Dear Alice,
Why should I neuter my male cat? It
seems like an unnecessary expense since he’ll never present me with a litter
of kittens. I hate to take his "fun" away from him!
-- Tom N. Around
Dear Tom,
When humankind domesticated cats,
they brought us into an environment incompatible with our natural survival
methods. Consequently, people are now responsible for our care. Unwanted
litters turned out into urban environments cannot be expected to survive.
Each cat deserves a home with people who love and protect him. This cannot
be achieved until the cat population has been controlled with spay and
neuter procedures.
Truman, Arlo, Zayfod and Calvin demonstrate that neutered males are
less territorial.
In addition to population control,
there are other advantages to altering your pet. A neutered male cat may
live 12-20 years. Un-neutered, he will generally live no more than 7 years.
This life expectancy difference is because intact males are more prone
to extensive roaming and to fights with other cats. Roaming and fighting
increase the likelihood of death by disease and injury. Behavior problems
are associated with both intact males and females. Both sexes show innate
territorial and sexual drives that make them a problem in your household.
In particular, unaltered cats may spray and exhibit other inappropriate
litter box habits. These behavior problems are generally eliminated by
having your pet altered.
To make your cat a more acceptable
member of your family whose company you will enjoy for years, and to help
reduce the number of unfortunate cats left to fend for themselves in an
inhospitable environment, PLEASE, spay or neuter your cat.
Yours in sterility,
-- Alice