Feline
CAT NEUTERING AND
ITS IMPORTANCE
By: Dr. B R Thakur*
C
aring for cats in India is
challenging. To begin with, having
cats as companion animals is a
relatively new concept. As a result, there is a
great need to educate the population about
how to care for cats. Also, there are few
veterinarians who know how to treat cats or
perform spay and neuter.
Cats are forced to survive in very hostile
conditions and are victims of extreme
weather, including cyclones and monsoon,
poisoning, vehicle accidents and attacks
by dogs and monkeys. In rural areas, cats
lead a more natural life but with almost
no help from humans. Further, people
are superstitious towards cats. They think
that cats are unlucky, so it is hard to get
community support.
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Superstition aside, the modern Indian is
fairly fond of cats. Of the 40-45 cat breeds
available, Indians are now opting for exotic
breeds such as the Persian and the Siamese
cats. If cats are provided with adequate care
in terms of medical attention, nutrition and
a safe environment, they can live up to 20
years, perhaps even longer.
Most pet owners are aware that pets
should be neutered, but only some know
all the reasons why neutering is beneficial,
particularly in male cats. There is some
confusion with the terms castration, spaying
and neutering. Castration is
surgical
removal of the testicles, while spaying is the
surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries.
The term neutering can refer to either sex.
There are numerous reasons why you
should spay or neuter your cat! Let us talk
about health reasons first.
Male cats are castrated for many reasons.
Intact male cats tend to fight one another
in order to defend their territory and to
Creature Companion | July 2019 • Vol. XII • Issue 7 • Noida
secure the opportunity to mate with a
female in heat. Fighting can lead to scratch
and bite wounds which often become
infected, leading to abscesses. Castration is
85 percent effective in reducing or stopping
fighting.
Neutered cats do not have strong territorial
instincts and thus make better pets.
Conversely, un-neutered male cats tend to
roam great distances, coming home only to
eat and sleep. This roaming increases the
chances of being hit by a car or getting into
fights. Castration is 90 percent effective in
reducing roaming.
Neutering is beneficial for reasons other
than health. Intact male cats mark their
territory by spraying a strong-smelling
urine on objects such as drapes, furniture
and carpets. Besides being unsanitary,
the urine odour and stains are extremely
difficult to remove. Castration is 90 percent