Penny Paws
NeuteringHelp us save cats in need
Why neuter?
The cat in the banner picture is significantly under a year old and weighs just 2 kilos.
Only a kitten herself, she has already gone through two pregnancies and tried her best to keep two large litters alive.
When she and her second set of 6 babies arrived with us, she was exhausted. Her tiny body couldn’t provide the nutrients needed in the womb to grow healthy kittens or the milk needed after they were born to keep them alive.
For three weeks we battled to support her round the clock. But one by one they died. Not a single kitten survived.
SO… let’s talk about neutering…
Neutering your cat really is the kindest thing you can do. It is also the only responsible option. You can prevent more kittens with nowhere to live being born but also improve your cat’s quality of life. Neutering reduces the risk of disease, and even helps manage behaviour. It shouldn’t be considered a choice.
Neutering also has a much wider impact on the general cat population.
Everyday I deal with the consequences of owners that chose to ignore the importance of neutering and who let ‘nature take its course’. It’s irresponsible and inevitably leads to:
⁃ Kittens having kittens and dying during birth or needing emergency caesareans
⁃ Mums starving themselves to death in the relentless challenge to keep kittens alive
⁃ Stray cats abandoning their litter because they’ve not had the internal resources to keep their kittens alive and were forced to choose their own survival
⁃ Kittens dumped mercilessly by irresponsible owners behind bins or at bus stops
⁃ Catastrophic results of generational inbreeding on innocent kittens born deformed or very sick
⁃ Colonies of strays living on the streets and spreading illnesses without boundaries
The consequences are vast, yet so easily preventable….
Females can (and do) get pregnant at just 4 months old. They can get pregnant again before they’ve even finished nursing and unless neutered, they will keep having litters of kittens they aren’t strong enough to care for properly until the stress of the cycle on their body kills them.
Un neutered males will get into constant fights over females and wander far and wide looking for a mate. Sadly many of these chaps get lost or killed on the roads as a result..
85 percent of litters are unplanned. There are more than enough kittens to go around and the cat population is crying out for us to try and get on top of it.
Male or female, there is just no excuse. If you love your pet, please neuter them.
When is the right time to neuter?
Neutering at 6 months is now accepted as outdated. Cats become sexually active at 4 months and pregnancy pauses for nobody. It is now considered best practice to neuter kittens at 4 months old.
Research shows no adverse risks to spaying at this age, and that recovery times are actually quicker.
Neutering / spaying at 4 months is recommended or supported by most charities and groups including:
⁃ British Veterinary Association
⁃ The British Small Animal Veterinary Association
⁃ Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
⁃ the Blue Cross
⁃ Cats Protection
⁃ Celia Hammond Animal Trust
⁃ International Cat Care
⁃ PDSA
⁃ the Mayhew Animal Home
⁃ RSPCA
⁃ and Wood Green, the Animal Charity.
Cat adoption is a lifelong commitment and financial means should be considered before going ahead. But if cost feels like a barrier to neutering your cat there are plenty of low cost options or voucher schemes available.
And finally, if you still arent convinced and think it might be fun to have ‘just one litter’… take a moment to consider the reality…
Just one litter…
The thought of a litter of cute kittens might sound appealing but the reality is very challenging.
📌 most cat owners who let their cat have kittens wouldn’t do it again.
📌 many struggle to find good homes for the kittens.
📌 the majority found it harder than expected to care for a pregnant cat and a litter.
📌 a significant percentage have no choice but to rely on rescue centres to take in the kittens.
Do the right thing – please neuter your cat
And if you still aren’t convinced, check out what Cats Protection has to say about neutering here https://share.google/71KRwDEmP9gyF9w44