Why You Should Spay or Neuter Your Cat

Reduce your kitty's risk of FIV, FeLV, and more
Cat laying on the floor

There are numerous reasons you should spay or neuter your cat! Let’s talk about health reasons first…

Female cats that are spayed CAN’T get uterine cancers; their risk of mammary (breast) cancer is reduced by 25%; and they are less prone to urinary tract infections and hormonal changes.1

Male cats that are neutered CAN’T get testicular cancer, and they live 40% longer than their unneutered counterparts.1 Unneutered male cats respond to the “call of the wild” and their desire to wander is fierce. Unneutered male cats may become aggressive toward other cats, increasing their risk of injury and becoming infected with feline leukemia and/or feline immunodeficiency virus. And don’t forget: unneutered male cats tend to spray urine, which STINKS!

Aside from the important medical reasons for spaying or neutering, there is also a serious overpopulation problem in the United States. An average cat has 1–8 kittens per litter, and 2–3 litters per year. During her productive life, one female cat could have more than 100 kittens. A single pair of cats and their kittens can produce as many as 420,000 kittens in just 7 years.2

Over 12 million unwanted dogs and cats are euthanized each year, and even more are abandoned. 

1. Data on file at IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. Westbrook, Maine USA.
2. Top 10 Reasons to Spay or Neuter Your Pets. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals website. www.aspcapro.org/mydocuments/petfix-top-10-reasons.pdf. Accessed October 11, 2011

If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian – they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.

The opinions and views expressed in this post are those of the author's and do not necessarily represent the beliefs, policies or positions of PetHealthNetwork.com, IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. or its affiliates and partner companies.

Reviewed on: 
Tuesday, July 8, 2014