Reasons for having a cat spayed or neutered?

Question

BESIDES the overpopulating we're seeing everywhere, what other valid reasons are there to fix a cat? What benefits are there? Let's hear from as many professionals as possible on this one, it goes along with another question about declawing that I have.

Answer 1

It's healthier for the cat in the long run. Prevents cancer, infections, and several other serious (and costly) problems.

ASPCA.org has a list of 10 reasons:

"1. Your female dog or cat will live a longer, healthier life.
Spaying—the removal of the ovaries and uterus—is a veterinary procedure performed under general anesthesia that usually requires minimal hospitalization. Spaying a female cat or dog helps prevent pyometra (pus-filled uterus) and breast cancer. Treatment of pyometra requires hospitalization, intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Breast cancer can be fatal in about 50 percent of female dogs and in 90 percent of female cats. Spaying your pet before her first heat offers the best protection from these diseases.
2. There are major health benefits for your male animal companion, too.
Besides preventing unwanted litters, neutering your male dog or cat—the surgical removal of the testicles—prevents testicular cancer, if done before six months of age.

3. Your spayed female won't go into heat.
While cycles can vary greatly, female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. In an effort to advertise for mates, they'll yowl and urinate more frequently—sometimes all over the house. Unspayed female dogs generally have a bloody discharge for about a week, and can conceive for another week or so.

4. YouR male dog won't need to roam away from home…
An intact male in search of a mate will do just about anything to get one! That includes digging his way under the fence and making like Houdini to escape from the house. And once he's free to roam, he risks injury in traffic and fights with other males.

5. …and he will be much better behaved to boot!
Neutered cats and dogs focus their attention on their human families. On the other hand, unneutered dogs and cats may mark their territory by spraying strong-smelling urine all over the house. Indoors, male dogs may embarrass you by mounting on furniture and human legs when stimulated. And FYI, a neutered dog protects his home and family just as well as unneutered dog--and many aggression problems can be avoided by early neutering.

6. Spaying or neutering will NOT make your pet fat.
It's no use to use that old excuse! Lack of exercise and overfeeding will cause your pet to pack on the extra pounds—not neutering. Your pet will remain fit and trim as long as you continue to provide exercise and monitor food intake.

7. Spaying or neutering is highly cost-effective.
The cost of your pet's spay or neuter surgery is a lot less than the cost of having and caring for a litter. It also beats the cost of treatment when your unneutered tom escapes and gets into fights with neighborhood strays…or the cost of cleaning the carpet that your unspayed female keeps mistaking for her litter box, or the cost of…well, you get the idea!

8. It's good for the community.
Stray animals pose real problems in many parts of the country. They can prey on wildlife, cause vehicular accidents, damage the local fauna and scare children.

9. Your pet doesn't need to have a litter for your children to witness the miracle of birth.
We've heard this one a lot. But you know what? Letting your pet produce offspring you have no intention of keeping teaches your children irresponsibility. Anyone who has seen an animal euthanized in a shelter for lack of a home knows the truth behind this dangerous myth. There are countless books and videos available to teach your children about birth in a responsible manner.

10. It packs a powerful punch in the fight against pet overpopulation.
Millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized annually or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unwanted, unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering. "

Now the 10th reason deals with your overpopulation issue... but there are 9 other very valid reasons why you should spay or neuter your cat.

Answer 2

A female cat in heat is an annoying, inconsolable, noisy creature that will go into heat every month until she is spayed, or bred. If bred you will have a bunch of under foot fur balls running around you must find homes for. That last part is not as easy as the cute faces make you think. If bred she will go into heat cycles 4 to 6 months after birthing. If not spayed or bred the constantly changing hormones can lead to health problems late in life.

Answer 3

Josh has a good answer also because if your cat is a little mean or hyper spaying or neutering does seem to calm the cats behavior down some.

Answer 4

Unlike declawing which provides a benefit for the human owners but none whatsoever for the cat , neutering or spaying does provide a NET BENEFIT for the individual cat itself. Intact males are compelled by physiological changes to mate. Forcing them not to mate causes them extreme discomfort and psychological and emotional stress. The same can be said of queens (intact females). Moreover, the eggs of an intact female cat who is forced not to mate become encrusted in her overaries, which may lead to cancerous tumors. Unless one intends to breed their cats, it is therefore advisable to have them sexually altered.

Again, there is absolutely NO net benefit for the cat itself when it is declawed. Declawing is entirely for the benefit of the human companion. This is why it is considered inhumane and many countries have outlawed the cruel practice. These countries include:
England
Scotland
Wales
Italy
France
Germany
Austria
Switzerland
Norway
Sweden
Netherlands
Northern Ireland
Ireland
Denmark
Finland
Slovenia
Portugal
Belgium
Brazil
Australia
New Zealand
Yugoslavia
Japan

Answer 5

When I got my first cat I was advised to get him neutered so he "would be a kitten forever". My experience has been that they make better citizens in the home that way because there are no objectionable behaviors such as marking which are associated with hormones. They are also less susceptible to various cancers.

Answer 6

It has been shown that hormones can cause cancers in dogs and cats. Testosterone in dogs causes non-malignant tumors. Mammary cancer in cats. You can look these things up or ask your vet.

Male cats will fight more if they aren't neutered. The bites lead to abscesses and infection like FIV and FIP and Feline leukemia. This leads to a huge increase in the spread of these fatal diseases.

Answer 7

I just wanted to add something to poisons quote:

"First, you should know that declawing is pretty much an American thing, it's something people do for their own convenience without realizing what actually happens to their beloved cat."

Declawing is actually deemed unethical, and immoral by most veterinary professionals in the United States. There are legislation and laws currently being put into effect and awaiting votes in Congress to prohibit these kinds of surgeries.

In 2004, California became the first state in the USA to enact of state-wide ban on the declawing of wild and exotic cats.

In 2006, the United States Department of Agriculture enacted a ban on declawing of all wild and exotic animals held by USDA-licensed owners.

Answer 8

I just got my cat neutered 4 days ago. Since, he has been:

Calmer
Stop chasing my female cat
Stopped "marking his territory"

Answer 9

The cat is usually happier, calmer and tends to stay home more; therefore being safer with less fighting, etc., they tend to live longer also.

Answer 10

i love my cats. I have two male cat.

Spaying – The Positive Side:
Spaying removes the risk of pregnancy.
Pet overpopulation is a serious problem and by allowing your cat to have litters, you are adding to the problem. Finding homes for your new family additions is not as easy as you may think. Even if you choose to keep the kittens, you will have the additional cost of vaccines, parasite control, toys and food for several pets. In addition to costs, the health of the mother can be in jeopardy during delivery. Some new mothers can have serious complications delivering kittens and can even develop health problems during nursing. All these potential problems can be avoided by spaying your cat.

Spaying makes for a calmer cat.
Without the drive to mate, your cat may be quieter and won't be prone to cat calls and the incessant need to seek out a mate. The spayed pet no longer attracts males and their annoying advances and serenades. Spayed cats are also easier to get along with. They tend to be more gentle and affectionate.

Spaying keeps your cat healthier.
A final positive aspect of spaying your cat is that spayed cats tend to have fewer health problems. Spaying is the removal of the ovaries and uterus. Without these organs, ovarian cysts, uterine infections and cancer of the reproductive tract are no longer a concern.

Spaying – The Negative Side
Spaying means sterilization.
Spaying will result in the sterilization of your cat, and she will no longer have the ability to become pregnant. In the era of pet overpopulation and the fact that thousands of unwanted pets are euthanized each year, this is really not so bad.

Spaying may cause weight gain.
Some cats may gain weight after spaying and as they get older. Unspayed animals typically have a strong mating desire and can expend a lot of energy seeking a mate and reproducing. Without this energy burden, your cat may eat the same amount but not burn off as many calories. Cutting back on food intake or increasing your pets activity will help reduce weight gain.

Neutering – The Positive Side
Neutering removes the risk of pregnancy.

Pet overpopulation is a serious issue and by allowing your cat to breed, you are adding to the problem. Although you may not own the female cat, and you are not burdened with finding homes for those new kittens, someone else is. Even if you accept your responsibility and choose to keep the kittens, you will have the additional cost of vaccines, parasite control, toys and food for several pets.

Neutering makes for a cleaner, calmer pet.
Another positive aspect of neutering your cat is that neutering can result in a calmer, and sometimes cleaner, home. Without the drive to mate, your cat may be quieter and not prone to cat calls and an incessant need to seek out a mate. The neutered cat no longer feels the need to seek out and serenade females. He no longer has the stress of needing to mark his territory and urinate throughout the house and yard. Neutered cats are also easier to get along with. They tend to more gentle and affectionate. Neutered males tend to roam less and typically are not involved in as many fights with other animals.

Neutering keeps your pet healthier.
A final positive aspect of neutering your cat is that neutered cats tend to have fewer health problems. Neutering is the removal of the testicles. Without these organs, testicular cancer is no longer a concern and the risk of prostate problems is reduced. For those people who would like to sterilize their cat but do not wish to alter his appearance, testicular implants are available.

Neutering – The Negative Side
Neutering is sterilization.
Neutering will result in the sterilization of your cat.

Neutering may cause weight gain.
Some cats gain weight after neutering. Intact animals typically have a strong mating desire and can expend a lot of energy seeking a mate and reproducing. Without this energy burden, your cat may eat the same amount but not burn off as many calories. Cutting back on his food or increasing his activity can help reduce the weight gain.


Last year about 17 million dogs and cats were turned over to animal shelters. Only one out of every 10 taken in to the shelters found a home. This means that over 13.5 million had to be destroyed. The tragedy is that this is unnecessary. Much of the problem could be eliminated by simple surgery: Spaying and neutering operations are performed under general anesthesia and are quite painless. By neutering pets, owners can help lower the numbers of unwanted and homeless creatures.

I WILL NEVER DECLAW MY CAT:
Declawing is not like a manicure. It is serious surgery. Your cat's claw is not a toenail. It is actually closely adhered to the bone. So closely adhered that to remove the claw, the last bone of your the cat's claw has to be removed. Declawing is actually an amputation of the last joint of your cat's "toes". When you envision that, it becomes clear why declawing is not a humane act. It is a painful surgery, with a painful recovery period. And remember that during the time of recuperation from the surgery your cat would still have to use its feet to walk, jump, and scratch in its litter box regardless of the pain it is experiencing. Wheelchairs and bedpans are not an option for a cat.

No cat lover would doubt that cats--whose senses are much keener than ours--suffer pain. They may, however, hide it better. Not only are they proud, they instinctively know that they are at risk when in a weakened position, and by nature will attempt to hide it. But make no mistake. This is not a surgery to be taken lightly.

Your cat's body is perfectly designed to give it the grace, agility and beauty that is unique to felines. Its claws are an important part of this design. Amputating the important part of their anatomy that contains the claws drastically alters the conformation of their feet. The cat is also deprived of its primary means of defense, leaving it prey to predators if it ever escapes to the outdoors.

I have also had people tell me that their cat's personality changed after being declawed. Although, the medical community does not recognize this as potential side effect.

The following website http://www.catscratching.com/ provides many solutions as well as and insight into the psychology of why cats scratch.