Neutering And Spaying
One of the many decisions facing pet owners is whether or not to have their pet neutered (or spayed as it is referred to in females).
The most obvious reason to have your pet spayed or neutered is to prevent unwanted pregnancies, but there are several other good reasons too.
Please click on the headings below for more information:
Male Cats
Whilst the main reason for neutering male cats is to prevent unwanted kittens, it can also greatly reduce testosterone driven behaviour.
Testosterone (the male hormone produced in the testicles which drives the desire for sexual activity) encourages aggressive behaviour, particularly towards other male cats.
Un-neutered male cats are highly territorial and will fight with other cats that come into their territory. These fights can be surprisingly aggressive and the cats involved can incur nasty bite wounds which often develop into abscesses.
They mark their area by spraying urine and will often spray around the house leaving a very strong, unpleasant smell that is difficult to get rid of.
Un-neutered male cats are very good at sensing female cats that are in heat, and will sense them from quite a distance, making them much more likely to stray, get into fights or run over.
Unless you intend to breed from your cat, we generally recommend that you have him neutered as early as possible, before any undesirable behaviour sets in. The best time is just before puberty, at around 5 months old.
The operation is straight forward and involves removing the testicles under general anaesthetic. As long as he has recovered from the anaesthetic, he can usually go home the same day as the operation.
Please note that if your pet is having a routine spaying operation on a Thursday or Friday, as long as you live locally, we will collect him from your home on the morning of the operation, and return him to you afterwards, free of charge.
If you would like any further information, please contact any of our surgeries and/or click on the Lifelearn link.
