Cats are among the most popular pets, with around 14.7 million living in German households alone and a total of approximately 46 million across Europe. Only about half of them are vaccinated and neutered, and therefore well protected against disease and unwanted reproduction. Many thousands of them roam the countryside as abandoned, stray, or feral cats.
Many of these stray cats are neither neutered nor vaccinated. This means that they can not only reproduce unchecked, but also spread diseases. In addition, they reproduce not only among themselves, but also with unneutered domestic cats that are allowed outside by their owners out of ignorance or negligence. Unlike dogs, owners do not have constant supervision over cats that are allowed to roam freely.
If you consider the reproductive cycle of cats, it quickly becomes clear how fertile these animals are. A female cat can reach sexual maturity at just five months old. If she is mated, she will carry her kittens for two months, and after another two months, the four to five kittens will have left the nest and the female cat will be ready to conceive again. You can therefore expect up to three litters per cat per year, which means that a cat can have up to 15 offspring per year, which can then also reproduce within a short period of time. This uncontrolled reproduction leads to an exponential increase in the cat population, which in turn promotes the transmission of various diseases.
Neutering is the only measure that can stop uncontrolled reproduction. Furthermore, neutered cats have a significantly reduced range of activity and are less likely to get involved in territorial fights or become victims of traffic accidents. After neutering, they are more affectionate towards humans, show less aggression, and have twice the life expectancy of unneutered cats.
In the interests of animal welfare, every cat owner should therefore consider it their duty to protect not only their own cat but also many others by having their cat neutered. In Germany, some municipalities already have a neutering requirement for cats.
Various factors play a decisive role in determining the right time for neutering. Owners of outdoor cats should always consider neutering as early as possible, as the first signs of sexual maturity are often overlooked. Young female cats are often carelessly allowed to roam freely and then return home pregnant after their outing. However, early neutering before sexual maturity at around four months can prevent this.
Indoor cats, on the other hand, can be neutered after their first heat, but if you have both sexes, you should consider neutering them at an early age. Cats that have just given birth should be neutered immediately after weaning their kittens, as they are usually ready to conceive again shortly after weaning.
Both male and female cats can be spayed or neutered. Sterilization simply involves severing the vas deferens in male cats or the fallopian tubes in female cats, which renders them infertile but allows them to retain their sexual cycle and all associated behaviors.
For this reason, in veterinary medicine, both female and male cats are almost exclusively neutered, which means that the testicles or ovaries are completely removed. In both cases, general anesthesia is necessary, with the operation being performed with an incision in the abdominal cavity in female cats and without an incision in male cats. These are routine operations that are offered in almost every veterinary practice. Your veterinary practice will provide you with detailed information about the exact procedure and aftercare. You can make an appointment directly via petsXL.
Early neutering of cats suppresses the development of uterine diseases and ovarian tumors and even reduces the risk of mammary tumors by 89%. Urinary incontinence, as seen in neutered female dogs, does not occur in cats.
The only serious undesirable consequence of neutering, especially in male cats, is the risk of obesity, which is caused by changes in energy requirements, an often increased appetite, and a reduced need for exercise. Overweight can lead to other diseases such as diabetes, urinary stones or musculoskeletal disorders. However, this risk can be effectively counteracted with a consistently balanced diet and sufficient exercise. With the petsXL health passport, you can clearly store and monitor your cat's weight data.
Apart from controlling reproduction, the positive aspects of neutering clearly outweigh the negative, which is why every cat that is not used for breeding should undergo this routine procedure in good time.
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