The optimal age for neutering cats is not known exactly and doctors opinions differ in this area. Some of them believe that neutering must be done after the male cat is one year old, so that its reproductive system is fully developed. Others prefer to do the surgery when the cat is at puberty, so that secondary sexual behaviors would not be fully installed.
The first reason a pet owner would want to neuter his male cat is urine spraying - a typical behavior of marking the territory. After castration, the male cat is not as likely to spray in your house, and the urine will not have a very strong scent.
Another reason is to prevent fighting between males. By neutering, this aggressive behavior may be reduced, as a consequence of a decrease in hormone levels. Male cats are going to be a lot calmer and will tend to stay more time indoors. Neutering also eliminates the chance of developing testicle cancer and reduces the chances of suffering from prostate infection.
Like any surgical intervention, neutering has its risks. There is a very low risk of anesthetic death and also the risk of bleeding and infection after the surgery.
Because of the hormonal changes inside the body of the cat, it may want to eat much more in the first two months after surgery, so the risk of obesity is another problem a responsible pet owner must take care of. Fortunately, the risk of obesity can be avoided easily, by supplying a smaller quantity of food than before the operation. There is also a lot of cat food for neutered cats that prevents animals from getting fat.
Why is neutering cats necessary when it comes to strays?
Neutering and spaying have been proven to be the best options in managing the number of stray cats. It is by far a more efficient method than euthanasia, first, because it is more humane, and, secondly, because the results will be seen long term. Trap-neuter-release is the policy of many animal organizations that plead for a humane treatment of stray animals.
People should understand the importance of neutering their own cats and especially the stray ones. Neutering is mostly used as a birth control method. By neutering, people prevent other generations of animals to be born on streets or later on abandoned because they were unwanted, unexpected or because the owner had already too many cats.
If you cannot afford neutering cats you can always ask for help from specialized institutions that will do this for free, or you can take the cat to a vet that will help with this procedure at a lower cost.
Neutering cats will ensure a longer, healthier life for them and will also help in controlling the constantly growing population of strays.
