This Valentine’s day we’re looking at whether or not vets practice what they preach when it comes to cats and love… Do vets think that their own cats should be allowed a litter? Do they get their own cats neutered? Or is it just a business move? Read on for more info from our vet panel…
Samantha Coe
All my cats have been neutered at the age of five or six months of age. My current cat is no exception. He is a male and has an outdoor lifestyle. I find that entire male cats are at a higher risk of road traffic accidents because they roam further in search of females. They also get more injuries through fighting while defending their extended territory. In my opinion, the neutering of male cats which are not intended for breeding helps to keep them safe and live longer healthier lives.
Cassandra Longhi-Browne
They were both neutered as part of the rehoming agreement. I also had no interest in breeding and think there are plenty of cats out there.
Lawrence Dodi
I have my cat castrated. I find castrated male cats make better family pets. As outdoor cats they range less far which reduces the risk of them being hit by a car. Also, cats breed a lot if left entire. So I see it as a civic duty to ensure my pet isn’t adding to the pool of cats that need a home when there are already so many that require adopting.
Lizzie Youens
Jazzy was already neutered when we took him on; but if he hadn’t been I would definitely have got him castrated. He spends a lot of time outdoors and as well as not wanting to contribute to the stray cat population of Gloucestershire, the risks of roaming further and therefore nearer to main roads is increased with entire males.
Pi was only a kitten when I took her in, and entire. I was unsure if she might be pregnant but luckily she wasn’t. So I had her spayed when she was around six months as again, she was going to be going outdoors and I didn’t want an accidental litter.
Louisa Marcombes
I have never had the intention of breeding from my cats and always get them neutered. Castrating the boys has meant that they do not roam as far or as often, the most common reason for cats getting run over. It also means he won’t get into so many cat fights. Which hopefully means less trips into work to treat a cat bite abscess. For the girls, neutering saves the worry of accidental pregnancy and the complications that can accompany it. It also prevents her frequently coming into season and acting all weird every 3 weeks from spring to autumn.
Sarah Cooper
Both of my cats were castrated when they were young. Being rescue cats this was compulsory, however even if it wasn’t we still would have had them done. Being castrated is the most effective way to prevent them reproducing. It also has the advantage of making them less likely to stray too far and get into fights.
Sarah Hunter
I spayed Tiffin when she was around 6 months old as I wanted her to be able to go outside without getting pregnant. There are too many cats needing homes and so I think that every outdoor cat should be spayed to control the population.
David Harris
Both of my cats are Cats Protection rescues – and I brought them home immediately after we’d neutered them! Harry and Hannah are barn cats, and were feral (we wanted tough outdoor cats to eat the mice and rats in the hay store!), but after neutering they both became much more friendly and approachable. More importantly, though, they are brother and sister and I definitely didn’t want generations of inbred and unhealthy kittens growing up on the farm. A problem I’ve seen before with fairly isolated colonies of cats all descended from close relatives.
Conclusion
So there you have it – all of the vets we asked have their cats neutered, and all for similar reasons. There are good reasons for keeping a cat entire in some situations. But given the cat population problem and the recent explosion, in the UK, we think that for most cats, being neutered is probably the better option!
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