FAQs
2026 Spay, Neuter and Surgery Program Information
All animals coming for surgery receive the following care:
Brief exam
Cats: low dose of pre-surgery injectable anesthesia, with inhaled anesthesia and oxygen administered during surgery
Dogs: pre-surgery medication, injectable anesthesia, with inhaled anesthesia and oxygen administered during surgery
Pulse oximeter monitoring during surgery
Green line tattoo (small, visual indication under the fur that confirms the animal is sterilized)
Cats: anti-inflammatory pain medication - lasts several days
Dogs: anti-inflammatory pain medication on day of surgery, with additional pain meds to give at home. A mild sedative may also be prescribed to give at home depending on the dog.
Post-op monitoring and recovery
Cats: no e-collar - our veterinary is very experienced with sterilization procedures so incisions on routine spays and neuters are very small, which minimizes internal and external tissue trauma. As a result, an e-collar (which can cause stress for the cat) is not needed.
Dogs: e-collar sent home if needed
Cat Spays - In Heat and Pregnant
Many veterinarians and clinics charge additional fees for cats that are in heat or pregnant, and many will not spay a pregnant cat at all. Because we understand the importance of spaying feral, community and owned cats to prevent more kittens from being born, we do not charge any additional fees for these situations. WE WILL ALWAYS MAKE ROOM FOR A PREGNANT CAT WHO NEEDS TO BE SPAYED. If you do not see available appointments, please email us at felinefixmissouri@gmail.com and we will open a spot for you during our next appointment.
Dog Spays - In Heat and Pregnant
We do not charge extra fees for dogs that are in heat or pregnant. However, there are special post-surgery care requirements for dogs in heat. We will discuss this with you if your dog is in heat on the day of surgery. We reserve the right to deny services to dogs that are in heat and cannot receive required care following surgery. In these cases, we will reschedule the appointment so the dog can be spayed after her heat cycle ends.
Dog and Cat Neuters
Animals with cryptorchidism (undescended testicle(s)) will have an additional fee added to the cost of their surgery. Cats are additional $30. Dogs are an additional $45.
TNR Packages and Care
ALL cats scheduled for TNR services must be at least three pounds. If the cat is under three pounds we will be unable to perform surgery. This ensures we are able to administer a rabies vaccine at the time of surgery. Cats scheduled for TNR services do NOT need to come in a trap, although it is fine if they do.
Appointment Limits
To ensure that everyone has access to care, we will limit the number of cat appointments scheduled by one person to a maximum of five cats per date. If we still have slots open right before a surgery day, they will be opened to anyone who needs additional appointments. If an individually schedules more than five appointments on one date, we will cancel and refund the extra appointments so the owner/caretaker can schedule for another date.
Cats Already Sterilized
In 2025, we had a lot of cats come for care who were already visibly ear tipped. When this happens, that cat takes up space that another cat who still needs to be spayed/neutered could have used. Therefore, effective January 1, 2026, any ear-tipped cat that is sent for surgery will be charged the full cost of the TNR package. Please be sure to verify that cats DO NOT have an ear tip before you drop them off for an appointment.
Drop-off Options
Drop-off will still take place in Belton between 6-6:30 am on the morning of surgery, but we are adding the option to drop off cats the evening before for a small fee. Pick-up will still take place the evening of your appointment date, with the exact time communicated to everyone later in the day. You will have a minimum of two-hours notice, and most pick-up times fall between 6:00 - 7:00 pm. We are unable to house animals following surgery, so they must be picked up in the evening. You’ll receive a confirmation email that includes address for drop off and information about how to transport cats and dogs to their appointment.
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We are very fortunate to have a wonderful partnership with a veterinarian who built a surgery suite at her home in Columbia, MO. She has over 30 years of experience in private practice, shelter medicine and surgeries. Over the last ten years she has focused on providing surgical services to shelters and non-profit organizations in the area.
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The veterinarian we use does not have a public practice. She provides care exclusively to a small number of non-profit organizations who need spay/neuter and other surgical services.
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Costs are low because the surgery suite is located at the vet’s home, so there is no overhead such as building rent, large staff to pay, etc. The veterinarian has a single assistant who is also a family member - this helps keep payroll costs low! She does not utilize vet students or volunteers. She also works to keep costs as low as possible because she enjoys being able to help non-profit organizations who work to spay and neuter cats in the community.
All animals receive excellent care when they go for surgery. See below for more information on what type of anesthesia is used, pre-op exams, etc.
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All animals (except cats that are feral or too fractious to handle) are given a brief exam on intake. The vet listens to their heart and lungs and checks eyes, ears and other things that may need to be noted and/or treated. The animal is then weighed. Feral or fractious cats are visually examined and their weight is estimated. Once they are sedate enough to be handled an exact weight is obtained and the vet listens to the heart and lungs.
Each animal is given a dose of meloxicam which is an anti-inflammatory pain medication. They receive injectable pre-surgery anesthesia which allows them to be prepped for surgery and then moved to the the surgery table which has a heated mat to help maintain body temperature during surgery.
A pulse oximeter is used to monitor heart rate and oxygen and a tube attached to an anesthesia machine delivers a combination of gas and oxygen (this tube is attached to a mask for cats and an endotracheal tube for dogs). The dose of gas can be increased or decreased easily, and once surgery is over, they are taken off anesthesia and moved to a monitored recovery area with heated mats to help maintain normal body temp.
Following completion of surgery, every animal receives a small green tattoo on their abdomen which is a visual indication that they are fixed. Vaccines, blood draws and other services are then completed. They are monitored closely until they are able to hold up their head and then they are moved to a separate recovery area where they can eat some food in their kennel.
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Waiting until cats are six months old before spaying or neutering is an older philosophy that increases the chances that a cat will get pregnant or develop behavioral problems before being fixed. Cats can go into heat and get pregnant as early as four months old, and each heat cycle a female cat goes through increases her risk of developing mammary cancer. Male cats can begin spraying and/or fighting once they reach sexual maturity. By fixing cats before they are four months old, it’s not only possible to prevent pregnancy, but also undesirable behaviors like spraying.
Plus there are other benefits to fixing your cat while they are young.
Surgery times on young cats are typically much shorter, with smaller incisions. This reduces anesthesia risk and recovery time.
Less injectable anesthesia is needed to sedate them for surgery prep. This means a faster wake up - most cats are “back to normal” by the time they are picked up to go home.
Fixing before a cat reaches sexual maturity is the only way to guarantee they won’t escape from the house and come back pregnant!
