Why spay or neuter your cat?

October 29, 2016

Why Spay or Neuter?
Part 1: Cats

Contributed by Sina Kavadas, veterinary assistant at Grand Avenue Veterinary Center and 3rd year veterinary student at the University of Minnesota

We frequently get questions on why we recommend spaying/neutering pets. In order to make an informed decision, we’ve compiled a list of the pros and cons of castration.

• Female cats
  • The pros of spaying female cats are numerous, but most important are that spayed females have lower incidence of mammary tumors (which are one of the most common types of tumors in female cats), pyometra (uterine infection), and uterine/ovarian tumors. Additionally, this prevents the cat from having kittens that you as the owner may not want to have to take care of/rehome.
  • The most common issue in spayed cats is obesity, but that can be avoided by monitoring food intake; don’t free feed, and try to emphasize canned food rather than dry food.
  • Our recommendation is to spay all non-breeding female cats before they enter their first estrous (heat) cycle to reduce the chance of developing cancer; usually, this can happen at ~4-6 months of age. If your young female kitty is suddenly extra vocal and affectionate, there’s a good chance she has just entered her first heat cycle.
• Male cats
  • The pros of castrating male cats include decreasing/eliminating aggressive mating behaviors and marking tendencies.
  • The only real con to castrating male cats is obesity, but this can be avoided by monitoring food intake; don’t free feed, and try to emphasize canned food rather than dry food (this is particularly important in male cats for urinary tract health).
  • Our recommendation is to neuter all non-breeding male cats before puberty to avoid development of mating/marking behaviors; usually, this can happen at a fairly young age (~4-6 months).
• Stray cats
  • Stray and feral cat overpopulation is a big problem in the United States. Millions of animals are euthanized every year due to lack of space in shelters. One of the most common reasons owned animals are relinquished to shelters is behavioral issues arising from being intact (not spayed/neutered). Additionally, owned animals who go outside can come into contact with feral animals and contract diseases or, in the case of females, become pregnant. Trap-Neuter-Return programs exist to help with sterilization of feral animals to attempt to keep populations down, but these programs also rely on pet owners to spay or neuter their own animals.
• The big picture
  • Spaying or neutering your cat is one of the best medical decisions you can make for your pet’s health, behavior, and overall wellbeing
    

    Our assistant Sina holding Pocket, a stray kitten who was found, treated, neutered and placed in a loving home thanks to VIDA, a volunteer organization in Costa Rica.

     

    

    More information regarding Trap, Neuter, Return programs in “community cats”