Cat Spay Neuter Awareness

Last Updated on February 6, 2023 by Holly Anne Dustin

The Doris Day Animal League started World Spay Day in 1995 to bring attention to spay neuter awareness as the solution to the pet overpopulation problem. Seventy countries around the world now recognize it on February 24th.

Statistics from the ASPCA puts the US pet cat population at 74-96 million. But millions of unwanted animals live on the street or are euthanized after being turned into shelters.

Why is it important to spay/neuter your cat?

Community Benefits

One un-neutered feral cat can be responsible for 28,000 descendants in 5 years.  70 million strays are left fending for themselves.

Cats can have up to 3 litters a year with an average of 4 kittens, and many people don’t know that the new mom can become pregnant again while still nursing a litter! Trap-Neuter-Return and access to affordable spay/neuter resources are the best ways to save the lives of community cats.

Health Benefits

The health benefits of spaying and neutering your cat are fairly well known:

• Reduce the risk of breast cancer for female cats.  Cats spayed before their first heat are 91% less likely to contract breast cancer. Breast cancer is 90% fatal in cats.
• Remove the risk of pyometra, a severe uterine infection.
• Regular heat cycles stresses Kitty’s immune system.
• Male cats no longer have the risk of testicular cancer.
• Reduces mating behavior of roaming and fighting which can lead to catching FIV, feline leukemia, and abscesses.
• May prevent annoying behavior like yowling, fighting, humping, spraying and marking.
• Spayed or neutered cats live 3-5 years longer than intact pets.

When to spay/neuter your cat?

Cats can breed from 4 months of age and they are not too particular about who they will mate with. That would include their brothers, sisters, and parents. Cats don’t need to have just one litter. They don’t have the emotional connection to parenthood that humans have. They can drive you crazy until they are spayed or neutered. There is nothing as annoying as a female cat in heat. A male trying to get to her isn’t much better.

Three options for time frames on spay/neuter:

• Pediatric or early spay/neuter spays the kitty at 6-8 weeks once they weigh two pounds.
• Standard time frame would be 4-6 months. As the slogan says, fix by five months to avoid unwanted pregnancies and spraying males.
• Waiting until after the first heat at 8-12 months. This is a more old school approach and more typical of dogs than cats. Cats reach sexual maturity much younger than dogs and can reproduce as young as 5 months old.

Most shelters encourage early spay/neuter and breeders typically have their kittens spayed or neutered before they go to pet homes to prevent unwanted breeding.

Spaying before the first heat gives the most preventative health benefits. The surgery goes quicker in kittens. Kittens bleed less. They are anesthetized for a shorter time so the recovery period is also shorter and less complicated. Most kittens bounce back in 24 hours.

The biggest reason shelters and breeders spay/neuter early is concern that the new owners won’t get it done, leaving the cat free to breed. According to studies, kittens adopted out intact, even with vouchers for a free spay and neuter, 60% don’t return for their appointment.

At least 50% of litters are unplanned. Often families plan to spay or neuter in the future but nature interferes. I can attest to that; my Mayhem Girls are the result of just exactly that situation.

Arguments against early spay and neuter

Opponents cite obesity, a decreased immune response, delayed closure of the growth plates in the long bones, and predisposition to obstructive lower urinary tract disease as possible harmful effects. A study suggests cats neutered before 4 months of age have an increased risk of the rare Legg Calve Perthes disease (which I have never even heard of.)

Early spay/neuter does not affect behavior.

A Belgian study conducted in 2014 concluded that early spay/neuter did not affect behavior compared to kittens sterilized at 6 months. Proper socialization impacts a kitten’s behavior more than the age he/she was sterilized.

How to Care for a Cat Recovering from Spay or Neuter Surgery

Your furbaby will likely be coming home the same day as their surgery. Kitty will probably be loopy from the anesthesia and medicine they’ve been given. The neuter surgery for males is less invasive and they usually bounce back quicker. All kittens will have either been given a long-lasting pain reliever and antibiotic or will come home with pills for you to give them.

You can offer Kitty a small meal at night but don’t overfeed. She might not be too hungry. Thanks okay. But she should be ready to eat the next day.

You want to keep Kitty quiet for a few days. Separate her from other animals in the house and keep her somewhere that don’t offer her opportunities for running, jumping, climbing, or rough play. Give Kitty a comfy bed, box, or carrier to relax in as she recovers. After a few days, Kitty should be feeling more herself.

Use a dust-free litter and keep it extra clean to reduce the chance of litter sticking to the surgical site and attracting bacteria to the wound. Some vets suggest paper litter or pellets until the wound heals. If you are going to switch litter, start beforehand so Kitty is used to it.

Keep Kitty inside during recovery. You’ll be able to monitor his behavior and keep an eye on the incision. Keep it clean and dry. You don’t want to see bleeding, weeping, redness, swelling, or a smell. If any of that occurs, back to the vet you go.

You might have to use a cone or surgical recovery suit if Kitty is licking the surgery site excessively. Some vets insist on it. But in 50 years of cat ownership I have never had one that needed it, even on the occasions that I had whole litters done at the same time.

Cost Issues in Spay Neuter Awareness

Cost is the number one reason for not getting a cat spayed or neutered. Generally, the cost is $300-500 for spaying a female, and $200 for neutering a male at your local veterinarian’s office. It is possible to find a low cost clinic for around $50-100.  Some pet insurance policies cover sterilizations.

You can contact your local shelter or humane society or a vet school and see if they can help. Some veterinary schools have programs that can help. Most states have a low cost spay and neuter program. Neighborhood Cats has a list here.

CareCredit is another option. RedRover and crowdsourcing sites like Waggle or YouCaring are something you could work with too.

Access to Spay/Neuter Information

Spay/Neuter awareness and access to low-cost resources is the key to solving the pet overpopulation problem. Some areas of the country do a much better job making spay neuter resources not just available but accessible.

I think that overall there should be ways to make the information available to the people most in need of it. If food banks, WIC offices, social services offices, emergency shelters and so on included brochures or lists for people in need, I think that could make a big difference.

How You Can Help with the Overpopulation Problem

• Have your pet fixed and encourage your friends to do the same.
• Share on social media.
• Write for the papers
• Volunteer for nearby shelters
• Raise funds for low-cost spay/neuter programs

A responsible cat guardian spays or neuters their cat. The cost to spay or neuter a cat is much less than the cost of caring for a litter of kitten. There are resources available if you need help to get your cat altered.