Why Neuter?
The benefits of neutering
Neutering your male and female kitten and cat is a simple thing, and if you are on benefit or low income we may be able to help by providing vouchers towards the cost. It is far more expensive to feed a pregnant cat and her kittens than to pay for her to be spayed. One female can have up to three litters in a year, with five or six kittens each time.
Why
Neutered cats live longer and healthier lives. Males are less likely to roam, fight and mark their territory with urine (spraying). This will cut the risk of them being run over or getting hurt in fights. This improves their chances of avoiding serious diseases like feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) which are transmitted by cat bites and reproductive activity.
For females, the obvious benefit is no unwanted pregnancies. It is NOT beneficial for a female cat to have a litter before spaying - this is a myth. Spayed female cats will also not call and wail during their sexual cycle and will be less likely to catch diseases spread by bites and reproductive activity.
When
From the age of four to six months is ideal for both males and females as this is when they can become sexually active. But if your cat is older, then it's never too late.
The procedure
Your cat will need an anaesthetic but the procedure is very simple. You will usually be able to drop off your pet and pick him or her up on the same day. Females will have a small shaved area but the fur will grow back in a couple of weeks. They will also have stitches which will either be dissolvable or need to be taken out by the vet around ten days later. Cats usually recover very quickly. Your vet will be able to advise you on your individual cat.
Cost
This depends on your vet, but the average for a male is £40 to £50. For a female, the average is £50 to £60. Your vet can give you a quote. If you are on benefits or low income then Cats Protection may be able to help with the cost by providing neutering vouchers which helps towards the cost of the procedure.
Every year our branch takes in multiple litters from gardens and sheds – and this year is no exception. Most come in with some sort of health problem from a bad flea infestation to bad eyes and Flu.
And the solution is so simple – if we could get the message across to EVERYONE that cats must be neutered!
If you are feeding feral cats, they should all be neutered (otherwise you will find you are feeding more cats than you can count!)
If you are feeding an un-neutered feral cat, or if you think a friend or neighbour is doing so, please call our helpline on 0345 260 2101 and leave your details - one of our volunteers will get back to you and we will try to help. The terrible truth is that an un-neutered female can be responsible for 20,000 descendants in just 5 years (with her litters having litters and so on). Sadly, most of the kittens will develop health problems through infections as well as congenital defects through in-breeding. And with the best will in the world, we can’t find loving homes for all of today’s unwanted cats – let alone hundreds – or thousands – more!
We Need YOUR Help to Spread the Word about LOW COST Neutering