make sure you ask your friend if vaccinations have been given - what was given and if not, you will need to have that done in addition - again, prices may vary)
Best of luck to you and your new kitten!
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Oliver's Mom
