What are pros and cons to neutering and spaying a cat?

Question

My cat Friskey just got his vet appt to get neutered on Thursday. I am very, very nervous. I know it's for the best to get him fixed, but what are some pros and cons to get fixed? Apart from the obvious reason of not being able to impregnate any females?

His sister, Lily, is going to get an appointment about two weeks after his is (depending on how my money is at the time). What are pros and cons to getting her fixed? Apart from the obvious no babies?

I am just so worried about my babies dying or something while getting fixed. Please no negativity, I am just very nervous.

Thanks so much for the answers so far! :)

Another one to add, I am also going to get their mommy fixed sometime this winter. She is between 7-9 years old, I think. Is she too old to get fixed? Is there such an age for them to be too old? Are there any increased risks for her to getting fixed?

Answer 1

cons- they cannot have sex and have little babies.

pros- they can have sex but not get babies- less cost right? male cats spray for sexual reasons and neutering your cat would mean he doesn't spray.. which means your furniture/carpets are not covered in pee. also when you neuter your cat, he becomes more attentive and sweet whereas if you don't, he becomes more focused about sex and can pretty much ignore ya.

as for lily- girls are a little easier to manage if they aren't spayed.. but you won't have the male cats meowing at your back door at the chance to meet the little girl. she will become sweeter and more attentive but it will help more for her to be spayed for health reasons- not just behavior reasons- there are a lot of health problems with unspayed animals. esp cats and dogs.

the risk of them dying is very very low and the procedure is very safe. if you have a lot more concerns.. you should probably talk to your vet. it should go okay.. a week of him being tired and then he'll be your perfect pet again.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

No cons. It is a safe procedure that every vet probably does a hundred times a year. They bounce back quickly.

THe pros besides not impregnating also include less roaming, and no spraying (if done early enough)

don't be nervous.. he'll be fine.

Same goes for females. It might take the girl a teeny bit longer to be her normal self, because the procedure is more invasive for females. But all that stuff about it being routine and safe still applies.

Don't be surprised, though if the girl hisses at the boy when he comes back from the vet, and vice versa. Cats don't smell right to their friends when they come back from the vets..It'll take a day or two for them to "smell like their old self" and be recognizeable as a friend, not a stranger.

Answer 4

Don't be afraid! I have had cats all my life and have always gotten them fixed. It's such a simple procedure. It has many health benefits also. You won't have the female howling in heat every month, and the male won't spray (which is very very stinky and hard to get rid of the smell). There are too many pets out there that get put to sleep. Be a loving responsible pet owner and have them fixed.

Spaying a female can actually protect her against mammary cancer and uterine infections. In males, neutering reduces the risk of testicular cancer and enlargement of the prostate and related infections. From a pet owners point of view, the altered pet is a much better companion than their unaltered counterparts. They have a tendency to be less aggressive and more affectionate, and since they are not motivated by the urge to reproduce, they are less prone to roam and fight.

Answer 5

I have four cats. A momma and three babies. The mom was fixed during the emergency c-section to get the babies out (she was too young to be pregnant). Because two of the babies were female and one was male we decided to start with the male when he was old enough. If you get a male cat neutered before his first spray the chances of him spraying after he is fixed is very very slim. Have you ever had a male cat spray in your home? It is not a good thing! My mother had two female cats that she refused to spay and every time they were in heat they would walk around the house with their tails in the air making the most wretched sound ever! I have heard that non-spayed/neutered cats are more apt to getting cancer in those areas as well. I have had many cats throughout the years and have never lost a pet during one of these procedures. Also, the stray pet population is growing out of control. Kudos to you for making the right decision with your babies. To even come on here and ask this question shows that you care for them very much! Good Luck.

Answer 6

Assuming the operations go well, I know of no cons to spaying and neutering cats. Some other pros include: Lily will never have a uterine infection like pyometra; she will also never have ovarian or uterine cancer. For Friskey, the news is even better--not only will he never have testicular cancer. he'll also have a much lower chance of getting two fatal, blood-borne cat diseases (feline leukemia and feline AIDS) because he will not have sex and not be exposed to the blood of other cats he may be fighting for a mate.

Your concerns about the surgery are not unrealistic, as general anesthesia is always risky. However, I can assure you that, in my ten years as veterinary assistant, I never saw a cat die during or as a result of complications arising from either operation. Not once.

Only the good owners worry like this BTW. When you drop the cats off for surgery, it wouldn't hurt to ask when you can call to make sure they're OK.

Answer 7

Relax, Honey. Your kitties will probably feel a lot better without those hormones driving them nuts. In fact, neutering and spaying are just plain routine operations, and if your cats are in good health they'll be right back to normal again.

The only con I can think of to neutering and spaying is that the said kitties can't be used as breeding stock. But then, those are among the pros as well.

After they've been fixed, they won't have the urge to roam seeking mates, and they won't mark territory. Believe you me, I've been in houses with cats that haven't been so attended to, and they stank!

You might find that your male is a bit less aggressive. And the female can't go into heat and so won't be 'announcing' her condition.

Relax: They'll be fine!

Answer 8

Males that are not neutered WiLL eventually spray all over the house, rugs, carpet, furniture. Tom cat urine is next to impossible to get out of fabrics and wood floors. Females that are not spayed will howl and cycle in and out of heat every few weeks. Best to get everyone neutered and spayed. Keep them separated till all are done if they are over 3 or 4 months old. Cats can breed even if the females are not in heat at the time.

Answer 9

The best thing about neutering a cat is that if you do it early enough (when they are young) they won't go around spraying (pissing) on everything. It does not hurt them and makes them less aggressive. He will be fine. Also, how many homeless pets do we want to keep breeding?

And oh yeah! The way they do males nowadays they leave their package in tact so all the other cats won't make fun of them.

Answer 10

CONS: NONE

BENEFITS: less territory problems, no spraying (females do it too!), less risk of developing ovarian and uterine cancer (same with the male organs), no heat cycle, doing your part to reduce the overpopulation of cats by preventing your cat from having kittens or making kittens

the benefits outweigh the risk, every cat needs to be spayed/neutered.