Neutering or Spaying
Every year hundreds of thousands
of unwanted domestic cats and kittens are destroyed because homes cannot
be found for them. To avoid contributing to this problem, a cat should
be altered (surgically treated to make it incapable of reproducing) unless
it is a registered, pedigreed member of a responsible breeding program.
A female cat is spayed (altered by removing the uterus and ovaries); a
male cat is neutered (altered by removing the testicles). Cats that have
been altered are healthier and easier to live with. Unaltered females may
be susceptible to uterine infections and ovarian cysts; unaltered cats
of both sexes may mark their territory by spraying urine. Some veterinarians
recommend altering cats as young as 12 weeks of age, while others recommend
waiting until the animal reaches sexual maturity (at six to ten months
of age). Current veterinary research indicates that early altering has
little negative effect on a cat's health; a low-quality diet, however,
can cause serious urinary tract problems.
