Why have your female cat spayed?

1. It's cruel, it's painful

The operation is not painful. Giving birth is.

Keeping her indoors when she has all her instincts to mate and give birth is cruel.

Having repeated litters is cruel.

Spaying makes her content and removes the urge to reproduce.



2. It is unkind not to let her experience pregnancy and birth at least once.

She does not know she is capable of reproduction, so she will not feel deprived.

Not all cats are maternal. Some barely tolerate rearing kittens.

If she is very young (6-10 months) she is likely to be very frightened, and she may not be fully grown herself. A 6 month old cat is equivalent to a girl whose periods have just begun. Capable of pregnancy but at what cost?



3. It is not kind to deprive her of the fun of a sex life

For her, sex is not fun. She acts on instinct and has to endure a gang bang by the local tom cats, risking infection from AIDS and leukaemia too if she is not vaccinated. The male's penis is barbed and withdrawal causes intense pain (necessary to stimulate the release of eggs, but not fun!)



4. I can't afford it. Vet's fees are too expensive.

First, remember that you are paying for a professional service from a highly trained and skilled person. The cost is but a fraction of the equivalent operation on a human. If you genuinely cannot afford the cost because you are on welfare, or a low income, or you are in receipt of retirement pension, there are schemes organised by charities to help you. Ask your local vet if there is one in your area.



5. It's against my religion

We can only say that it is very wrong to impose your beliefs on an animal when doing so may result in that animal suffering.



6. It's not natural

Well, pet keeping is not natural. We have domesticated the cat, a naturally wild animal, and because we have done so we are responsible for their welfare. In the wild they would not breed so often, as reproduction would be limited by available food supply.



7. It might damage her health

Her health is much more likely to be damaged if she is not spayed. A female cat's reproductive system is different from ours. They release eggs only after mating. If they are not spayed and do not mate, the ovaries may become cystic. Mammary (breast) cancer is also on the cards, as is pyometritis, a potentially fatal womb infection, the cure for which is spaying a sick animal. Better to spay a healthy one.

Repeated drugs to stop heat can cause serious side effects.



8. My friends/relatives want/will take a kitten

Possibly. However, it often happens that they change their mind, then you will be left with the kittens. That's how many of them end up in rescue shelters, often being put to sleep. Street Cat Welfare has a no-kill policy, but not all shelters do. Far better that your friends/relatives take a kitten from a rescue home.  Remember that very few pet shops care who buys their kittens.



9. She'll get fat

It is true that a neutered cat needs less food than an entire one. However, if you allow for this by feeding less as soon as the operation is done, she will not get fat.  The answer to this is simply less food. Just a bit less in her dish gradually every few days until she is having about two thirds of her former intake. Do it slowly and she won't notice.  It really is that easy.