Do you neuter a cat at eight to 12 weeks, or wait until it is six months? Some years ago, that question may have prompted some hesitation. Neutering earlier would reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies but would it cause worse or more side effects in the short or long term? Now the evidence is clear: it is as safe – if not safer – to neuter cats between eight to 12 weeks rather than wait six months, which had been viewed as the standard wait time. This is a good example of how evidence-based veterinary medicine (EBVM) can change practice for the better. In this issue, Vet Record publishes an EBVM manifesto for animal health (see p 175) to help all those working in the veterinary professions take practical steps to make …