All our cats are neutered/spayed. If you adopt a kitten that is not neutered/spayed because it is still too young the cost will be your responsibility. This can be arranged at the appropriate time, through our own vets at a reduced cost.
WHY YOU SHOULD NEUTER YOUR FEMALE CAT?
Every year cats start breeding from the beginning of April right through to November.It only takes one unneutered female to be out of the house and she will have the attention of all the tom-cats in the area. ”One tomcat can service nine females a night and the results of these couplings then start breeding themselves.” This means 50 births in six months and nine months after that there will be 200. After another nine months there will be 1,000 all from that one male having had its fun for the night.
“This is why it is so important for owners to get cats of both sexes neutered. But this costs money and a lot of people don’t bother and then abandon the resulting litters which simply roam and turn feral.”
Feral or semi-feral cats are very difficult to catch so many kittens abandoned by their mothers will just die naturally.
If you let your cat have a litter and manage to find homes for her kittens, you will use up homes that a litter of kittens sitting in a rescue centre could have had.
Many female cats in season become lost when they are chased by numerous male cats. They often become disorientated and cannot find their way home. Invariably they become pregnant and have kittens on the streets.
This is how colonies of feral cats are formed. These cats struggle to survive, are hungry, often sick or injured.
So many un-neutered male cats carry the FIV virus and therefore female cats are at risk if they are bitten during mating. Feline sex can be very violent, particularly when several males are fighting over one female.
FIV and leukaemia virus can be passed to female cats under these circumstances.
A female can come into season and mate with an un-neutered male cat up to three times a year. She can give birth to a litter of up to six kittens each time. At six months old, the kittens will also begin to breed. Some may end up homeless and breed on the streets forming feral colonies in towns and cities.
Female cats should be neutered at 5-6 months, but can be neutered at any age. There is no benefit to your cat in letting her have a litter before she is spayed.
If your cat has already had kittens, she should be neutered promptly when her kittens are 7 weeks old or she will become pregnant again. Neutering her will not affect her milk supply.
It is important that female cats kept permanently indoors are also neutered. This is because they will come into season, which is very frustrating for them and for you. These cats are at risk from various health problems, including cystic ovaries and pyometra – a potentially fatal infection of the uterus. Undiagnosed, the uterus fills with pus, and then bursts causing peritonitis and death.
BITCHES CAN BE NEUTERED AT 6 MONTHS OLD, OR ANY TIME AFTER THAT. THEY ARE NEVER TOO OLD
By domesticating cats and dogs, humans have already interfered. By breeding cats and dogs and caring for them, we have helped ensure their breeding success and longer life. If a female cat were to mate every time she came into season and all her kittens were to survive and breed, then there could be up to 21,000 extra cats in just 7 years. There is a cat overpopulation crisis…
WHAT IS FIV?
Although most people have heard of FIV, a virus that can progressively weaken a cat’s immune system, there are many misconceptions about it. This has regrettably led to mass euthanasia of healthy FIV positive cats, or a miserable quality of life due to advice given to keep cats isolated in virtual quarantine conditions. TAG’s policy on FIV is that routine euthanasia of healthy FIV positive cats is wrong and unnecessary.
Dogs, humans and other animals CANNOT Catch FIV
FIV can only be transmitted between members of the cat family and is spread mostly via deep, penetrating bites. FIV positive cats may be healthy for many years before developing symptoms of full blown FIV. Cats that have developed full blown FIV rather than simply carrying the virus can be given supportive treatment for the effects of their reduced immune response.
They can often be maintained for a long time, but once clinically ill, may eventually no longer respond to treatment and may need to be put to sleep on humane grounds. The highest risk group of cats are un-neutered males, as their aggressive territorial behaviour leads to many battles with other un-neutered males, resulting in deep infected wounds. It follows naturally, that the best way to reduce the spread of FIV in the cat population is to neuter as many males as possible. It is also important from a welfare point to neuter cats to prevent the appalling injuries sustained during fights.
It has been observed over a period of 12 years at a London based rescue centre that many long-term foster homes, staff and volunteers, have a happy mix of FIV positive and FIV negative cats. Regular blood tests over the last twelve years have shown that they have not infected FIV negative cats, even though they spend much time grooming each other and sharing food bowls and litter trays.
TO PREVENT INFECTION BY FIV
Fighting un-neutered male cats are at most risk of contracting FIV. The virus is transmitted between cats through deep bites incurred during fights. FIV is widespread amongst un-neutered male cats and can eventually develop into full blown disease. There is no vaccine against FIV. Neutered cats are much less aggressive to each other, thus by neutering your male cat, he is much less likely to be involved in fights and therefore less likely to contract FIV.
NB TO PREVENT SPRAYING
Un-neutered cats spray very strong foul-smelling urine to mark their territory. They may spray in and around your home or your neighbours’ homes. Neutering prevents this.
TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOUR
There is an unnaturally high concentration of cats in UK towns and cities. An un-neutered male cat will make himself very unpopular spraying and fighting with other cats in the area. A large proportion of reports to animal charities are from people annoyed by un-neutered male cats attacking their cats and spraying inside their homes.
Rescue centres are full of battered, stray, un-neutered male cats, some once loved pets that have roamed too far and become stray. Once neutered they soon make lovely pets again but the numbers needing homes are so great that many are doomed to join the unwanted cats that are DESTROYED each day in the UK. If only they had been neutered they probably wouldn’t have become strays in the first place. Male cats should be neutered at six months old but can be neutered at any age. They are never too old.