Not neutering your cats: The term neutering is the process of removing your male and female cat’s reproductive organs, to tame abnormal heat behaviors.
what if I don’t neuter my cat? They will spray around your home and furniture, escape from the house, get some disease from coming in contact with other cats, contribute to the overpopulation of cats, and they will be at higher risk of developing cancer.
Although this sounds like a very cruel act on the part of the cats–in the bigger picture, it is beneficial to the health, and the general warfare of your cat. The world is gradually becoming excessively populated with cats, with the UK recording over 2 million feral cats.
Most of these stray cats get euthanized, adopted by people, or end up in animal shelters. Except you have a plan of a place where your cat’s kittens will stay, you should neuter them. But what happens if i don’t neuter my cat?
What If I Don’t Neuter My Cat?
If you’re on the fence about neutering your cat, you’re not alone. It’s a big decision, and there are a lot of factors to consider.
But here’s the thing: not neutering your cat can have some serious consequences. Unaltered cats can develop serious health problems, and they can also cause unwanted pregnancies in cats and kittens.
Ultimately, it’s up to you whether or not to neuter your cat. But if you’re still undecided, we hope this article has helped you make a more informed decision.
Not neutering your cats will not only affect other people, but it will also affect you directly or indirectly–increasing amounts spent on vet visits, or you even losing your cat.
They will Spray Around Your Home And Furniture
While keeping your male cat intact seems kind, hormones will upset them. Indoor and outdoor unneutered male cats play “I’m the head of the house” or fight over territory.
“He doesn’t go out, so there will be no such scenery” is a typical cat escape excuse. Meet men looking for companions abroad. The fight can kill your cat.
Inside cats pee on furniture. Smell is how animals communicate.
As territorial and equal, cats mark their territories to avoid conflict. They have social order, unlike dogs, who can choose a leader.
Spraying informs other cats of their territory without fighting. Squirts imply heat.
Solution: The best way to get rid of this annoying act is to neuter the cats while they are still young, this will prevent them from developing the spraying habit of attracting females. Also, a neutered feline is less likely to put up aggressive acts.
Your Cat Will Escape The House and Wander
Your cat will wander away from the house or try escaping if: your cat is pregnant, is in heat, getting love food and attention from your neighbors, you are scared or your cat is old. For all these reasons listed above, your cat will run away mostly because of their reproductive periods.
When your cat is in heat, their personalities might be affected as it will resort to uncanny behaviors. Cats in heat are usually like vigilantes; they will scan their area for a mate, and the absence of a mate will push them to look far away from home.
A cat who is in heat will always find its way past any fence–no matter how high. Male cats are usually stubborn, they will roam, and fight if needed–just to get what they escaped the house for.
Form 4 months old, a female cat can enter her first heat period, with 2-3 cycles spanning from February – October. If your cat becomes pregnant, you’ll notice either a more loving and sweet personality or an annoying, irritating character.
You will find your cat either spending more time in her litter box or trying to escape the house at the later stage of her pregnancy, this is to find a safe place where she can deliver her kittens–even if it means running away.
To negate aggression, escaping the house, and other related issues that may arise better to neuter your cat. While you should ensure you provide a calm secluded space for your cat while she is pregnant and in her final stages.
They will get Diseases From Other Cats they Come in contact with
Indoor cats outlive stray cats times 2. The general care, food, and shelter received by an indoor cat help them to attain a longer and healthier life. The stray cat won’t get these much care, deworming schedule with the vet, constant checkups, supplements, and organic healthy treats–this means they’ll die pretty faster.
In the previous sub-headings, we noted the abnormal erratic and sneaky behavior of cats in heat. When they sneak away from the house in search of a mating partner, they are more likely to contract feline AIDs, and leukemia–these viruses, have no cure yet. Asides from this, feral cats carry warms and other diseases that could be transferred to humans.
Your indoor cat that is in search of a mating pal will likely get into a fight with a stray cat, this aside, cats bit each other when they are mating or trying to mate. Disease transmissible to humans include:
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Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis is one of the diseases cats can pass on to humans, pregnant women, and people with weakened immune systems who are more at risk. This disease is caused by a parasite that is usually found in the feces of cats that are affected
The parasites are transmitted from contact with the cat’s feces, while this may seem unlikely to you–these parasites are microscopic(which means they can’t be seen by the eyes), and you could encounter them while you clean out the cat’s litter, which is why I never fail to disinfect after each encounter with the litter. This disease usually leads to miscarriage in pregnant women.
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Rabies
A very deadly disease that affects the central nervous system, usually transmitted by stray dogs, bats, and cats. Touching the animals cannot transmit rabies to you, for you(a human) to be infected by rabies, the saliva of the infected animal has to enter your bloodstream.
If not halted with timely intervention, rabies heads straight to the brain, leading to irreversible consequences. A bite from an infected animal should be treated and sterilized as soon as possible.
Solution: neuter your cat or Ringworm and cat scratch disease(CSD) are also diseases you could get from a cat that has come in contact with a stray cat.
Contribute to Overpopulation of Cats
A cat that hasn’t been fixed will contribute to the overpopulation of cats. Overpopulation in cats as approximated by ASPCA is the deficit between (3.4 million cats who enter animal shelters yearly) and ( 3.1 million who are adopted each year). Who takes care of the 300,000 cats who are not adopted? Most of them are euthanized.
Asides from the cats who are sent into animal shelters, there are over 50- 70 million feral cats in the United States alone. Not neutering your cats will only be adding to the menace.
Risk of developing Cancer
Male cats that are not neutered are at greater risk of developing testicular cancer. Intact females are also at risk of developing uterine and mammary cancer.
How to Make the Decision to Neuter Your Cat
Cat neutering is difficult. You may worry about your pet’s health or whether to neuter.
Many resources can help you find the right cat option. The ASPCA provides extensive instructions on its website, and Veterinary Pet Insurance includes an online calculator to estimate surgical costs.
Consider lifestyle, money, and pet health while choosing. Understanding the dangers and costs of neutering, a major surgery under anesthesia, is important.
Is Neutering Your Cat the Right Choice for You?
Most cat owners wonder if neutering is right for them and their pets. There are several aspects to consider, including if you have another cat that has to be neutered, whether you have the time and money to care for a cat, and whether surgery will make your cat happier and healthier.
You must decide if your cat should be neutered. But by weighing the benefits and downsides, you can make the best choice for you and your pet.
Conclusion
what happens if i don t neuter my male cat? Neutering your male cat is the best thing you could do for the cat population, asides that, it makes it easier for you as a cat parent, since we all know how sneaky cats can be. By neutering your cat, you’ll be eliminating most of the problems faced by unfixed male and female cats.
