Why It’s Important To Spay Or Neuter Your Cat

We all remember Bob Barker reminding us to help control the pet population by having our pets spayed or neutered, but it is a critical aspect of primary cat care. When you spay or neuter your cat, not only do you prevent unwanted reproduction, but you also help them to live their best life.

Here All Aboard Animal Hospital explains the importance and benefits of fixing your cat.

Spay And Neuter Basics

Whether you are spaying your female or neutering your male cat, the sterilization process is done under general anesthesia and intubation. Your veterinarian will also monitor your cat’s vitals during the procedure.

Sterilization surgery is much quicker for male cats. Spaying involves the vet making an incision in the abdomen and completely removing the ovaries and uterus. They then close the incision with subcutaneous sutures and then glue, staples or sutures externally. During the neutering process, the vet will make an incision in the scrotum and remove the testicles. Unlike female surgery, the incision is not as invasive and heals faster.

Benefits Of Spaying Or Neutering Your Cat

The ASPCA estimates that there are tens of millions of stray cats in the United States. With the incredible number of strays, the most obvious benefit of spaying or neutering your cat is to help prevent unwanted litters of kittens.

Other benefits include:

Longer, Healthier Life

Spaying acts as a preventative measure against common issues such as mammary tumors and uterine infections (Pyometra) with female cats.  With male cats, neutering helps to prevent common issues such as prostate problems, testicular cancer and urine spraying.

Better Behavior

While your pet’s health is our top priority at All Aboard Animal Hospital, many clients also report that spaying or neutering their cat helps to correct bad behavior. When you spay your cat, she will no longer be able to go into heat. As a result, they will no longer try to find a mate by yowling and urinating in areas they should not. Additionally, neutering your male cat makes it less likely for them to stray away from home to find a mate. The process also helps to prevent unwanted urination from marking their territory. Neutering can also decrease the likelihood of getting into catfights.

Spay Or Neuter Myths

While an ample number of benefits are proven, there are still several misconceptions about spaying and neutering your cat.

They include:

Is It A Quick Fix For Behavior?

No, spaying or neutering your cat will not instantly correct any unruly behavior. While the process should decrease undesirable mating habits, fixing your cat is not guaranteed to correct their behavior. How it affects them is very dependent on their age, health, history, and personality.

For example, if your cat has learned and repeats behaviors, such as knocking things off tables, it is unlikely the surgery will make them stop.

Will My Cat Become Overweight?

Probably not. This misconception is more common with female cat owners. In some cases, the loss of estrogens after spaying may result in a larger appetite and affect their metabolism.  For the most part, your cat’s weight is dependent on their age, activity level, and diet.

If you have concerns about your cat’s weight, call your local vet to see if a special diet is in order.

Spay Or Neuter Your Cat At All Aboard Animal Hospital

Our pets are a part of our family, which is why they deserve the best possible care. At All Aboard Animal Hospital, we treat your cat with the utmost care during the spay or neuter process. If you have any questions about spaying or neutering your cat or would like to schedule the procedure, call us today at (954)-785-7780 or request an appointment online today!