A neutered cat is a happy cat – get it done

It’s hard to believe, but you still meet people who refuse to get their cat neutered.  They say they don’t believe in it, or they think it’s cruel.

However, most people do accept that getting a cat neutered is part of being a responsible cat owner.  But they may not necessarily be clear as to why

• The first and foremost reason is that there are just too many kittens, and they are being born all the time.  It is said that a single female cat and her offspring can potentially produce 21,000 kittens in seven years!  You may say, “I love kittens – I don’t want to stop my cat from having them.”  Well, we all love kittens.  But the fact is that there are already far more kittens in existence than there are suitable homes to take them.  Bringing more into the world is just cruel.  If you or your friends would like a kitten, adopt one that has already been born.
• Some people still hold the belief that a female cat should be allowed to have one litter before being spayed.  This is nonsense and is a complete myth.  It makes no difference to her whether she is spayed before or after her first litter.
• A neutered cat is much easier to look after.  With your female cat, you won’t have the problem of her coming on heat and attracting toms yowling round the door.  A male if not neutered will roam looking for females, fight with other toms, spray his territory with unpleasantly-smelling urine, and yowl to the annoyance of the neighbours.   When neutered he will become a sweet affectionate pet.
• Neutering is important for the cat’s health.  Many stray unneutered males carry the FIV virus (feline immunodeficiency virus)  and female cats can be infected if they are bitten during mating.  Males can also infect each other with FIV, or with feline leukaemia, when fighting over a female.  Females if not spayed are more at risk of developing cystic ovaries or ovarian tumours – plus constant pregnancy and giving birth saps their strength.

Your vet will always advise you to have your cat neutered.  Your cat insurance will not pay for this. But neutering can prevent all sorts of other problems which would result in a claim on your cat insurance.  For instance unneutered cats roam much more, and so run much more risk both of getting lost, and of having an accident.  And of course they are at serious risk of developing dangerous and possibly fatal diseases – some cat insurance policies may not cover these if they are contracted as a result of failure to neuter the cat.