#19 - The Kindest Cut: Why Your Feline Friend Should Be Neutered

Why should you neuter a young male  or spay a  young female cat?   In a nutshell, it's a kind, sensible and environmentally sound thing to do.  The exception to this widely veterinary approved rule? If you've got a  pedigree or a very special cat and there are homes eagerly awaiting your feline dynasty.  So this is a plea to those who are getting a kitten, as well as to the already converted, to spread the word.

It's also a confession! At one period in my life, I wrote a lot of the pet care literature for the RSPCA, always checked by at least three vets.  This was a bit of a nightmare, as I soon discovered. You ask three experts and you'll get three different answers! Not including ones from my husband, who was a veterinary scientist and animal welfare specialist.    

So, briefly, without giving you a million links,  here's  why sterilisation of both sexes is considered a good thing:

• Females can be ready to mate as early as three and a half months, though normally it's four to six months. 
• Females can have three litters a year, which could mean anything from twelve to fifteen kittens who'll need a home. The fate of those who don't find one is either abandonment or euthanasia.  
• Females who come into heat can't easily be kept indoors - and there can be a stream of unwelcome male callers.
• Males can generally mate  from about four months onwards.  Un-neutered males, or toms, are not considered to be ideal domestic companions.  They inevitably spray nose-numbing urine and tend to become wandering nomads, fighting  with other toms in their natural pursuit of females.  The end result is unwanted pregnancies for the females and scratches, bites, infections or wounds for the males. 

In short, there's no reason not  to neuter  a cat companion.  In fact, it's a benefit to the whole feline population which, if abandoned or homeless, will eventually breed generations of  feral cats.  

Depending on your country, the fate of these cats is variable. Global figures suggest there are 600 million to 1 billion cats worldwide.  Internationally, animal protection groups are trying to limit population growth with a standard practice, TNR (Trap, Neuter, Release).  

It's demanding work - especially with fast-moving cats!  But let's give them the best possible chance of a healthy, happy life.