Getting your cat spayed or neutered comes with a variety of benefits. Here, our River Oak Veterinary Hospital vets explain the benefits of spaying or neutering your cat.
When should I spay or neuter my cat?
If your cat is healthy, these procedures can be performed at any time during your cat's life, earlier is still recommended. Kittens can be spayed or neutered as young as six to eight weeks of age, however standard spay and neuter surgeries are most often performed when the kitten is between five and six months old.
Spaying vs Neutering
Spaying is the sterilization of female animals. Females are sterilized by removing their reproductive organs. Neutering is the sterilization of male animals. This is done by surgically removing the animal's testes.
Benefits of Spaying or Neutering Your Cat
Neutering male cats also offers several benefits. It reduces unwanted behaviors such as cat aggression and roaming which can help to reduce your cat's risk of injury.
Male cats that are neutered have a reduced risk of developing testicular and prostate cancer.
Female cats that are spayed before their first heat have a reduced risk for malignant mammary tumors later in life.
Spaying also helps to reduce your cat's chances of developing an infection of the uterus, and of developing cancers of the reproductive organs.
Undesirable behaviors in female cats can be reduced with spaying, including; increased and overly intense affection, intense rubbing on objects, marking territory with urine, the desire to wander, and heat-induced howling.
Homelessness among pets is a serious problem because there are more cats born each year than there are homes available for them. Spaying and neutering helps to reduce the number of unwanted cats in your area.
By spaying or neutering your cat, you are helping to reduce the rates of cat homelessness and euthanization in your area.