| We all love our cats and many of us would prefer | | | | procedure...neutering. The surgery is one of the |
| them in their natural body form i.e. not subject | | | | simplest in all of veterinary medicine. Carried out |
| them to any surgery or general anesthesia. But | | | | under general anesthesia your pet will be |
| there is one procedure for which I do | | | | discharged the same day and will have no |
| recommend surgical intervention...sterilization of | | | | significant personality changes! |
| cats. | | | | Female Cat - Here you have a lovely queen who |
| We all know by now the outcome of allowing | | | | adores you, rolls on your feet and shows |
| uncontrolled breeding of cats (ferals...remember!). | | | | affection for the whole family - until she reaches |
| But apart from that sterilization of cats has | | | | puberty (again at approximately six months). Now |
| several important benefits. And unless you are a | | | | your sleep every night is disturbed by her |
| serious breeder, I do suggest you consider the | | | | constant yowling! She desperately wants to get |
| following: | | | | out and meet a tom cat - and she can't help |
| Male cat - When your tom cat reaches puberty | | | | it...she's in heat. You try to soothe her but to no |
| at nearly six months of age, he will start yearning | | | | avail. Finally you let her out. She returns after a |
| for female cats, and it's not his fault - it's only | | | | few days, relatively unharmed. However, she |
| natural. He will meow at night, spray foul smelling | | | | continues to venture outside periodically, much to |
| urine all over the house aside from his litter box, | | | | your concern, where she is exposed to unhygienic |
| and totally ignore all your attempts to control him, | | | | conditions and diseases. A few months later she |
| in short there will be a total change in his | | | | bears a litter of four kittens. Now you have a |
| personality and it will continue...until you let him out! | | | | problem - what to do these with these new cats. |
| Once outside your tommy boy will be no match | | | | This will continue every few months and your |
| for the ferals who have grown on their own and | | | | house will become crowded with cats, you will be |
| are much better hunters and fighters than your | | | | left wondering if it's a good idea to keep pets? |
| pet who never learned to fend for himself under | | | | Again all of this could be avoided by a similar |
| your loving care. So when he's gonna eye female | | | | surgery...spaying (ovariohysterectomy). Your cat |
| cats and try and establish his territory, he'll end up | | | | will no longer come in heat and will lead a happy, |
| inevitably in a fight with another feral male cat - | | | | healthy life! |
| and return to you with a scratched face and | | | | Even if the above does not motivate you enough, |
| scarred ego! You'll worry about him but there's | | | | remember this, sterilization also reduces the risk |
| not much you can do - he will go outside again - | | | | of cancer in cats (testicular in males, ovarian in |
| and this time may not return (as your | | | | females)! What's the right age for neutering? I'd |
| domesticated pet he didn't even learn how to | | | | say at puberty...around six months! No use letting |
| cross a street or avoid humans!) And you'll be left | | | | the cat have one litter since they may only learn |
| with heart break, uncomprehending...when all of | | | | a behavioral trait that you don't want! |
| this could be avoided by a simple | | | | |