thepetbill

Guide · updated

Cat neutering cost in the UK: castration and spay prices compared

What UK practices that already publish charge to neuter a cat, what a castration or spay price must include under the CMA Order, and where to get help with the cost.

What practices that already publish charge

Castration · Cat £90–£130 3 practices, latest check

Prices are copied from each practice's own website on the date shown and can change. Check with the practice before you book. How we collect prices

From 3 practices that already publish; not a UK average. In-hours, standard prices including VAT. We show a range once 3 practices list a price and a median once 5 do. See the practices

Not enough published prices yet for: Spay (traditional/open), Spay (laparoscopic/keyhole).

"How much is it to neuter a cat?" sounds like a simple question. Until now the honest answer was "ring round and ask", and the three answers you got back were rarely for the same thing.

The box above shows what practices that already publish their prices charge for a cat, taken from their own price lists. It is a sample of the practices that publish, not a UK average, and it grows as more practices put their lists online. From 23 December 2026 every vet business with 15 or more practices or out-of-hours centres has to publish these prices for the items it offers, and every other practice follows from 23 March 2027 (CMA Order, Art. 3 and 7).

This guide explains what you are paying for, why a spay costs more than a castration, and where to go if the price is the problem.

Neutering is two items on the price list, or three

The CMA's standard price list does not have a line called "neutering". It uses the official names in Schedule 1 of the Veterinary Services Market Investigation Order 2026, and the practice has to use those exact names, with no free-text description (Art. 7(2)(a)):

  • Castration: neutering a male cat (a tom).
  • Spay (traditional/open): neutering a female cat through an open incision.
  • Spay (laparoscopic/keyhole): neutering a female by keyhole surgery.

The CMA's guidance for practices defines each one. Castration is "scrotal testicles castration", the open spay is a "midline ovariohysterectomy", which removes the ovaries and the womb, and the keyhole spay is a "laparoscopic ovariectomy", which removes the ovaries (Explanatory Note, Annex 1). That guidance is not part of the Order, but it is the best statement of what the CMA expects each line to mean.

For cats the price list has a single band, "cat", so there is one castration price and one price for each kind of spay the practice offers. Dogs are different: they have five weight bands. Our dog neutering guide covers those.

A practice that does not offer keyhole spays leaves that line without a price. The CMA's own example list says "items without a price are not offered by this practice" (Annex 1).

Why a spay costs more than a castration

Look at the two definitions again. A castration removes the testicles. A spay goes into the abdomen to remove the ovaries, and in the open version the womb as well. They are different operations with different prices, so it is no surprise when the spay line is the higher of the two.

Compare a spay price only with other spay prices, and a castration only with other castrations. A "neutering from £X" headline that does not say which one is not much use.

What the price must include

This is the part the Order changed most. For castration and both spays (and the dental assessment), the price must include each of seven components that the practice considers typically necessary, and the price line must carry a tick box for each one (Art. 7(2)(e)):

Component Question to ask
General anaesthesia Is it ticked?
Local anaesthesia Is it used, and is it in the price?
Sedation Is it used, and is it in the price?
Post-operative pain relief Is any sent home, and is that included?
Hospitalisation and monitoring Does it cover an overnight stay if one is needed?
Pre-operative blood tests Included, or the separate blood test price on top?
Post-operative check-ups How many are included?

Ticked means it is in the price. Unticked means it is not, and if your cat needs it you pay for it on top. Pre-operative blood tests are the obvious example: "Pre-surgical/pre-anaesthetic blood test" is a separate item on the same list, so you can add the two prices together and compare that total with a practice that includes the test. Our guide to what's included in a neuter or spay price goes through every box.

Every price is VAT-inclusive (Art. 7(2)(f)), and if part of the work is done by someone else, such as an outside laboratory, their fees must be in the listed price as well (Art. 7(2)(k)).

When the bill can be higher than the list

The listed price is for the typical case, and every list has to say that prices may go up in more complex or complicated cases (Art. 7(2)(l)). For cats, three situations are worth knowing about:

  • A retained testicle. The CMA's definition is "scrotal testicles castration", so a tom whose testicle has not come down is not the case the price describes.
  • A pregnant female. That is not the typical case either. Ask how the practice prices it before you book.
  • Extras you choose. A protective collar or extra pain relief to take home may or may not be in the price. Ask.

Which of these applies to your cat, and when to neuter, are questions for your vet. We explain the prices, not the surgery.

Care plans and neutering

Many practices sell a monthly pet care plan. The CMA found that the large groups' standard plans included neutering (Final report, Appendix G, paragraph 1.5). If you already pay for a plan, check whether neutering is in it, or discounted, before you compare list prices. If you are thinking of joining one mainly for the neutering, remember it is a one-off; our pet care plans guide shows how to work out whether a plan saves you money.

If the cost is the problem

Cost does stop people neutering. The CMA's final report summary cites the PDSA PAW Report 2024: for 10% of dogs that were not neutered, the reason given was that it was too expensive (summary, paragraph 66(b)). The CMA gives no equivalent figure for cats. For cat owners who find the price a barrier, these are the places to start.

  • Cats Protection says help with neutering costs "may be available" to owners on certain means-tested benefits, such as universal credit, pension credit or housing benefit, or with a household income under £25,000 before tax. Help depends on where you live: you contact your local Cats Protection team, found by postcode on its website. Inside the M25, its partner scheme C4 offers neutering and microchipping for £10 to owners on qualifying benefits or low incomes (Cats Protection, financial assistance page, accessed 5 November 2026).
  • PDSA treats pets free or at reduced cost for owners on certain benefits who live in the catchment area of one of its Pet Hospitals. You check by postcode on its website.
  • Local RSPCA branches are separate charities, and some offer neutering vouchers. The Wirral and Chester branch, for example, offers a £50 neuter voucher for cats to people on benefits (accessed 5 November 2026). Others offer nothing for neutering. Ask your local branch.

Our guide to low-cost and charity vet care sets out who qualifies for each scheme, and how to find the cheapest paid option if you don't.

Microchipping often comes up at the same visit. In England, cats must be microchipped and registered by 20 weeks old, according to GOV.UK, and microchipping is its own item on the price list: see the microchipping price page.

How to compare cat neutering prices

  1. Search your postcode on the map with castration or spay selected. Each price shows the date we checked it and a link to the practice's own list.
  2. Open the practice page and look at the seven ticks next to the price.
  3. Add the pre-anaesthetic blood test price to any spay or castration that leaves blood tests unticked.
  4. Ring the two or three cheapest and ask the questions below.

Questions to ask before you book

  • Which of the seven boxes are ticked, and what would the unticked ones cost?
  • How many post-operative check-ups are included?
  • What happens to the price if my cat turns out to be pregnant or has a retained testicle?
  • Is anything sent home, such as pain relief or a collar, and is it in the price?
  • Do you offer a keyhole spay, and what does it cost?

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to neuter a cat in the UK?

The box at the top of this page shows the range for a cat castration and a cat spay once three practices that publish list it, and the median once five do. It is a sample, not a UK average. Prices vary by practice, so compare the ones near you on the map.

Is a female cat more expensive to neuter than a male?

Compare the two lines in the box above. Castration and spay are separate items with separate prices. A spay goes into the abdomen; a castration does not.

Does the price include the anaesthetic and pain relief?

Look at the ticks. From 23 December 2026 at large groups and 23 March 2027 at smaller practices, the castration and spay lines must show a tick box for general anaesthesia, post-operative pain relief and five other components (Art. 3 and 7(2)(e)).

Can I get my cat neutered for free?

Some owners can get help. Cats Protection, PDSA and some local RSPCA branches help owners on means-tested benefits or low incomes, depending on where they live. See our low-cost vet care guide.

Is keyhole spay available for cats?

Keyhole spay is a separate item on the list. A practice that does not offer it leaves the line without a price. Whether it suits your cat is a question for your vet.

Sources

Prices mentioned in this guide

What's included in a neuter or spay priceThe seven tick boxes every UK vet price list must show for castration, spays and dentals, and how to read them before you compare prices.Dog neutering cost in the UK: castration and spay prices by weight bandWhat UK practices that already publish charge to neuter a dog, by the five weight bands on the CMA price list, open versus keyhole spay, and what the price must include.Low-cost and charity vet care in the UK: who qualifies and where to find the cheapest vetWho qualifies for free or reduced-cost vet care from PDSA, Blue Cross, RSPCA branches, Cats Protection and Dogs Trust, and how to find the cheapest paid practice near you if you don't.What the CMA vet price rules mean for pet ownersFrom 23 December 2026 big vet groups must publish a standard price list. Here is what changes, when, and what you can do with it.Cat vaccination cost in the UK: kitten course, boosters and what the price includesWhat a cat or kitten vaccination price covers under the new CMA price lists, why a primary course costs more than a booster, and what to ask before you book.Dog and puppy vaccination cost in the UK: primary course, boosters and kennel coughWhat a puppy course, an annual dog booster and a kennel cough vaccine price must include on the new CMA price lists, why the prices differ, and what to ask.