The Importance of Spay/Neuter
Most of us in animal rescue don’t see kittens the same way that others do. Though we love them and want to help them, we also can’t help but think about the unlucky little lives we can’t help. Some of us have seen those lives slipping away, and many kittens enter the world and quickly leave unseen without ever having been loved. This tragedy is compounded by the fact that the unnecessary suffering and deaths of young kittens can be easily prevented. With spay/neuter surgeries, we can stop the reproduction of unwanted kittens and increase the ability to help others effectively. For this #WiseWednesday we want to focus on why spay/neuter is so important to the Japan Cat Network organization and why we promote it wholeheartedly.
Reason 1: It saves lives
There are tens of thousands of kittens destroyed throughout Japan every year. In fact, kittens represent the highest number of any animal destroyed. Calling the process “euthanization” doesn’t accurately describe the situation because many animal control centers still use inhumane and outdated methods of destruction. And if not by human intervention, many kittens that are born outdoors in Japan quickly succumb to natural causes. It’s been reported that spaying one cat can prevent more than 2000 births in four years, so every cat spayed or neutered saves many, many lives. Even if it’s possible to find homes for the kittens allowed to be born, every new litter that is brought into the world dooms the fate of older kittens that are set to be killed, contributing to the sad cycle. Spay/neuter is a very worthy and important effort that is essential to preventing the horrible ends that many kittens meet.
Reason 2: It has health benefits
Fixing cats can lead to longer lives for both domesticated and feral cats. For indoor cats, spaying/neutering them before their first heat cycle (around five months of age) will almost entirely prevent hormonal cancers, such as testicular or ovarian. For community cats, spay/neuter surgeries will stop life-threatening behaviors such as wandering, fighting, and the spread of disease. Additionally, controlling community cat populations reduces the competition they must face when seeking food. If not spayed, a cat can become pregnant, give birth, and not only have to desperately find food to feed herself but also her babies. Under these circumstances, it’s easy for sickness and disease to gain the upper hand. Spay/neutering eliminates these scenarios, thus giving those struggling to survive a better chance to thrive.
Reason 3: It benefits the quality of life of cats
Spay/neuter results in the reduction of stress and behavioral issues, which contributes to a better life. Unwanted pregnancies is only one consequence of not spaying/neutering cats. Unaltered cats go through frequent and stressful cycles of trying to seek a mate due to biological drive. Removing this need isn’t sad or cruel—cats don’t miss the frenetic cycle of mate-seeking once fixed. In fact, reduced incidences of marking, howling, escape, and other negative behaviors related to mate seeking mean that cats have a much better chance of living more comfortably without disruption in homes and communities.
Reason 4: It saves trouble, time, and money
The cost of spay/neuter surgeries is far lower than the cost of raising kittens. In fact, many communities are now investing in spay/neuter programs since the cost of preventing births is also less than the cost of destroying animals. For those feeding cats outside without arranging spay/neuter, the cost and difficulty of caring for exponentially growing populations is staggering. There are organizations, such as Dobutsukikkin, who organize free spay/neuter surgeries for community cats. The sooner spay/neuter projects are started, the less it will inevitably cost, and the more trouble will be saved. Now is the ideal time to get started, before spring begins.
Reason 5: It makes the world a kinder place
Nobody wants a community where large numbers of sick and malnourished cats are continuously living and dying. Cat lovers and haters agree on that fact. Poisonings, relocation, and other torturous deaths of cats occur primarily because there are so many unwanted cats living on the streets. We see a change in attitude when the population is controlled and stable. A few healthy non-reproducing cats existing in the community can be much better tolerated and accepted compared to ones that seem to grow without stopping. Seeing cats cared for and managed raises their value and promotes the idea of humane co-existence. We have the ability to prevent so much suffering and to be part of the solution rather than the problem.
There really is no more important topic in companion animal welfare than that of population control. Spay/neuter is something that every responsible cat guardian, feeder, and/or rescuer should be participating in and promoting. While so many are dying every day, we should all be fighting to stop any more from being born. Japan Cat Network stands openly for spay/neuter and will always focus our efforts accordingly.
For more information on the topic, here’s what other animal welfare organizations have to say: