The truth about neutering

We all love our cats, don’t we? So much that we think it is simply not right that we get them neutered right?

At least that was the case until they started spraying all over the place, leaving claw marks on the furniture, howling through the night, began to pick fights with the other cats of the neighbourhood and eventually coming home one day with scratches all over and shredded ears. Somewhere along the way, you were bound to come across the option of neutering. So why did you not do it?

Some people have their own misguided beliefs about neutering. Some say it is cruel to do that to something we live so much. Others believe that neutering old Tom will deprive him of that manly feature he has. Those over optimistic would expect that everything would simply disappear immediately after the operation. They could not have been more wrong.

Firstly, believing that we can stop the spraying by simply neutering it is wrong. The truth is that once a cat picks up this habit, getting them to stop would be akin to you moving the mountain. So the best time to neuter them would be before it reaches puberty. Today, the veterinarian can perform the procedure on a cat merely 8 weeks old. Just check to see that the veterinarian is experienced and ready to perform the operation.

Spraying is behaviour of marking territory so it is not simply urinating, and waiting for puberty to come along simply allows their instincts to take control. Since most of the time spraying is related to the hormonal effects, removing the source would be the solution. But don’t let it develop this habit before you do, as then it would be second nature to the cat. Expecting a change then would only bring disappointment.

Aggression comes with puberty as well. It’s nice to have an active cat, but not one too aggressive. So get it neutered before it is 6 months old before the hormones take effect.