After adopting a cat, many owners ask themselves the following questions: Should I have my cat spayed or neutered? What difference will it make? Some owners, fearing certain risks, hesitate to have their cat spayed/neutered. But the risks are far outweighed by the many benefits of sterilization.
What is cat spaying/neutering?
Spaying/neutering is an operation whose primary aim is to prevent cats from reproducing. It's a small procedure which is highly recommended to all cat owners, and can be carried out as early as the kitten's first few months. Most cats are spayed or neutered when they reach puberty, at around 6 months, but there's no age limit, as cats can be spayed or neutered throughout their lives. In female cats, the surgery involves removal of the ovaries and uterus, while in male cats, the testicles are removed under general anaesthetic.
Reasons to have your cat spayed or neutered
Because it's not easy to find adopters, it's difficult to get a whole litter of kittens adopted. It's also important to know that some people look for kittens for the wrong reasons, and that some kittens end up with a sad fate. Some are abandoned for a variety of reasons, and cat overpopulation is on the increase both on the streets and in shelters.
- Spaying and neutering saves the lives of an increasing number of unwanted and abandoned kittens. You should know that in just one year, a female cat can have 3 litters of 4 kittens. In two years, she can possibly have 24 kittens.
It's not necessary for a cat to have at least one litter of kittens before being spayed, because contrary to popular belief, this won't make your cat any happier or healthier. On the contrary, spaying/neutering makes all cats happier and reduces the risk of certain diseases. It doubles the life expectancy of our beloved companions by reducing the risk of uterine infections, diseases such as FIV (cat AIDS) and mammary tumors in female cats.
As we all know, an unspayed cat, male or female, will produce hormones that generate a sexual cycle, as in all mammals.
- It reduces male territorial marking such as urine throwing and fighting.
- Avoids unpleasant odours caused by male territory marking.
- It eliminates the plaintive mewing of female cats in heat.
- It reduces the temptation to run away, and therefore the risk of bad encounters or being hit by a car during their many escapades.
While it's true that spayed/neutered cats are more likely to become obese, this can easily be prevented, in particular by a diet adapted to the cat's needs and quality according to certain criteria, which you can discuss with your vet. In short, sterilization is an operation from which the animal recovers very quickly. Spaying/neutering has become essential for regulating cat populations. It's our duty not to let them reproduce if the kittens are destined for abandonment or shelters. Spaying/neutering also helps prevent serious health problems in cats, as well as many inconveniences for their owners!