Desexing female cats- the advantages
1) Prevent unwanted pregnancies
- A female cat reaches puberty at 6 months of age and can fall pregnant by then
- A successful mating can result in large litters- sometimes 8 or more kittens
- For every kitten that finds a home, one kitten somewhere else will not
- Pregnant cats and their kittens involves a lot of looking after and costs by the owners
There are approximately 12 million feral cats in Australia
Recent publicity has shown the serious problems feral cats cause in our National Parks with 99% of them being "dumped " as unwanted kittens.
2) Prevent " calling"
When in season, a female cat "calls", making a sound like a crying baby. This is to attract tom cats and usually occurs in the middle of the night. Male cats are attracted to the female and fights erupt.
3) Prevent wandering
A cat in season will wander and fight other cats resulting in abscesses. If desexed, this problem is reduced so she becomes a better family pet.
4) Prevent mammary cancer
Desexing at the right age gives 99-100% protection against mammary cancer later in life. This protection level drops dramatically the more seasons or litters the cat has.
THE BEST AGE FOR DESEXING CATS
Cats reach puberty by 6 months. The best time to desex is 5 months of age
See also...
Desexing a pregnant cat
Mammary cancer
Pyometra in a cat
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