Help with Spaying or Neutering your Cat
Your decision to spay or neuter your cat is one of the most important medical decisions you will make for your pet. In addition to preventing the countless litters that your pet will inevitably produce, spaying and neutering have numerous health and behaviour benefits which will significantly improve your cat’s quality of life.
Both procedures (removing the womb and ovaries for females, removing the testes for males) are performed under general anaesthesia, so your cat will not feel a thing. Most cats recover from the procedure very quickly, and will live much happier and healthier lives for it. If you are genuinely on low-income, we may be able to help you with the cost of neutering, and in most cases can even arrange transportation to a local vet. Don’t let your circumstances stop you from caring for your cat, we are here to help!
At a Glance:
- A female kitten can get pregnant at just 20 weeks.
- A female cat can have up to three litters per year, and can get pregnant just days after giving birth.
- 1 female cat can produce 25,000 descendants within just 5 years.
- 1,000 healthy cats are euthanized each day in the UK due to homelessness.
The harsh truth: When you allow your cat to reproduce unnecessarily, you are contributing to the overpopulation which results in the death of thousands of cats each year. With so many cats currently needing homes, why produce more?
Benefits of spaying or neutering your cat:
1. Your spayed female cat will live a longer, healthier life.
Spaying helps prevent uterine infections and breast cancer, which is fatal in about 90% of cats. Spaying your cat before her first heat will offer the most protection from these diseases.
2. Neutering your male cat will protect him from testicular cancer.
In addition to preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male cat before 6 months of age will protect him from contracting testicular cancer.
3. Your spayed female wont go into heat, saving your sanity and your furniture.
Female cats typically go into heat for 4-5 days every 3 weeks during breeding season. In a desperate attempt to attract a male’s attention, your female cat will yowl loudly and urinate frequently, sometimes all over the house!
4. Your male cat won’t stray so far away from home.
An intact male will do just about anything to mate! A male cat will walk up to five miles just to find a female in heat, and once he is away he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males. These fights often lead to injury, or worse – feline AIDS (FIV).
5. Your neutered male will behave much better.
Intact males may exhibit aggressive behaviour, and will mark their territory by spraying foul-smelling urine all over the house. Many of these behaviours can be prevented by simply neutering your cat.
6. It will protect your cat from contracting feline AIDS (“FIV”).
Feline AIDS is contracted the same way as human AIDS, but can also be transmitted through cat bites. While not contagious to humans, this is a serious problem within the cat community. Having your cats sterilized will protect them from participating in risky sex, and will also deter your male cat from fighting over females.
7. It is highly cost-effective.
The cost of your pet’s spay/neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your un-neutered tom escapes and gets into fights with the neighbourhood stray! If you do not think that you can afford to spay or neuter your cat, give us a call and we will see if we can help you out.
8. Spaying and neutering helps fight pet overpopulation.
More than 1,000 healthy cats are euthanized each day in the UK alone due to homelessness. Even more suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering. With so many cats in need of homes, you should not produce more.
Common misconceptions about spaying and neutering:
We understand that you may be concerned about your pet’s well-being, and may be concerned about whether or not spaying or neutering would be right for your pet. We can assure you that spaying and neutering are very safe procedures, and your pet will not experience any emotional trauma as a result.
Feel free to call us for further advice. We are always happy to help in any way we can and can provide transport and financial help if needed.