NEUTERING YOUR CAT
Unless you plan to breed your cat, you should have it neutered.
Neutering your cat-wheather it is male or female-cuts down on the number of unwanted kittens and safeguards your cat's health.
Unneutered male cats do not make good pets. They are roamers
by instinct and, if allowed outdoors, will wander off in search of a female cat in heat. Tom cats are extremely aggressive,
and their search will likely involve a fight or two with the neighborhood toms. After a night out, your unneutered male cat
may come home with torn ear or a few bites and scratches-wounds that carry the danger of infection. In addition,males mark
their territory with their urine. Because a cat's territory of course includes its home, you will find that your furniture
and draperies are the object of your cat's territorial spraying. This strong smelling urine is virtually impossible to remove.
A female that is not spayed will go into heat. If she does not mate, the continued stress of each heat is debilitating. Unspayed
females are often thin and nervous cats. Pregnancy is clearly not the solution: Kittens are time-consuming and expensive for
the owner, and successive pregnancies create a physical strain on the mother cat. Spaying is better for your female cat's
health. A spayed cat will not develop uterine infections or reproductive-tract tumors, and the risk of breast cancer is reduced.
Some owners may worry that neutering will alter the cats
personality. After neutering,your cat will still be your cat. However it will be a happier and more contented animal. Owners
also worry that neutering cats become fat and lazy. Neutered cats, are fat because they are overfed. They require less food
than unneutered cats, and their owners frequently fail to adjust the amount.
Neutering is a routine operation that poses little risk
when performed by a competent vet. Neutering a male (castration) is a simple procedure. Chances are you can drop your cat
off in the morning and take him home later that day. Neutering a female (spaying) is slightly more complicated because the
process involves abdominal surgery. Some vets will want to keep your female cat overnight. Recovery for both males and females
will be quick. Your vet may advise you to put shredded newspaper in the litter box to minimize the risk of infection. Neutering
is best perforned around the time your cat reaches sexual maturity, about six to eight months old, although this age may vary
by breed. THERE IS NO NEED FOR YOUR FEMALE CAT TO GO THROUGH ONE HEAT.
