Neutering

WHY MALE AND FEMALE CATS SHOULD BE NEUTERED.

 "No matter how much cats fight, there always seems to be plenty of kittens." - Abraham Lincoln

The old adage that "if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem" is particularly applicable to unwanted pregnancy in cats. Female kittens should be neutered at five months and males at six months. It is a major misconception that cats must have a litter before being neutered.  A cat does not need to have at least 1 litter to be healthy, nor will they "miss" motherhood.     

A healthy female can give birth to up to 120 kittens in her life-time. Cats produce incredibly efficiently and a single female can be responsible for over 20,000 offspring in just five years, (Source: Cats Protection). 

Taking the mortality into account, along with birth and death rates, the average stray female will have 5.25 litters in her lifetime, encompassing 22.3 kittens. At age two months there should be 12.9 survivors, roughly six females and seven males (at maturity, roughly 2/3 of the stray cat population is male,(6) due to the high mortality of females during first pregnancy and birth), which will decrease to four females over time. These six females will go on to have their 22 surviving kittens each.

Realistically, over 12 years one unneutered female with all her unneutered female offspring can reasonably be expected to be responsible for over 3200 kittens if there is no human intervention. (Source: Cat Fanciers Association, U.S.A.)

Aside from reducing the very real feline overpopulation problem, there are some valid health reasons for neutering female cats.

• Decreased Risk of Mammary Cancer
  Ideally, to give a female cat protection against mammary cancer, she should be neutered prior to her first heat. Each subsequent heat brings a greater chance of mammary cancer at a later time.
• Eliminates Risk of Ovarian or Uterine Cancer
  Neutering a cat involves the removal of the uterus and ovaries. No organs: no cancer; simple as that.
• Eliminates Chances of Pyometritis
  Pyometra is a virulent bacteria that attacks the uterus of cats, usually a week or so after estrus, and is a potentially fatal infection.

Every kitten has a daddy and this is one reason why male cats should also be neutered. Other reasons why male cats should be neutered are

• Neutered males are less likely to spray strong urine
• Neutered males will lose the urge to fight other males
• Neutered males will be less likely to wander away from home
• Neutered males will not be subject to testicular cancer
• Neutered males are not likely to develop "stud tail," caused by overactive glands in the tail
• Neutered males have a decreased risk of mammary cancer

Cork Cat Action Trust is committed to reducing the feline population numbers and thereby keeping the cat population healthy and stable and this can only be achieved when there is a national policy of neutering.