Why is it so important to spay/neuter cats?
Although most people can’t help but fawn over pictures and videos of cute kittens, most individuals in animal rescue don’t see kittens the same way that others do. Rescuers understand that every litter of kittens born takes away homes that could have been for kittens and cats that already exist. Some are also burdened with the experience of watching tiny lives get brought into the world only to leave it too quickly, unseen and unloved. However, by spaying and neutering cats, the tragedy of unnecessary suffering and death can be easily prevented.
So what makes spaying and neutering cats (both domestic and feral) so important?
It keeps your cat safer
Even if you keep your cat strictly indoors and don’t think there’s a need to spay/neuter them, it is much better to fix them as a preventative measure. All it takes is for them to get out of your home once before they become impregnated or impregnate another cat.
Unaltered cats go through heat/rut cycles where they will be strongly driven to find a mate. This can cause them to try to escape your home and go outdoors. When cats are outdoors, they face a multitude of dangers that can end in injury or death, or they may never return because they get lost or trapped somewhere. By fixing them, you eliminate their need to escape, thus keeping them safe.
Male cats that are not neutered can face even more risks, as they are more prone to wandering long distances to find a mate. The farther they go, the more likely they are to get into traffic accidents, get locked or trapped in sheds, and get into fights with other cats. Not only does getting into fights cause injuries that can get terribly infected, they can become infected with FIV from other feral cats, so it’s best to neuter them for their safety.
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, and can reduce the risk of mammary cancer as well. Though some vets are unwilling to spay/neuter cats under 3 months of age, it’s actually possible to get them fixed by the time they are 2 months old or at least 1 kg in weight.
For community cats, spay/neuter surgeries 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 have to try to find food to feed herself and her babies. Under these circumstances, it’s easy for sickness and disease to gain the upper hand. Spaying/neutering eliminates these scenarios, thus giving those struggling to survive a better chance to thrive.
It saves lives
Tens of thousands of kittens are destroyed throughout Japan every year. In fact, kittens represent the highest number of any animal destroyed. Calling the process “euthanasia” doesn’t accurately describe the situation because many animal control centers still use inhumane and outdated methods of destruction, such as gassing with carbon dioxide. Even without 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 2,000 births in four years, so every cat spayed or neutered saves 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 cycle. Spay/neuter is a very worthy and important effort that is essential to preventing the horrible ends that many kittens meet.
It gives cats a better quality of life
Spaying/neutering reduces stress in cats and can curb behavioral issues, therefore giving the cat a better life. Unwanted pregnancies are only one consequence of not spaying/neutering cats. Having to go through multiple cycles of heat/rut throughout their life can be extremely stressful, both mentally and physically for a cat. Removing their drive to breed 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.
It saves trouble, time, and money
The cost of a spay/neuter surgery is far lower than the cost of raising kittens. In fact, many communities are now investing in TNR 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 Doubutsukikin, that 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. The best time to get started is usually before spring since mating season begins once the temperatures rise.
It makes the world a kinder place
Nobody wants a community where large numbers of sick and malnourished cats are continuously living and dying. Poisonings, relocation, and other torturous deaths of cats occur primarily because there are too many unwanted cats living on the streets. To shift this narrative, a cat community’s population must be controlled. A few healthy non-reproducing cats existing in the neighborhood is generally 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 coexistence. Spaying and neutering community cats is part of the solution to prevent unnecessary suffering in more ways than one.
The Japan Cat Network stands openly for spay/neuter and will always focus our efforts accordingly. If you are interested in helping your community cats by spaying and neutering them, you can read more about doing TNR here.