Cat Neutering/Spaying
Neutering can be defined as the surgical removal of an animals' sex organs and is performed by a licensed veterinarian. This procedure makes it so your cat cannot reproduce and also stops the production of the hormones that cause a cats’ sexual behavior. The male procedure is called castration and the female procedure is called spaying.
Having your cat spayed or neutered is a very important decision and unless you are planning on breeding your cat, you should have your cat neutered and you should have the procedure done as early as six months old or whenever your veterinarian recommends it. A female cat can produce up to four litters a year, which is roughly twelve kittens. That's twelve kittens that need homes; most of which are usually abandoned or put to sleep.
Another reason to consider having your cat spayed or neutered is to reduce behavior problems. When in season (or heat), female cats become restless and often very vocal. They can become frustrated if they aren’t let outside and this may cause them to spray urine around the house. You will also have every male cat in the neighborhood sitting at your front door.
Male cats that are not neutered also spray urine and often wander farther away from home than normal and are likely to get in fights. Cats that are neutered tend to be more calm and affectionate and are more likely to become social with people than cats that are not.
Research has shown that just last year, 17 millions dogs and cats were taken to animal shelters, but only about one in ten found homes. This means that about 13.5 million were put to sleep. When deciding whether or not to spay or neuter your cat, keep that horrifying statistic in mind. There are already way too many cats and dogs that don’t have homes. By spaying or neutering your pet you can avoid adding to that number.