Win-Win Situation ... Why Spay Or Neuter Your Cat?
Spaying and neutering procedures are the most common surgeries performed in veterinary
hospitals. And for good reason: They help control the cat population and eliminate the need
to find homes for litters of kittens.
Whether your have a male or a female cat, the benefits of spaying and neutering go much
further than that. Not only are you being a responsible owner when you have your cat
sterilized, you're making a better pet.
The Benefits
What are the benefits of spaying and neutering? They include:
- Healthier pets. Female cats, spayed before they reach puberty, are less likely to
develop mammary tumors, and have no chance of developing uterine infections. Neutered male
cats won't contract testicular infections, which, though rare, can be serious. Because
neutered cats are more passive, they won't be as likely to fight with neighborhood cats. And
if a cat ends up in an animal shelter, being spayed or neutered can make the difference
between life and death.
- Happier pet owners. Female cats will no longer experience heat cycles, or produce
litter after litter of kittens. Neutered male cats won't impregnate females and will be less
likely to roam, engage in territorial disputes or spray pungent "tom-cat" urine on anything
in your home they consider theirs.
- Fewer unwanted pets. The burden of unwanted pets is heavy, The American Humane
Association advocates early spay / neuter programs to ensure that shelter-adopted cats don't
produce kittens. Although owners are required to have their new pets altered, many don't
comply even though they've paid a portion of the fee during the adoption.
The association's early spaying and neutering programs call for sterilization when kittens
are as young as 6 weeks old. Cats typically are spayed or neutered at about 6 months, but
some veterinarians prefer early sterilization to prevent accidental breeding when puberty
hits earlier than expected. If the technique is modified to accommodate young kittens,
surgery is safe and recovery time is short.
Dispelling a Common Myth
Contrary to myth, spaying or neutering doesn't cause obesity. "Only too much food and too
little exercise cause obesity," says Ray Snopek, a veterinarian from Abbotsford, British
Columbia. "Be sure to choose the right diet for your cat's stage of development and activity
level."
Because kittens are full-grown by the time they're 1 year old, it's important to stop
feeding them growth or kitten foods, which are higher in calories than other formulas.
Snopek recommends switching to a maintenance or adult formula then. If your cat shows a
tendency to be overweight or doesn't get much exercise, feed a diet specially made for cats
with a lower activity level. Iams Less Active Formula has 45 percent less fat than
Iams Original Cat Food, while providing a complete, balanced diet.
The Procedure
Here's what you can expect when you take your cat to your veterinarian to be spayed or
neutered:
- Spaying involves surgically removing a female cat's ovaries and uterus. Known as an
ovariohysterectomy, this ensures that the cat no longer has heat cycles. The 15-minute
procedure is considered major abdominal surgery and requires a general gas anesthesia.
- Neutering refers to castration - or removing of the male cat's testicles. It's a
simpler procedure than spaying because the organs are outside the abdominal cavity. The
five-minute procedure usually is done under a short-acting injectable anesthesia.
Surgery of any kind requires preoperative fasting. And, shortly before the surgery, the
veterinarian will prep your cat to avoid infection. Consult your veterinarian or animal
shelter for more information on spaying and neutering.
your cat, fall 1999
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