World Spay Day: Fix By Five

Last Updated on February 7, 2022 by Holly Anne Dustin

“Since cats can get pregnant at five months of age, these veterinary associations support spay/neuter of cats prior to five months. Spay/neuter by five months of age prevents the birth of unwanted litters of kittens, thereby reducing relinquishment of kittens to animal shelters.”

~ Phil Bushby, DVM, MS, DACVS, Feline Fix by Five Veterinary Consultant
Marcia Lane Endowed Chair of Humane Ethics and Animal Welfare
College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State College of Veterinary Medicine

Fix by Five. Beat the Heat. Snip, Snip, Hooray. Please Don’t Litter. Even a Whip and Nae Nae meme and a flashmob.

Catchy slogans to encourage people to spay and neuter their cats. Why is the publicity necessary?

Contents

1 Spay and Neuter Facts and Statistics
- 1.1 Health Benefits
- 1.2 Overpopulation
2 Fix by Five
3 Help Solve the Problem
4 Sources:

Spay and Neuter Facts and Statistics

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 that are 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.
Cats that are spayed/neutered live 3-5 years longer than intact pets.

Overpopulation

Likewise, people are fairly aware of the spay and neuter facts and statistics that indicating that most cats surrendered to shelters won’t make it out alive. The key to solving this problem is significant access to low-cost spay and neuter services.

Most shelters spay and neuter kittens around 8 weeks old before they are adopted out. Responsible breeders have their kittens spayed or neutered before they go to pet homes. Spay/neuter protects breeders need to keep control over their pedigree lines. The Cat Fanciers’ Association and The International Cat Association now allow altered kittens to be shown in the pedigree classes as well as requiring it in Household Pet.

Fix by Five

But why Fix by Five? Many people don’t realize that kittens can have kittens. According to a 2011 study for PetSmart Charities, 3 out of 4 people weren’t aware that their cute little 5 month old kitten could get pregnant and have her own babies. Most people think 6-9 months or over a year.

Heat cycles are driven by daylight. So as the days get longer in January the hormones start raging. If the days are long enough and Kitty weighs 4 pounds she’ll be ready to go into heat and start looking for a mate.

Cats aren’t particular about who they mate with; including parents and siblings. 50% of litter are unplanned because people aren’t aware that siblings will reproduce, or how young cats can pregnant. 85% of kittens come from tweenage kittens having kittens.

There is a current pushback from some in the veterinary field suggesting later desexing is better, but the information is based on studies in dogs. The statistics do not indicate that the same risks apply in cats. Younger cats recover faster and there are no long term negative effects.

Help Solve the Problem

Spaying and neutering your pets is an important part of solving the pet overpopulation problem. But it is also important to your own furbaby’s health and well-being. If you need help affording it, check with your local shelter, the ASPCA, or Animal League Resource List