By Donna Newnham
Getting your cat neutered is a serious decision to make for both you, and your pet. The term neutering applies to both sexes of cat – castration in males, spaying in females. It can be done anytime after six months of age and involves the removal of the testicles in the male cat and usually tying the fallopian tubes in females, though vets may vary in their practice towards females. It involves a general anesthetic for either operation but on the whole the cat will recover quickly, though the operation and recovery time is longer in a female than a male. The female cat will usually have dissolvable stitches that will come out on their own, although you will have to keep a close eye on their wound for a while. Male cats normally do not need aftercare with the exception of the night after the anesthetic.
There are many good reasons for getting your cat neutered:
* It reduces the risk of unwanted kittens.
* Male cats are less likely to stray
* Male cats are less aggressive
* You will not have to keep your female cat in during her ‘heat’
* Neutered females are unlikely to be attacked by un-neutered males
This is just a few of the reasons that you should consider getting your cat neutered. Many people think that a female cat needs to have a litter of kittens before she is spayed but there is no scientific proof that it benefits them in any way. Indeed, like humans, having babies puts strain on a cats health and she will not feel any psychological difference whether she has them or not. An unspayed female will become agitated during her time of heat, so if you are not intending to breed her it is really in her interest to get her spayed.
An un-neutered male is liable to wander and can often be aggressive towards other cats, leading to high veterinary bills if they need treatment. There is also the issue of cat pee which has a very strong smell from un-neutered males. If you have a cat that is not neutered you are liable to have other un-neutered cats spraying your home as they try to mark their territory.
It only takes one un-neutered male to impregnate many females, most of whom can have litters of up to eight kittens. There is a huge amount of unwanted, stray or feral cats on the streets, many of whom will die in dreadful conditions. By getting your cat neutered you drastically reduce the amount of unwanted kittens that can be produced.
Here are a few things to consider before you have your pet neutered:
* They will be having a general anesthetic which holds it own risks
* Neutered cats run the risk of obesity
* Neutered cats may suffer from slight incontinence.
The pro’s of neutering you cat far outweigh the con’s for both you and your pet. If you are looking to make your cats comfortable, happy, gentle and contented then I would strongly suggest that you consider neutering them.
Looking after your cat it not as simple as just picking up food and a litter tray for them. Many people find themselves faced with a cat that scratches the furniture, digs up the garden, runs up the curtains and attacks anything that comes near them. As a cat lover and former veterinary nurse I have had a lot of experience with the highs and lows of being a cat parent (you will never be their owner!). So I have put down some of my thoughts on the various common problems of cat parenting on my lens at http://www.squidoo.com/catsclaws
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