Desexing dogs and cats prevents unplanned litters and can improve health and behaviour.
You should not have to pay more than $500 to have your cat desexed, while dog desexing costs can be as high as $690.
Pet insurance can cover desexing if your policy includes routine care.
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How much does it cost to desex a dog?
Dog desexing costs between $200 and $500 – but you should typically pay under $300. It's also usually slightly cheaper to get a male dog desexed than a female but costs differ depending on the vet you go to:
Victoria: Lower Plenty Vet Clinic - From $230 (female) - $250 (male)
NSW: RSPCA NSW - $200-$500 (male or female)
SA: Dr Ken's Vet Clinic - $120 - $350 (male or female)
WA: Hanly Vet - $250 - $510 (male or female)
ACT: Melba Vet - $460 - $690 (male or female)
How much does it cost to desex a cat?
Cat desexing costs around $115 to $300. The exact costs will depend on the vet you go to.
Your local council might subsidise some desexing costs. This is often in conjunction with the National Desexing Network which can help reduce the costs if you can't afford to desex your cat.
✅ Yes. It's usually available through routine care or with a comprehensive policy. Considering that a pet insurance policy costs around $60 a month and desexing can be as much as $500, it's worth considering.
You pay the same price as buying directly from the pet insurer.
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Getting low cost desexing for your dog or cat
If you can't afford to pay for desexing, you can get financial help through the National Desexing Network (NDN). It's an Australia-wide referral system made available to pet owners in financial need, like concession card holders. They have a really helpful directory that lets you find a vet near you and a breakdown of costs — just remember it's not open to everyone.
Benefits of Female Desexing
Reduces the risk of mammary tumours
Eliminates the risk of ovarian tumours
Eliminates the risk of pyometra (an infection of the uterus)
Won't attract male dogs or cats to your home while on heat
Won't suffer the physical injuries, exhaustion and possible infection from having litters
Benefits of Male Desexing
Eliminates testicular cancer risk
Reduces perianal tumours risk
Reduces prostatic diseases risk
Less likely to spray urine to mark its territory and attract mates
Other benefits
They're less likely to wander or get hit by a car while trying to find a mate
It's usually cheaper to register a desexed cat or dog with the council
Less aggressive and anti-social behaviour
Can be more affectionate and calm
Is desexing mandatory for cats and dogs?
Animal management legislation is a state issue in Australia so there are different rules depending on where you live in. Some councils also make desexing a compulsory part of animal registration.
State/Territory
Mandatory Desexing Legislation
ACT
Yes. It's an offence to own an undesexed dog over 6 months old or an undesexed cat over 3 months old, unless you have a permit.
NSW
No
NT
No
QLD
No
SA
Yes. It's an offence to own an undesexed dog or cat over 6 months old, with limited exemptions.
TAS
Yes for cats (over 6 months)
No for dogs
VIC
No
WA
Yes for cats (over 6 months)
No for dogs
Is pet insurance right for me?
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Questions you've asked on desexing, answered ✅
As a general rule, cats and dogs should be desexed at between five and six months of age. Larger dog breeds are desexed when they attain their full bone growth. However, it can be performed safely from eight weeks and the RSPCA recommend that dogs be desexed before they hit puberty, which can be as early as four months for some dogs.
You might not be allowed to register your pet without desexing your pet. Other councils will charge you more to register an undesexed pet. If you don't desex your pet in a state where it's a legal requirement, you face being hit with a big fine.
Owners of undesexed pets can be hit with high vet bills if their animal gets injured while out roaming or has complications during pregnancy and birth
If you plan to go on holiday, many kennels and catteries refuse to take undesexed dogs and cats, while others charge more to do so. And local councils charge more – over four times as much – to register an undesexed animal.
In July every year, vet clinics in Australia reduce their desexing fees in an effort to encourage more pet owners to bring their pets in for the procedure.
If you are genuinely struggling financially and can't afford the cost of desexing, you can apply to the National Desexing Network (NDN) charity at any time of the year to get help finding a vet who will desex your pet for less. Please note that year-round fee reduction is only available to pet owners who genuinely need it.
Gary Ross Hunter is an editor at Finder, specialising in insurance. He’s been writing about life, travel, home, car, pet and health insurance for over 6 years and regularly appears as an insurance expert in publications including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian and news.com.au. Gary holds a Kaplan Tier 2 General Advice General Insurance certification which meets the requirements of ASIC Regulatory Guide 146 (RG146).
Hi Chels, Try the National Desexing Network (NDN) – they are an Australia-wide referral system giving pet owners in financial need access to low-cost desexing.
Thanks for your inquiry! According to our page, it costs around $115 to have a male cat desexed and around $300 to have a female cat desexed, according to the RSPCA. Note that many councils will charge more to register an undesexed cat. The registration costs could be as much as four times the cost of registering a desexed cat.
In July every year, vet clinics in Australia reduce their desexing fees to encourage more pet owners to do this procedure. The National Desexing Network (NDN) is a charity that aims to end pet overpopulation by making it more affordable for pet owners in financial need to have their animals desexed. You can visit the NBN website to see where the nearest vet clinic is that offers this service. Please note that year-round fee reduction is only available to pet owners who genuinely need it.
Regarding microchipping, we don’t have information on this yet but one way to prevent paying for microchipping your cat is to get pet insurance. Insurers like Australian Pet Insurance covers desexing and microchipping.
Hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to message us back if you have more questions.
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I have a 12 month old female dog I need desexed asap but I’m a single parent on a pension is there anywhere in adelaide that does discounted desexing
Hi Chels, Try the National Desexing Network (NDN) – they are an Australia-wide referral system giving pet owners in financial need access to low-cost desexing.
I would like to find out an estimated cost of how much it would cost me to get my 1 year old kitten desexed and micro chipped please?
Hey Krystel,
Thanks for your inquiry! According to our page, it costs around $115 to have a male cat desexed and around $300 to have a female cat desexed, according to the RSPCA. Note that many councils will charge more to register an undesexed cat. The registration costs could be as much as four times the cost of registering a desexed cat.
In July every year, vet clinics in Australia reduce their desexing fees to encourage more pet owners to do this procedure. The National Desexing Network (NDN) is a charity that aims to end pet overpopulation by making it more affordable for pet owners in financial need to have their animals desexed. You can visit the NBN website to see where the nearest vet clinic is that offers this service. Please note that year-round fee reduction is only available to pet owners who genuinely need it.
Regarding microchipping, we don’t have information on this yet but one way to prevent paying for microchipping your cat is to get pet insurance. Insurers like Australian Pet Insurance covers desexing and microchipping.
Hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to message us back if you have more questions.
With care,
Nikki