Please get your cats spayed

Everyone should understand the importance of getting their cats spayed. There are far too many kittens being born and population control is vital, especially at a time when so many people can’t afford to look after their pets. Unfortunately a lot of feline pregnancies are unplanned, and there are far more cats looking for homes than there are good homes for them.
However, it should be remembered that, apart from unwanted pregnancies, there are other issues that can arise, as our vet found out this week when she carried out a routine spay on a 3-year old house cat whose owner could no longer care for her. Cats will come into season every 2-3 weeks from around 4 months of age, and their breeding season is usually between February and October each year. Even cats who never go outdoors and who don’t come into contact with male cats still come into season. Having repeated seasons like this, even without resulting in pregnancy, is very stressful for the cat, and the effect of the hormones on the uterus can be quite dramatic, as you can see from this photograph. Both horns of he uterus are enlarged, and one horn contains a lot more fluid than the other. If this condition is left un-treated (by removal of both ovaries and the entire uterus) then the risk of complications, including pyometra (a potentially life-threatening condition where the uterus can fill up with pus, and can potentially rupture) is high.
Some organisations such as Cats Protection and RSPCA can give vouchers out towards the cost of neutering so if your cat hasn’t been spayed for financial reasons, please find out what neutering schemes are available.