How Much Does It Cost to Spay or Neuter a Cat? Prices from 24 Clinics (2026)

How much does it cost to spay a cat? At the 18 nonprofit and shelter clinics we checked, a cat spay cost $53 to $200, with a median of $97.50. A neuter cost $38 to $200, with a median of $90. At six private and chain animal hospitals, a spay cost $140 to $368.95 (median $324.95) and a neuter $85 to $256.95 (median $225.95). These are the published prices of 24 clinics in 17 states, checked on Oct 7, 2026.

The middle half of nonprofit and shelter prices ran from $86 to $150 for a spay and from $76.25 to $111.25 for a neuter. The private and chain group is small: five Banfield Pet Hospital locations and one private animal hospital. Most private vets we looked at don’t post surgery prices. For comparison, the ASPCA’s 2021 cost table puts a cat’s spay or neuter at $150. Spay or neuter is also the biggest single item in the first-year vet costs on our new kitten checklist.

Clinic type	Clinics	Spay	Spay median	Neuter	Neuter median
Nonprofit and shelter	18	$53 to $200	$97.50	$38 to $200	$90
Nonprofit spay/neuter	4	$65 to $90	$82	$55 to $90	$82
Humane society or SPCA	14	$53 to $200	$110	$38 to $200	$97.50
Private and chain	6	$140 to $368.95	$324.95	$85 to $256.95	$225.95
Banfield (5 locations)	5	$310.95 to $368.95	$330.95	$215.95 to $256.95	$229.95
Private practice	1	$140	n/a	$85	n/a
All 24 clinics	24	$53 to $368.95	$130	$38 to $256.95	$97.50

Spay and neuter prices at each clinic

Each price is the clinic’s base price for a routine cat spay or neuter at its general-public rate, as its own page showed it on Oct 7, 2026. Most lists carry no date; where one does, it’s shown.

Nonprofit and shelter clinics

Where	Clinic	Spay	Neuter	List dated
Cocoa, Fla.	Brevard Humane Society	$53	$38	Not dated
North Texas, San Antonio	Spay Neuter Network	$65	$55	Not dated
Columbia, Mo.	Spay Neuter Project	$75	$75	Not dated
Fresno, Calif.	Central California SPCA	$75	$75	Aug 1, 2026
Daytona Beach, Fla.	Halifax Humane Society	$85	$85	Not dated (file: 2026)
Texas and Philadelphia	Emancipet	$89	$89	Not dated
Louisville, Ky.	Kentucky Humane Society	$90	$80	Not dated
Toledo, Ohio	Humane Ohio	$90	$90	2026
Virginia Beach, Va.	Virginia Beach SPCA	$95	$75	Not dated
Houston	Houston Humane Society	$100	$95	Not dated
Detroit	Michigan Humane	$100	$100	Not dated
Raleigh, N.C.	SPCA of Wake County	$120	$90	Not dated
Santa Rosa, Calif.	Humane Society of Sonoma County	$150	$100	July 1, 2026
York, Pa.	York County SPCA	$150	$120	Not dated
Salem, Ore.	Oregon Humane	$150	$150	Not dated
Chicago	PAWS Chicago	$150	$150	Not dated
Boulder, Colo.	Humane Society of Boulder Valley	$160	$115	Oct 2023
Kennebunk, Maine	Animal Welfare Society	$200	$200	Not dated

Private and chain hospitals

Where	Clinic	Spay	Neuter	List dated
Kennewick, Wash.	The Fix Machine Animal Health Clinic	$140	$85	Not dated
Gainesville, Fla.	Banfield Pet Hospital	$310.95	$215.95	May 14, 2025
Houston	Banfield Pet Hospital	$318.95	$221.95	May 14, 2025
Apache Junction, Ariz.	Banfield Pet Hospital	$330.95	$229.95	May 14, 2025
Brooklyn, N.Y.	Banfield Pet Hospital	$359.95	$250.95	May 14, 2025
San Diego	Banfield Pet Hospital	$368.95	$256.95	May 14, 2025

Banfield’s prices are its packages for cats under 6 months, which Banfield labels estimates. Its pages also say an office visit fee is required for every service: $67.95 in Gainesville to $95.95 in San Diego. With that fee, a kitten spay comes to $378.90 to $464.90.

Why a spay costs more than a neuter

A spay is the bigger operation. International Cat Care describes it as removing the ovaries, and sometimes the uterus, under general anesthesia, usually through a cut in the belly. A neuter removes the testicles through small cuts in the scrotum, so small that no stitches are needed. The Animal Welfare Society in Maine notes that a neuter is typically a quicker recovery.

Our data shows the gap. A spay cost more than a neuter at 15 of the 24 clinics, by $5 to $112, with a median difference of $45. At Banfield the gap was $95 to $112. The other nine clinics, all nonprofit or shelter clinics, charge the same for both. None charged more for a neuter.

What the price includes, and what costs extra

Two prices that look alike can buy different things. Here’s what the 24 lists include:

• Pain medication: 11 clinics list it as included. Central California SPCA lists postoperative pain control as a $22 add-on.
• A cone (e-collar): included at 5 clinics. Where it’s extra, it cost $5 to $18.99.
• A microchip: included at 3: Halifax Humane Society, the Humane Society of Sonoma County and York County SPCA. As an add-on, it cost $20 to $55.
• A rabies shot: included at 3. Where it’s extra, it cost $11 to $33.75, and several clinics require proof of a current shot.
• Bloodwork, IV fluids and monitoring: in all five Banfield packages. Central California SPCA charges $95 for preoperative lab work and $40 for an IV catheter and fluids.
• Nothing else listed: seven price lists name nothing beyond the surgery.

At the Humane Society of Sonoma County, the $150 spay includes an exam, pain medication, a microchip, a nail trim and a cone. At SPCA of Wake County, the $120 spay includes pain medication to take home and rabies and FVRCP shots.

Watch out for: deposits. Several clinics take one when you book, from $10 at PAWS Chicago to $100 at Michigan Humane, and SPCA of Wake County and Oregon Humane want the full price up front. A deposit usually counts toward the bill, but a missed appointment can lose it.

Why prices differ so much

Clinic type. The median spay at private and chain hospitals was 3.3 times the nonprofit and shelter median. Nonprofit clinics such as Humane Ohio and SPCA of Wake County say donations keep their prices low, and some focus on spay/neuter surgery alone, at high volume.

Where you live. The same Banfield kitten spay package cost $310.95 in Gainesville, Fla., $318.95 in Houston, $330.95 in Apache Junction, Ariz., $359.95 in Brooklyn and $368.95 in San Diego.

Age. Banfield charges $55 to $65 more to spay a cat over 6 months and $54 to $63 more to neuter one. Five clinics require bloodwork for older cats, from age 3 and up at The Fix Machine to age 8 and up at York County SPCA and Michigan Humane; where a price is listed, it’s $50 to $100. Some low-cost clinics also have age limits: Central California SPCA takes cats up to 5 years old, and Spay Neuter Network up to 7.

Heat, pregnancy and other extras. A female in heat or pregnant can add $10 (Spay Neuter Project) to $75 (The Fix Machine). Humane Ohio says it charges nothing extra for either. A testicle that hasn’t come down adds $20 to $100 at most clinics that price it, and The Fix Machine charges $195 for that neuter instead of $85. Flat-faced breeds can cost more too: $50 extra at SPCA of Wake County and $210 for the surgery at Houston Humane Society.

Weight matters less for cats than for dogs. None of the 24 lists weight tiers for cats, though Halifax Humane Society can add $10 to $25 for an overweight pet.

How to pay less for a spay or neuter

• Start with low-cost spay and neuter clinics. In our data, 11 of the 18 nonprofit and shelter clinics charged $100 or less for a spay. No private or chain hospital did.
• Ask about income-based prices and vouchers. PAWS Chicago charges $150 for the general public, $80 in its targeted ZIP codes, and $70 or nothing with a medical card in some ZIP codes. Oregon Humane’s Salem clinic lists a $70 “Spay & Save” rate next to its $150 standard rate and offers reduced costs to people on government assistance. The Animal Welfare Society charges income-qualified owners $150 instead of $200. The Humane Society of Boulder Valley takes 45% off for qualifying local families, and Emancipet’s Austin “Free Days” mobile clinic is free for Travis County residents.
• Use a finder. The ASPCA’s low-cost spay/neuter page points to SpayUSA, North Shore Animal League America’s national referral network, and suggests asking a local shelter or vet. Friends of Animals sells certificates, $180 for a female cat and $132 for a male, that pay for a routine surgery at participating vets; bloodwork, heat or pregnancy can cost extra.
• Adopt from a shelter. Shelter adoption fees often cover the surgery. At the Humane Society of Sonoma County, a $145 cat adoption ($220 for a kitten) includes the spay or neuter, an exam, vaccines and a microchip, and Oregon Humane’s cat fees of $25 to $200 cover it too. In Maine, state law requires pets adopted from shelters to be spayed or neutered, the Animal Welfare Society notes.
• Compare the whole bill. Add any required office visit, a rabies shot if you have no proof, and a cone, and read the deposit rules.

When to spay or neuter a kitten

The American Association of Feline Practitioners, now the Feline Veterinary Medical Association, supports spaying or neutering cats not meant for breeding “by 5 months of age.” It notes that a cat can breed as early as 4 to 5 months. The ASPCA says surgery is generally considered safe for kittens as young as 8 weeks. Your vet decides the exact timing, and clinic minimums vary, from 8 weeks and 2 pounds at the Animal Welfare Society to 4 months at SPCA of Wake County. We cover timing in detail in when to spay or neuter a cat.

How we got these prices

• We read the published price lists on 24 clinics’ own websites on Oct 7, 2026, including two PDF price sheets and one price-sheet image. We didn’t call any clinic.
• Each clinic gives one spay and one neuter price, at its general-public rate; discounts by income or ZIP code aren’t in the medians. For Banfield we used the package for cats under 6 months, without the office visit fee.
• We grouped nonprofit spay/neuter clinics with humane societies and SPCAs (18 clinics), and the private practice with the chain (6). Medians and the middle half (the 25th to 75th percentile) were computed from our data file.
• We left out pages with no cat price, a university clinic in Los Angeles that says it is closed, a page showing two different prices, sites that blocked automated access, and third-party sites that show estimates.

FAQ

How much does it cost to neuter a cat?

In our check, $38 to $200 at nonprofit and shelter clinics (median $90), and $85 to $256.95 at private and chain hospitals (median $225.95). Nine of the 24 clinics charge the same for a neuter as for a spay.

What is the average spay cost for a cat?

Across all 24 clinics, the average (mean) spay price was $159.45 and the median $130. The chain’s prices pull the mean up. The ASPCA’s 2021 estimate is $150.

Is it cheaper to spay a kitten than an adult cat?

At Banfield, yes: $55 to $65 less under 6 months. None of the 18 nonprofit and shelter clinics lists a higher base price for older cats, but some require bloodwork or stop at a set age.

Does adopting a cat include the spay or neuter?

Often, at shelters. At the Humane Society of Sonoma County and Oregon Humane, for example, the adoption fee covers it. Whether you adopt or buy, ask what’s already been done before you pay.