A female cat who has not been spayed can have more than one liter of kittens a year, and many people find that out the hard way.
The Spay and Neuter Clinic of Kansas City is urging everyone to beat the spring heat.
By heat, they mean the mating season for cats, which can catch people off-guard when the weather turns warm and suddenly the minds of cats indoors and out turn to romance.
The “season” for cats actually begins when the days become longer, and by spring, both male and female cats are exhibiting mating behavior. But the Spay and Neuter Clinic hopes people will get an early start on getting animals fixed this year, so they won’t have to be surprised by the fighting and yowling. They’re offering a special package of incentives for people to bring cats in now.
In addition to house pets, the clinic suggests feral cats can benefit from neutering this month. Although some people worry about neutering feral cats during the winter, The Human Society of the United States says winter trapping and neutering has its advantages. “There are far fewer pregnant cats, so you’ll largely avoid difficulties with young kittens and nursing mothers. Plus you can get a step ahead of the spring kitten season.”
The Spay and Neuter Clinic points out the advantages of spaying and neutering:
- Spayed animals no longer feel the need to roam to look for a mate. The result is that they stay home and have less chance of being involved in traumatic accidents such as being hit by a car. They also have a much lower incidence of contracting contagious diseases, and get into fewer fights.
- In males, neutering decreases the chances of developing prostatic disease and hernias, and eliminates the chances of developing testicular cancer. It also reduces problems with territorial and sexual aggression, inappropriate urination (spraying) and other undesirable male behaviors.
- In females, spaying decreases the incidence of breast cancer (the rate goes down to almost zero if the spaying is done before the first heat cycle!). It eliminates the chance of developing a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterus experienced by many mature unspayed animals (pyometra). Spay surgery also eliminates the heat cycle and associated mood swings and undesirable behaviors, messy spotting (in dogs) and the attraction of all available males to your yard. – source Spay and Neuter Clinic
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