Isle of Arran Branch

Lets just dispel a few myths before we read about neutering.

There are currently around 2.5 million stray cats in the UK, many will be abandoned, unwanted cats where owners have left them when they moved house, lost jobs etc.

Many will be lost cats ad their owners are frantically looking for them worrying and wondering what has happened to them - a new policy by Cats Protection is to ensure all cats homed are microchipped to prevent this very thing happening.

Yet of the remaninder which will make up the majority these will be cats that are unwanted kittens left to fend for themselves or have been born in 'the wild' from cats who have become strays and were not previously neutered.

Female cats do not have an awarenss of wanting to become 'mothers' - it is not beneficial for them to have one litter before being neutered. As with humans pregnancy and motherhood are physically demanding on their bodies. Repeated pregnancies will take its toll.

Cats will breed with brothers and sisters and long term this will reduce the gene pool and defects will begin to occur.

So what is neutering?

Neutering is a surgical procedure which prevents female cats (known as queens)  becoming pregnant and male cats (known as toms) making female cats pregnant.

The procedure for each is called:

• spaying for females   -  the ovaries and uterus are removed by a small incision in her side and usually a stitch or two to keep the    wound closed until it heals.
  
  
• castration for males  - the testes are removed

In Scotland it is more commonly referred to as 'dressed ', whilst elsewhere in the UK it is referred to as 'neutering'

We recommend that you have your cat neutered from the age of four months, although for males there is a thought that this may be left a little later but not more that six months, this is to ensure that a males urethra has fully formed to prevent the formation of bladder stones later in life. However, always seek the advice of your vet beforehand.

   Why neuter?

a neutered male cat is:

• less likely to roam, reducing the risk of them being run over

• less likely to fight, reducing the risk of getting injured and you having to frequently take them to vets for abscess infection following such fights

• less likely to contract serious disease such as feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) or feline leukemia virus (FeLV) through fighting

• less likely to display territorial behaviour such as spraying, which for an unneutered male, believe me you don't want! The smell is very pungent!  

• unable to develop tumours of the testicles

a neutered female cat is:

• unable to get pregnant and have unwanted litters of kittens (its possible for a female to have three litters in the course of one year with at least 5 or six kittens per litter thats 18 cats to find homes for....are you sure that you know of that many!! Thats just the mother, what happens with the kittens in the course of the year they become full grown and can also have litters....)
• not going to call or wail as unneutered queens do when they are in season.
• less likely to contract diseases such as FIV or FeLV spread by bites. (The male bites the back of her neck when he mates with her and when he finishes she turns on him to bite him)
• unable to develop cancer of the ovaries or uterus
• less likely to develop mammary cancer- especially if neutered under the age of six months

How much does it cost?

It very much depends on where you live. Average price for a male castration is £35, whilst for a female is £50.

Cats Protection policy is to encourage neutering of cats that are not for breeding, such as pedigree cats,  to help reduce the number of unwanted kittens needing to find homes. Each Branch will have their own policy as to teh kind of help they can give to an indivdual seeking help with neutering their cat. The Isle of Arran branch currently provides free neutering. This can change so please check with the branch. If you want financial assistance please telephone the branch to arrange help. We do not carry out any financial means testing.