by Pat Rapacchiano

Created on: May 04, 2009

It is very important for pet owners to make certain that their male cat is neutered. Veterinarians will neuter a cat when it reaches six months old. At six months old both male and female cats are capable of reproducing.

Neutering is important for various reasons. First, there are so many unwanted animals throughout the world already. Neutering will prevent your male cat from mating with a female and possibly producing unwanted kittens. The SPCA is full of stray and unwanted animals and it is heartbreaking to think that many of them are eventually put to sleep.

In addition to controlling the animal population, neutering will actually make your male cat a much better pet. Neutering will diminish much of the sexual urges that a cat normally experiences when he becomes of age. In addition, male cats that are not neutered will begin releasing a potent ammonia smelling spray, which is excreted from their reproductive organ; this normally occurs when they reach six months of age. If the cat is strictly indoors, the strong odor that they release will leaver your home smelling like a barnyard. Neutering will fix the problem associated with a male cat that has reached the age of maturity.

Male cats that are neutered will make much better house cats. The neutering will make them much more calm and eliminate the desire to go outside during mating season. Essentially, once a male is neutered about 85-90% of his sexual drive or desire to mate with a female is no longer an issue.

There are also health benefits to neutering your pet. A male cat that is neutered is at a reduced risk if developing certain cancers associated with the reproductive organs. Actually, by neutering your male cat you are possibly increasing his life span significantly. As cats age many of them develop cancers in the reproductive organs, which can be the beginning of a painful and possible illness.

If you adopt a kitten from an animal shelter, the shelter will many times take care of the neutering before you take the pet home. The animal shelters are overflowing with cats and dogs waiting for a good home. The shelters place emphasis on population control and animal welfare.

In addition to the obvious reasons for having your pet neutered, if your male cat was capable of mating it is very easy for the cat to contract various diseases from other outdoor cats. Feline leukemia, and aids are common illness that is easily transmitted especially during mating season. These illnesses can cause a cat great suffering and they are almost always fatal.

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