Why should all cats not required for breeding be neutered? The most obvious answer is to limit the expanding cat population. 95% of cats in the UK are non-pedigree cats, capable of producing large families. A female cat can in 5 years be responsible for 20,000 descendants - all requiring good caring homes and many of these must inevitably become homeless, with a life that offers only misery, hunger and disease. According to Cats Protection , All cats not required for breeding must be neutered now or Britain could be overrun by seven million strays in just a few years the UK's leading cat charity, The risk of a plague of cats, fuelled largely by unwanted, abandoned kittens, is now so great that the charity has launched a nation-wide neutering campaign to prevent the problem becoming an epidemic.
There are an estimated 7.5 million pet cats in Britain today making them the nation's number one pet. But, despite their popularity, tens of thousands of unwanted kittens are being born each year only to be thrown onto the streets condemned to a life of starvation and disease. "The public, especially so-called cat lovers, need further education to understand that by not neutering their cat they are destroying its quality of life,"says The League's Chief Executive, Mike McCawley. "It's truly amazing that people will allow their cats to reproduce constantly. Our research indicates that, although some owners go to great lengths to find good homes for their kittens, many do not care at all. They turn the kittens out of the home to survive the best that they can. Unneutered toms and unspayed females obviously exacerbate the problem by reproducing." he adds. An unspayed female can have up to three litters of kittens a year."Unneutered cats are also far more vulnerable to contagious and fatal diseases which spread more rapidly among those that have not been operated on. Not to neuter is sheer cruelty."
Last year Cats Protection helped to neuter 94,000 cats and rehome 75,000 strays but the charity alone cannot stem the rising cat population it says. And, with at least one million unneutered cats in the UK today, estimates suggest that they could multiply to more than seven million stray cats as early as 2010. Despite the shocking statistics, research into the general public's attitudes towards cat neutering reveals a widespread ignorance of its benefits. A survey commissioned by The League earlier in 1999 showed that many cat owners believed flea control and vaccination to be more important to the animal's welfare. Ignorance also surrounds the true expense of a neutering operation. Most respondents over estimated the cost. Some thought that the operation, which costs between £25 -£35, would set them back as much as £150. "Our media education campaign is all about eradicating these and many other misconceptions," says Mr McCawley. "The cost of neutering a cat is far less than the additional cost of food and vets bills for kittens which can quickly mount up to £70 if the owner is looking after them properly. If people truly can't afford to have their cat neutered we will try and help." To underline the importance of neutering, Cats Protection runs a scheme in the UK to help those in dire financial need to have their cats neutered. Application can be made for a voucher either to your local Cats Protection League Branch or to the Headquarters at Horsham.
Both male and female cats can be neutered at six months or older (please be guided by your vet). In the case of the male, a simple routine operation only is involved. The female requires a longer operation which, although routine, usually necessitates a return to the veterinary surgery after seven to ten days for the removal of stitches. Neutering produces a much more satisfactory and enjoyable pet. A neutered male should refrain from spraying about the house and leaving an unpleasant smell; he should also be disinclined to wander or to fight. It is not correct that a female cat should be allowed, on humane grounds, to have one litter before neutering. Cats Protection is the oldest and largest charity in the UK solely concerned with the welfare of cats and kittens. There are approximately 7.8 million domesticated cats in the UK and at least a million undomesticated (feral) cats. The harsh reality is that unless cat owners and breeders take a responsible attitude to this problem even greater numbers of cats will be abandoned and in the long term may succumb to disease, starvation or culling. Immediate steps need to be taken to curb the numbers of unwanted kittens being born, which ultimately end up in the care of rescue centres like Cats Protection. Currently veterinary surgeons neuter about a million cats every year. Maggie Roberts, Cats Protection Veterinary Officer, says "This sounds like a surprisingly large number but even so, the number of cats is increasing and more are being abandoned and rescue centres are full to overflowing. Cats produce incredibly efficiently and a single female can be responsible for over 20,000 offspring in just five years. This means that only a few cats need to remain unneutered to cause a phenomenal problem. Realistically it is necessary to neuter about 1,250,000 cats annually to get matters under control." Maggie Roberts concludes, "neutering is the only way to control the increasing problem of unwanted and stray cats without having to resort to the destruction of healthy animals."
TEN CAT FACTS
A female cat can start to reproduce from six months old and have up to three litters a year with five or six kittens per litter.
Male cats are fertile as early as six months old and each can impregnate hundreds of female cats every year.
The misconception that cats must have a litter before being neutered, is the equivalent of saying that every teenage girl should have a baby.
An estimated 800,000 kittens are born every year.
The majority of cat owners are women between the ages of 25-45.
Women are twice more likely than men to make the decision to have their cat neutered.
The UK cat population has grown in ten years from 6.4m in 1988 to 7.8m in 1998.
An unneutered male cat is more likely to be at risk from fight injuries and road accidents.
The national average cost of neutering a cat is £35.00, which is a third of the cost of caring for a litter of kittens.
A neutered cat is healthier, happier and more affectionate.
Cats Protection is the longest established cat charity, with 23 Shelters and over 240 Branches throughout the UK. The greater part of its work is concerned with rescuing, ehabilitating and rehoming unwanted cats and kittens 365 days a year.