| FACTS and FICTION ABOUT SPAYING & NEUTERING
She needs to have one litter before spaying
There is no medical research to support this supposition. In fact, spaying your female cat will not only save her the misery of frequent heat cycles throughout her life, but also will reduce her risk of mammary cancer, and eliminate the risk of uterine and ovary cancer, as well as pyometra. If none of these arguments are convincing enough, consider the possible complications of birth, which may result in the death of mother and/or babies, not to mention the potential threat of eclampsia.
I'd like for my kids to witness the Miracle of Birth
Just one unaltered cat can produce 420,000 cats in seven years - 10 million in ten years. Do the math. It's not a pretty picture, considering most of these cats live a very hard life and usually meet with an untimely and unnatural death. Kids can learn about the miracle of birth in so many other ways that won’t have a negative impact on the lives of animals.
Spaying or neutering will make my cat fat and lazy, or worse, sick
All cats have the potential of getting fat and lazy. Feeding your cat an appropriate premium food and engaging with her in interactive exercise will keep her in prime physical condition. As for medical issues, female cats, for instance can develop uterine or ovarian cancer and/or infections if they are not spayed. Also, owners of neutered male cats do not report behavioral marking issues in male cats that have been neutered.
REASONS TO SPAY and NEUTER
Promote Good Health
Again, spaying your female cat will not only save her the misery of frequent heat cycles throughout her life, but also will reduce her risk of mammary cancer, and eliminate the risk of uterine and ovary cancer, as well as pyometra. Neutering male cats will prevent testicular cancer. It will also vastly reduce the urge to fight other males, which inevitably leads to abscesses, torn ears, and sometimes death.
Reduce Potential Behavior Problems
Unaltered male cats spray indiscrimately, and their urine has a pungent, musky odor that is extremely difficult to remove from walls, furniture, and drapes. Unspayed female cats also spray - it is a natural instinct designed to attract a mate. In addition, unaltered cats of both sexes will stop at nothing to escape the house for mating purposes.
Help Prevent Overpopulation
The first two reasons are personal; this one is universal. You may think that because you can find good homes for your cat's babies, that you're not contributing to the problem. Think again. There are simply not enough "good homes" to go around. For every kitten you place in a good home, another cat loses its life on the streets or in a traditional shelter. Locally, 4 out 5 cats and kittens brought to the Orange County Animal Shelter are euthanized and NOT adopted.
If you want kittens, consider fostering a litter from a shelter. You will have the joy of seeing them in their "cute" period (which lasts only a few months), and you will have the satisfaction of helping, rather than contributing to the problem.
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