Spaying and neutering cats

Why should I have my female cat spayed?

Spaying offers several advantages. The female’s heat periods result in about 2-3 weeks of obnoxious behavior. This can be quite annoying if your cat is kept indoors. Male cats are attracted from blocks away and, in fact, seem to come out of the woodwork. They seem to go over, around, and through many doors. Your cat will have a heat period about every 2-3 weeks until she is bred.

In many cases, despite your best efforts, the unspayed female will become pregnant. Spaying prevents unplanned litters of kittens.

Sexually active cats have a far greater risk of contracting Feline Leukemia Virus (related to HIV in humans), which is potentially deadly.

Spaying is the removal of the ovaries and, usually, the uterus. Therefore, heat periods no longer occur.

We recommend having your female cat spayed before her first heat, some time between 5 and 6 months.  Cats spayed at this age have no risk of getting pregnant and recover quicker from surgery than mature cats.

Why should I have my male cat neutered?

Neutering offers several advantages. Male cats go through a significant personality change when they mature. They become very possessive of their territory and mark it with their urine to ward off other cats. The tomcat’s urine develops a very strong odor that will be almost impossible to remove from your house. They also try to constantly enlarge their territory, which means one fight after another. Fighting results in severe infections and abscesses and can expose your cat to Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus.

We recommend having your male cat neutered at 6  months of age. If he should begin to spray his urine before that time, he should be neutered immediately. The longer he sprays or fights, the less likely neutering is to stop it.