Having a pet cat comes with great responsibilities. While cats are generally not too much work, and they can mostly take care of themselves and do not need as much company and exercise as dogs do, they are still your pet and your responsibility. While they may be trained enough and sensible enough to go out, use their litter box, or go out for a nighttime stroll and find their way back home, they are still dependant on you for a lot of things.
Their health should be your top-most concern, and by maintaining a healthy diet with regular vet visits, you can generally avoid any significant threats to their health and well-being. Get your little kitten vaccinated on time, and ensure she gets her booster shots to keep her protected from any diseases that she could have been susceptible to. Cats also need to be de-wormed regularly by a vet, to keep their digestive systems healthy and protect them from developing intestinal worms that can cause them pain.
There is another major vet procedure that you should make your cat undergo once in their lifetime. A big part of keeping your pet cat healthy is to get them spayed or neutered at the right time. Spaying or neutering can have various health benefits and can protect your cats from a host of diseases later on in their lives.
What Are Spaying and Neutering?
Spaying or neutering involves the surgical removal of your cat’s reproductive organs, done with the intention of preventing your pet cats from breeding. Spaying is the procedure for females, where the cat’s ovaries and uterus are removed, while neutering is the procedure for male cats where their testicles are removed. Both of these surgeries are performed by skilled vets, with the cat being put under anesthesia, and carry minimal risks. Both surgeries are routine, and with a few post-op precautionary measures and some diligence on your part, your cat will be back to its normal routine in just a few days.
Benefits of Spaying
Spaying or neutering your cat carries several health benefits; it helps them fight off numerous diseases and illnesses, and even cures behavioral issues with some cats. Let’s look at some common benefits of spaying and neutering in more detail.
Longer Life
Spaying your female cat will reduce her chances of developing breast cancer and uterine infections, which are a pretty common infliction in cats and can prove to be fatal if not treated. Another benefit of spaying is that your cat won’t have to go through any fatal mid-delivery complications.
The same goes for the male cat, too; neutering him on time can prevent him from developing testicular cancer and lengthens his life, enabling him to provide you with his joyous company for longer.
No Heat Cycles
In mating season, once a month, the female cat goes into heat, where she calls out to the male cats for breeding with loud howls and shrieks. Having a cat going through heat in your house can be pretty annoying sometimes. Spaying your cat can be of mutual benefit to both of you as she won’t feel the need to breed and yell for male cats to come to her service, and you can have a peaceful night’s sleep.
Prevents Pet Over-Population
Look out the window. There are millions of stray cats out on the streets, hungry, unloved, and mistreated. We do not need to unnecessarily bring up the cat population if that’s the quality of life we are going to give them. If you cannot care for and afford a litter of kittens, don’t let your cat give birth to them, only to throw them out on the streets.
Fixes Behavioral Issues
While spaying and neutering do not alter a pet’s personality, it can have several positive implications on their behavior. Many people have noticed their pets getting calmer and happier post-surgery. Female cats, when on heat, can become aggressive, while male cats can urinate and spray around the house to get a female’s attention. The fluctuating hormone levels in cats can also make them irritable. All of these issues disappear when a cat has undergone this surgery.
When Is the Right Time to Spay?
While your vet would be the authority on this topic, it is recommended that you should spay or neuter your cat when it has crossed the four months mark. There are other factors that come into play when deciding the right time to spay, such as the health, size, and breed of the cat, but it is generally considered safe after your cat is 4 months old.
There are a lot of superstitions surrounding the appropriate age for neutering a cat. At six months of age, your female cat starts going into heat, and some people believe that you should let your cat have her first heat period before spaying her. Some others believe that it is better to allow the cat to have at least one litter before spaying her. There is absolutely no truth to these, and no health benefits associated with them. In fact, spaying her before she has a chance to breed is the best option.
Go to a trusted vet for the spaying/neutering surgery and follow the vet’s instructions regarding caring and looking after your cat after it is done with the operation.
The Ethical Dilemma behind Spaying
Some people still believe, despite vets and scientists constantly advocating for safe spaying and neutering surgeries, that it is unnatural and inhumane. They argue that animals should have bodily autonomy, and humans should not interfere and dictate what should happen to them, and leave them to their own devices.
However, animal welfare workers contend that spaying/neutering a cat is a much more humane option, vis-à-vis leaving litters of kittens out on the streets to fend for themselves, many of which fall ill and eventually have to be euthanized.
So book an appointment with our in-house vet at Twissted Whiskers by calling us at 678-714-5477 to get your cat spayed or neutered, and do the deed as soon as your cat comes of age.
