Education
Cat Neutering, a Good or a Bad Decision?
Making choices for your pet isn’t always easy
I know that most people regard cat neutering as a cruel act because your beloved cat has to go through a painful procedure of surgery. But this is for the better good, there are numerous benefits of neutering/spaying a cat, or even a dog. And people need to understand that neutering not only benefits your pets but it also benefits you too. But everything has its price, there are some setbacks of neutering/spaying too. We will discuss all the aspects so you can make an informed decision about your pet.
Female cats are spayed which means the removal of ovaries and uterus. Male cats are neutered which involves the removal of testes.
Positive Aspects of Cat Neutering/Spaying
Population control
By spaying/ neutering your pet you will contribute to birth control. Millions of pets result in being homeless due to the increasing population and many are euthanized. So you could prevent that.
Prevention of disease
When you get your female cat spayed before her first heat cycle, the risk of cervical, mammary, and ovarian cancer is greatly reduced. Removing the ovaries results in decreased levels of hormones that lower the cancer risks. The estrous cycle of a cat is the time when it comes into heat.
Neutering your male cat prevents testicular cancer and prostate problems.
Feline Leukemia and Feline AIDS are two diseases that are spread when a diseased cat bites a healthy cat, neutered/spayed cats do not have much urge to fight over a mate. Thus these diseases are prevented.
Less roaming around
When males and females go onto heat they have an urge to mate. They will run out of the house as soon as you open the door. They will try to escape and can get into all sorts of troubles outside. By neutering/spaying you can prevent this.
Reduction of inappropriate urination
Male cats urinate outside their litter box to mark their territory, it alerts other males that another male has marked his territory. The urine has a very pungent smell. Neutering a male cat eliminates its urge to spray.
Female cats secrete a vaginal fluid when they go into heat, this attracts males. By spaying your cat you can prevent this.
Reduce fights or disputes
Due to a hormonal system, unneutered male cats look for mates and defend their territory against other males. This results in territorial disputes when they come across another male, especially when a female cat is nearby.
Cost-effective when compared to breeding
The cost of spaying/neutering is less than as compared to caring for a litter. And caring for the litter requires a lot of responsibility and you need to give a lot of your time.
Negative Aspect of Cat Neutering/Spaying
Surgical risk
Everybody knows that Neutering/Spaying involves surgery. Even though this procedure is common but still there are some risks involved with this procedure. There are chances of developing infections but that is rare. Moreover, anesthesia is also involved which also has some risks.
There is a misconception that Neutering or Spaying may cause weight gain. But this is just a myth there is no scientific evidence about this. Lack of exercise and an unbalanced diet is the reason behind it. There is no relation between weight gain and neutering.
By now you must have been enlightened by all the aspects of cat neutering/spaying. I know that almost every pet owner finds it difficult to inflict their pets with an invasive surgical procedure But this may be the best option for you and your pet.
