When you look at the current research on spaying and neutering, the AGE at which it's done turns out to be vitally important to your dog's future health. For example, your female dog should NOT be spayed at 6 months old.
Life Expectancy of Dogs and Cats. We hope our pets will be a part of our lives for many, many years but the fact is that the average life expectancy is 10-12 years for dogs and 10-14 years for cats. Older pets have very specific needs and are particularly susceptible in later years to cancer, arthritis, and dental disease.
The domestic cat usually reaches puberty at around nine or ten months of age. A sexually mature female cat goes into heat, or estrus, several times a year; during estrus, she is both receptive to, and attractive to, male cats. The gestation period of the cat is about 65 days; the average litter consists of 4 kittens. Kittens are born blind, deaf, and helpless. Their eyes open at 8 to 10 days of age, and they begin to be weaned about 6 weeks after birth.