Population control is not the only reason for spaying or neutering your cat. Their health,or possibly their lives, may depend on it. Learn more about the importance of a cat spay or neuter.
How is spaying and neutering performed?
Neutering a maile cat involves castration, the removal of the testes, and is less invasive than spaying a female cat, which involves surgery to remove the ovaries. Recovery from spaying or neutering is usually done at home, but some cats may be kept overnight if bleeding or other complications occur.
What are the benefits of spaying and neutering your cat?
Male cats
Male cats that have been neutered will no longer produce testosterone, a male hormone linked to aggression, and will therefore be more passive and less likely to fight with other cats within the household.
Neutered cats will also not feel the need to mark their territory against the advances of other intact males. Their spray has a repulsive smell to humans and it is difficult to remove both the smell and the resulting stains.
A neutered cat will also not be driven by a biological urge to mate with an outdoor female cat. When an intact male cat escapes from the home and fights with other males for a chance to mate with the female, bite wounds may occur. These wounds can lead to abscesses, which are infections under the skin that cause painful swelling, or transmission of diseases that can be fatal, including feline leukemia and FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), an autoimmune disease that is similar to HIV in humans.
Female cats
Spayed female cats will not go into estrus (heat). When a female cat goes into estrus, it has the same overwhelming desire to mate as males.
If a female cat is successful in escaping the home, it will be exposed to various communicable diseases from its multiple partners. The female may also be chased into the path of a passing car.
If the cat is secured indoors, it will cry out or scream for several days. This is not only maddening for the owners, but is a siren call, along with her scent, for every intact male in the area.
All the unpleasant actions of intact male cats, including the previously mentioned spraying and fighting, will occur right outside your window. This will be accompanied by the incessant cries of these prospective suitors, as they call out to the female "trapped" inside.
Your local veterinarian or animal shelter will likely offer spay and neuter clinics, which provide some mandatory inoculations as well as spaying and neutering for a reduced price. These clinics are usually limited to specific days of the month, and appointments may be filled rapidly when available, so be sure to make an appointment far in advance if you'd like to take advantage of these public services.
