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.
At what age can a cat have her first litter? Puberty (the age at which animals can reproduce) in the cat ranges from 4 to 12 months, with the average being 6 to 9 months. At puberty, cats are generally about 75% of their mature body weight. Domestic shorthair cats, as a breed, generally reach puberty earlier than domestic longhair cats.