Exploring the Benefits of Sterilizing Cats and Appropriate Age

1. Introduction

In this exploration of felines, the focus will be specifically on the moderate “safeguarding” of felines, or most typically known as sterilizing. A number of questions will examine the sterilizing of cats such as, What are the advantages of sterilizing cats? or What is the best age to sterilize? While exploring these topics, kindly note that the focus is solely on cats and not on dogs. There are a number of advantages of safeguarding/fixed cats. The first and foremost is, sterilized cats do not add to the ever-mounting, terrifying number of felines that die or become homeless in the system. Because they vary from year to year, the statistics won’t be exactly accurate, but they will definitely provide an idea of some of the figures involved with feline overpopulation. In numerous cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and New York City, overpopulation in the felines system has resulted in up to ninety percent of incoming felines being euthanized (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018). Therefore, sterilizing a cat is a good way to prevent this from happening to other unfortunate felines.

Another significant advantage to sterilizing a feline is that the worry of certain diseases is decreased. Sterilization helps prevent certain common disorders such as uterine infections and breast tumors, which can be malign and fatal in about ninety percent of felines, though they are most common in felines that are not sterilized. In addition, fixed felines tend to be better pets because the temperament of that cat is altered, such as becoming more docile and affectionate, as well as reducing crying and aggressive behavior. More advantages can be obtained such as maintaining a more even temperament, learning to focus energy more on attention seeking and playtime, or being more attuned to the owner than being high-strung and mischievous. Another benefit is that fixed females will not go into heat. This affects her personality because when a feline is in heat, she will begin to act differently, such as being unable to stay calm, attempting to escape, and being more vulnerable to diseases. After weighing safety with safety, a decision must be made on what age it is best to sterilize a feline.

Medical professionals recommend sterilizing a feline at five or six months of age, but family pets can be safeguarded too early. Prior to five months, the stress involved with the surgery can have a more detrimental effect on the feline than on an older one. The weight of the cat affects safety as well; when a cat is ten pounds or more, it is less likely to have breathing troubles, which is one of the main concerns with the anesthesia. For these reasons, it is better to wait until after the recommended age to sterilize. However, there are many opinions on this topic because of outside knowledge based on personal experience. For instance, the “traditional” age for sterilizing a cat was six to eight months of age, and many pet owners believe that this is still a suitable age. Not all opinions on safeguarding have been positive; there are people who are against it and believe that cats should be used for breeding. There were a couple of horror stories put forth of a cat at six months of age dying during the surgery, but these concerns can be eased with proper research and consulting both a veterinarian and friends who are animal lovers. Despite negative opinion, personal experiences have shown that safeguarding a feline is the best choice and that with enough research, both the pet and owner will be happier as a result.

2. Background on Feline Sterilization

In simple and general terms, sterilization is a surgical procedure to remove the sex glands or reproductive organs of an animal so that it can no longer reproduce. In veterinarians, this is usually done via an ovariohysterectomy (spaying or removing the uterus and ovaries) for females and an orchiectomy (castration or removing the testicles) for males. It is also called desexing, neutering, or fixing. In Australia, about 80% of pet dogs, yet 20% of cats were sterilized (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018). It is unethical to allow an animal to breed when its offspring will have a lesser quality of life due to overpopulation. For unwanted kittens, the outcomes are often euthanasia, abandonment, or injury or death as feral cats. Consequently, improved human efforts to prevent cats from reproducing is imperative, and early age desexing (EAD) is one feasible solution. Although sterilization is usually performed between 6-9 months of age or before first reproductive cycle, it can be performed at any time, even on pregnant animals of mature size (Jupe et al., 2017).

The policy slightly changed to allow the procedure at 4 months, however, kittens are usually adopted out at 6 months and are likely to be breed before sterilized. Kittens are able to reproduce as early as 5 months of age, and up to 40% of kittens born between the ages of 5 and 9 months end up in shelters. Such policy makes sterilization of kittens an even lesser priority. This has not fully utilized the potential of population control through enforced mandatory desexing. EAD can provide 2 highly effective population controls as it enables capture of kittens, and it reduces the gap between capture and sterilization, therefore reproductive opportunity. Given the importance of EAD to animal welfare and controlling overpopulation, it is surprising that so little is yet known about its acceptance among veterinarians engaged in the education and development of veterinary professionals.

2.1. Reasons for Sterilizing Cats

Sterilization (or desexing) is the term used for the surgical procedure that removes the reproductive organs of a cat. Female cats are sterilized through ovariohysterectomy when the ovaries and the uterus are removed. Male cats are sterilized through castration when the testicles are removed. As with all surgical procedures, there are risks of complications; however, these are low and the long-term benefits of sterilization far outweigh the initial drawbacks. Sterilization of pet and stray cats is essential in keeping their population numbers manageable and these cats healthy (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018).

Domestic cats (Felis catus) are prolific breeders. One unsterilized female cat and her descendants can produce approximately 15 cats in one year. The greatest number of feline population increases occurs during summer with longer day light hours and warmer temperatures. Female cats come into season when the day length can be more than 14 hours. A female cat can start mating as early as 5 months of age; however, most females start breeding at about 7 months when the days are longer. An unsterilized female cat may have 2-3 litters (4-6 kittens in each) a year despite being owned. The majority of kittens born do not survive due to abandonment, malnutrition, exposure, or orphaning. Stray cats born outside (not owned or cared for) often become feral due to smaller brain size from lack of socialization. These cats do not trust people and live in colonies where they compete with the native wildlife. Stray cats pose a risk of disease transmission to owned cats. They easily breed with owned cats that are not sterilized (Alberthsen et al., 2016).

2.2. Types of Sterilization Procedures

Sterilization is a surgical procedure which results in the inability to produce offspring, thus making the male or female cat, “sterile”. Spaying involves removing both ovaries and the uterus in female cats whereas neutering is the removal of both testes in male cats. Spaying is termed as “ovariohysterectomy”, the surgical procedure that removes both the ovaries and uterus. So, the term “neutering” includes both male and female sterilization but actually it refers to male sterilization in common use. Neutering is termed in males as “orchidectomy”, the surgical removal of both testicles. Once a cat is neutered, it will no longer be able to have kittens, however, will still behave normally and be healthy (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018).

Sterilizing cats can be done in a humane and safe manner at a very young age. The procedure can be done at one month of age, or as soon as the kitten can weigh two pounds. Cats can be sterilized as early as eight weeks of age. The sterilization procedure is equivalent to a routine vaccination, with sterilization being safe and doing no harm to the cat. In general, female cats are spayed and male cats are neutered. Both procedures are done under general anesthesia. A small incision is made in a female cat's abdomen to remove the ovaries, and sometimes her uterus. In a male cat, the neutering procedure is done by removing both of the testicles from the scrotum. The cat's wound is usually left open to heal naturally, so the stitches are not present. The recovery time is generally not longer than a week, and cats are usually able to go home the same day (L Roberts et al., 2015).

3. Health Benefits of Sterilization

Reproductive system diseases significantly affect female cats and are seen as problematic in unsterilized animals. During an initial preventive health examination, these types of diseases are examined, and sterilization is proposed. The proposal strengthens if the female cat displays certain signs, such as frequent urination, approaches the door, restlessly paces, vocalizes loudly, and rolls on the floor or has mounted and ridden behavior. The owner may be unknowingly favoring mating. These aforementioned diseases and behaviors can be prevented through sterilization, which is a procedure to have an animal deprived of its ability to reproduce (L. Cotterell et al., 2024). It is considered one of the best things a cat owner can do for their cat's health and happiness. There are two types of sterilization, namely male and female sterilization. This type of procedure involves an irreversible operation in which hormonal and behavioral changes happen after the removal of the reproductive organs. The removal of male reproductive organs is known as a castration or orchidectomy, while the removal of female reproductive organs is known as an ovariohysterectomy. Other terms for these procedures are spaying, which is female sterilization, and neutering, which refers to male sterilization but is often used for both sexes (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018). A study showed that sterilization reduced roaming behavior in both sexes and improved chances of survival on the road (p ≤ 0.002) and when attacked by another cat (p ≤ 0.003). Rabies vaccination can also be conducted during the same procedure since the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends that production of unplanned litters of cats should stop before the first mating (before 4 months of age). Other benefits of feline sterilization include a decrease in unwanted cat populations, a decrease in chance for cancer in females, elimination of false pregnancy symptoms (Pseudopregnancy), reduction of fighting among males, a decrease in feline immunodeficiency virus and feline leukemia incidence, and many more positive benefits for cat health.

3.1. Prevention of Reproductive System Diseases

This section presents diseases in the reproductive system, including their occurrence, clinical symptoms, prevention, and sterilization when the cat is young. Such diseases are rare in sterilized animals but may be dangerous to non-sterilized animals. The likelihood of developing these diseases is high among cats (McDonald & Clements, 2020). Reproductive system diseases in females include endometritis and pyometra, which is associated with the inappropriate effects of sex hormones. Both diseases appear two months after the last heat period. Clinical symptoms can include vomiting, thirst, apathy, increased urination, or occasional discharge from the genital area. Additionally, sterilization can prevent the development of breast tumors in females, which are the most common type of tumor in cats. This tumor is hormone-dependent, meaning its occurrence is affected by hormones during life. Additionally, neutering at a young age can avoid the difficulty in giving birth after getting pregnant when a cat is very young, small, or sick (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018).

In males, the most common disease is retained testicle (cryptorchidism), which means that the testicle has not descended from the abdominal cavity into the scrotal pouch. This disease is hormonal-dependent as well, and treatment requires surgery. When the animal is sterilized at a young age, it does not develop a behavior problem of seeking a female cat or marking its territory with urine during adolescence. Sterilization may also reduce the risk of injuries from fighting with other cats.

3.2. Reduction in Roaming Behavior

One of the great behavioral aspects of sterilizing cats is wandering. Cats are natural roamers and like to go all over the place. This can cause issues as they can be difficult to find and can also get into trouble outside. There are so many dangers for them outside, and sterilization helps to mitigate this in a couple of ways (Mazeau et al., 2021).

First off, females who are not sterilized will go off looking for a tomcat when they are in heat. Felines go into heat around five times a year, and they will sing and yowl and try to escape to find a male during this time. It can be heart-wrenching to hear a cat crying for days on end. This is how many kittens end up abandoned in the first place, and this gorgeous ginger girl may eventually disappear altogether, catnapped by a less caring owner. Sterilizing a female cat will prevent them from going into heat and thus wandering off to look for love. Males can also be great wanderers as they go off to find a mate, and sterilization will reduce this manner and greatly improve their safety (L. Cotterell et al., 2024).

4. Behavioral Benefits of Sterilization

Research has found that sterilization is effective in reducing aggression among cats (Mazeau et al., 2021). However, studies examining whether the age at sterilization affected behavioral outcomes in juvenile feral cats have yielded mixed results (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018).

Another behavioral issue that owners often report to veterinarians is marking and spraying. Cats either scratch or urine-mark to mark their territory and convey messages to other cats. Most cats begin marking at four to five months of age, which is around the time they reach sexual maturity. Studies have shown that sterilization effectively reduces the incidence of marking and spraying in cats.

4.1. Decreased Aggression

Aggressive cats can become a problem in otherwise healthy homes, both to people and other pets. Spaying or neutering a cat can significantly reduce aggressive and territorial behavior by decreasing hormone levels that stimulate those urges (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018). Altered cats are less likely to engage in spraying or marking territory, fighting, or roaming. Furthermore, behaviors such as excessive vocalization is less common in altered cats great news for homes with quiet pets. Overall, this may help contribute to a more harmonious and amicable household of pets.

4.2. Decreased Marking and Spraying

One of the most noticeable changes in the behavior of sterilized cats is the decrease in the intensity of marking and spraying. In male tom cats it involves spraying urine against a vertical surface such as a door, window or wall. The urine is rich in odor and is used to communicate to other cats who pass by the area. This behavior marks the home range of the cat, its social status and reproductive status (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018).

Gonadectomy decreases the intensity of marking and spraying behavior as the source of the hormones responsible is removed (Mazeau et al., 2021). Generally, domestic felines are good companions, but if a tom cat is not sterilized before he reaches sexual maturity at about 6 months of age, he begins to “mark” or “spray” urine inappropriately around the home. A potent mixture of pheromones, uric acid and creatinines is put into the urine making it complex, pungent and nauseating. To combat this problem, responsible pet owners will settle their tomcats with the simple surgery of gonadectomy.

5. Appropriate Age for Sterilization

This section provides an overview of the appropriate age for sterilization. It discusses why sterilization at the right age is important and the advantages that come with it. At which age it is recommended to sterilize cats is also covered.

There are many different opinions about what the best or most appropriate age to sterilize a cat is. Some believe in waiting until a cat is older before sterilization, while others advocate early age sterilizations. The early age sterilization is a procedure used by shelters and clinics. The procedure refers to sterilizing at six to 14 weeks of age or under two pounds. There are both medical problems and behavioral/psychological problems associated with waiting to sterilize at a later age (Mazeau et al., 2021). The earlier a cat is sterilized, the more likely it is to not develop behaviors that go along with intact hormonal activity. For example, male cats tend to mark territory with their urine, which can mean spraying (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018). A behavior referred to as yowling or caterwauling often occurs in intact female cats who call for a mate. Another common problem with not sterilizing is unwanted litters. Cats are a breed that goes into heat and has a breeding cycle within the warmer months of the year, typically the months ranging from February through October. It is recommended to sterilize by five months of age or sooner, and one current guideline for animal control is to sterilize kittens adopted from shelters at two to three months of age or under four pounds. In adopting a cat from a shelter, not only is the cat sterilized usually before it leaves the shelter, but the kittens born in the future will be much more likely to be adopted and also sterilized.

5.1. Early Age Sterilization Benefits

Globally, sterilization of cats at early age is backed by positive outcomes and is seen as the most effective method of population management. However, views of veterinarians and veterinary students in Australia regarding early age sterilization (EAD) have been less studied. Existing studies are confined to only the state and territory level, while Australia is a federation of 8 states/territories that differ in history, language, and culture. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes and practices towards EAD in a national context in Australia.

Between 2005 and 2006, only 59% of owned cats surrendered to a Melbourne shelter were desexed. From 2006 until 2010, national RSPCA shelters reported that 53% of owner-surrendered cats were sexually intact. While most adults were desexed (64%), only 27% of kittens were desexed. Further evidence of low desexing rates for younger cats comes from convenience samples of pet cats presented in 2012 and 2013. While 93% of cats over two years old were desexed in 2012 and 97% in 2013, only 49% and 28% of cats under two years old respectively were desexed. The overall result shows that many cats have the opportunity to breed before being desexed. The current stance on mandatory desexing of cats places the AVA at odds with a substantial majority of the community. As good population management and welfare practices, EAD is advocated by organizations representing animal health and welfare professionals and the veterinary profession (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018). Furthermore, there is a need for national guidelines to be developed to maximize the potential benefits of EAD. In union with animal shelters, outreach educational services and veterinary professionals allied with such services need to be involved in the dissemination of information regarding the benefits of EAD across all segments of the community.

5.2. Recommended Age Range for Sterilization

There are two general schools of thought on the ideal age to sterilize cats, one advocating for younger ages (ideally around 4 months or younger) to prevent unwanted litters and the other for slightly older ages that would allow up to two litters before sterilization (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018). The former group is generally comprised of those with a focus on population control, while the latter group tends to consist of those with a concern for feline health and behavior. Both schools are accurate in their concerns, as there are the many health risks associated with unwanted litters, and there is some evidence suggesting a narrowing of the ideal age for sterilization to 6 months or older fosters better long-term behavior. While the arguments of both groups have merit, a midpoint between these two extremes should be the focus, and the recommendation should be sterilization between about 3 to 6 months, with quite a few considerations to ensure the cats are as healthy and safe as possible when performing the surgery.

Earlier sterilization ages up to about 5 months benefit population control, as unwanted litters happen frequently before then, and are quite expensive for shelters to care for (urgent need for sterilization). On the other hand, there is some evidence that sterilizing females before their first heat increases the chance of them developing issues such as vaginitis, and sterilizing males before sexual maturity may lead to an increased chance of lower urinary tract disease. Generally, up until 5 months should be seen as ideal to guard against population control issues, and sterilizing later than that should only be on a case-by-case basis (Jupe et al., 2017).

6. Common Myths and Misconceptions

There are many myths and misconceptions regarding sterilization which need to be ignored when thinking about sterilizing your cat (Mazeau et al., 2021). Here are some of the popular beliefs and misconceptions surrounding sterilization:

MYTH: It’s unfair to sterilize pet cats; they should be allowed to have kittens.

FACT: If every cat had a litter, there would soon be far too many kittens. Many of them would die either on the roads or because of a lack of food, care, and homes (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018). Anyone wishing to breed responsibly, taking on the responsibility of bringing a litter to mature and finding good homes, will probably understand the sense of sterilization.

7. Ethical Considerations

The Ethical Considerations section delves into the ethical implications and considerations associated with sterilizing cats. It explores the moral and ethical dimensions of feline sterilization, considering aspects such as animal welfare, responsible ownership, and societal perspectives.

Moral concerns surrounding the sterilization of cats have garnered some public attention, but there has been scant examination of its ethical or moral underpinnings. Critics frequently assert that sterilization is 'wrong' or 'unethical,' or that it may 'infringe cat rights,' but seldom provide further exposition. The RSPCA and other agencies in Australia have begun incorporating ethical considerations in newly developed policies concerning cat management. However, there has been little, if any, attempt to make these ethical concerns explicit or to contextualize them within a body of relevant literature (Mazeau et al., 2021). Arguments involving ethics or morals also appear in the emerging debate surrounding 'breed-specific' policies associated with dog attacks.

Animal welfare is a significant issue associated with the ownership and management of domesticated and feral cats. Ethical concerns have been raised regarding the welfare of owned domestic cats in both urban and rural communities. A review of the welfare of tame cats in Australia emphasizes that this involves 'problems associated with ownership,' and identifies cruelty, abandonment, abandonment leading to feralization, aggression towards people, neglect or failure of responsible ownership, and behavioral problems impeding human-cat interaction, but does not mention sterilization at all. There is some consideration of animal welfare issues involving feral cats, but this is largely confounded by a lack of understanding of the term.

8. Conclusion

The significance of exploring the benefits of sterilizing cats and the appropriate age for this procedure is not only relevant for engaged members of the veterinary community, but is also crucial in perspective of public health, welfare, and ethical concern for the millions of unwanted cats surrendered to shelters each year. The overall goal is an illumination of an arguably complex and contentious issue involving both public health and animal welfare factors. Many Australians consider cats an important part of their family structure (M. Crawford & C. Calver, 2018). Therefore, for these family units and pets to coexist harmoniously, it is important to understand and address the responsibilities of cat ownership (ownership understood as providing a foundation of care, shelter and protection for the animal) as well as the associated risks of toleration of cat ownership on the larger ecosystem and community (ecosystem understood as the functional and behavioral unit in which species interact with one another as well as their environment).

In the hope of obtaining a deeper understanding of this subject, both sides of this dilemma will be considered: 1. The significant benefits of sterilizing cats (focused primarily on an understanding of the public health side of the issue), specifically as it pertains to population control, and 2. An overview of the concerns against this practice (both with respect to an understanding of issues with sterilization as a global population control effort, as well as particular opposition to one proposed method of sterilization, namely the sterilization of cats prior to the age of six months). The preferable age for sterilization is a question focal to this near ubiquitous polar disagreement. Consideration of the likely benefits of sterilizing cats, as well as the conclusive evidence negating the concerns against sterilization, will yield the understanding of an evident need for further adoption by the public of veterinary professional advice, legislation and education in regard to the responsible ownership of cats in the form of ensuring sterilization by six months of age.

References:

M. Crawford, H. & C. Calver, M., 2018. Attitudes and Practices of Australian Veterinary Professionals and Students towards Early Age Desexing of Cats. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Jupe, A., Rand, J., Morton, J., & Fleming, S., 2017. Attitudes of Veterinary Teaching Staff and Exposure of Veterinary Students to Early-Age Desexing, with Review of Current Early-Age Desexing Literature. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Alberthsen, C., Rand, J., Morton, J., Bennett, P., Paterson, M., & Vankan, D., 2016. Numbers and Characteristics of Cats Admitted to Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) Shelters in Australia and Reasons for Surrender. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

L Roberts, M., A Beatty, J., K Dhand, N., & R Barrs, V., 2015. Effect of age and surgical approach on perioperative wound complication following ovariohysterectomy in shelter-housed cats in Australia. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

L. Cotterell, J., Rand, J., S. Barnes, T., & Scotney, R., 2024. Impact of a Local Government Funded Free Cat Sterilization Program for Owned and Semi-Owned Cats. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

McDonald, J. & Clements, J., 2020. Contrasting practices and opinions of UK-based veterinary surgeons around neutering cats at four months old. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mazeau, L., Wylie, C., Boland, L., & A. Beatty, J., 2021. A shift towards early-age desexing of cats under veterinary care in Australia. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov