Keeping your cat inside isn’t enough to negate the need for spaying or neutering your cat. Of course, it prevents your cat from getting pregnant or getting another one pregnant. You should also be aware that there are various health benefits involved.
After your male has been neutered, he will be unable to get any other cats pregnant. Neutered males will also have a much lower risk of developing testicular cancer in the future. The risk drops dramatically if the procedure is done before they reach the age of six months.
As male cats age, they may experience problems with the prostate gland, especially in the form of enlargement. The risk of prostate gland enlargement decreases for males that have been neutered. Also, the risk of tumors developing around the anus also decreases.
A few times during the mating season, your unfixed male cat’s behavior will really change. His natural instincts will prompt him to do whatever is necessary to find a mate. He will mark his territory with urine, try to escape relentlessly, or become very aggressive. You won’t have to worry about this if you have a male that has been neutered.
The benefits of spaying and neutering a cat extends to females too. Like their male counterparts, unfixed females can develop cancer. Breast cancer is fatal in a very large percentage of females. Even if cancer doesn’t develop, uterine infections can occur which are very dangerous too. The risk of these health problems lowers thanks to spaying.
Females go through their own behavioral changes whenever they’re in heat. They will spray urine and become very vocal. Their tendency to roam can easily lead to them getting lost, injured, or even killed. Spaying negates all of these potential problems.
If your female does roam around and get pregnant, then you will have a litter of kittens on your hands in a few months. That means that you would have a lot more little mouths to feed and otherwise care for. The cost of caring for a litter is obviously much higher than getting your cat spayed.
Owners of male cats should also be concerned. The population of wild cats is already high enough for most communities as it is. By getting your cat neutered, you won’t be contributing to the problem.
As you can see, keeping the pet population down isn’t the only benefit of spaying and neutering a cat. Your cat will stand to live a longer and healthier life if you choose to get the procedure done.