The time to desex is when you get your pet
Thousands of healthy cats Benefits of desexing
When should your pet be
and dogs are euthanased There are many good reasons to
desexed?
each year across our
State because not enough have your cat desexed:
Desexing traditionally occurs at
homes can be found
months of age. However many
for them – we have an • Desexed cats are generally less six
female
cats become sexually mature
‘oversupply’ of pets.
aggressive, wander less and
as early as FOUR months of age, thus
are less likely to spray. This
we are still seeing many unplanned
Many cats and dogs are
results in reduced incidences
bred by accident, because
pregnancies. Early age desexing
of injuries and disease from cat does not appear to be associated
owners don’t get around
to desexing their pets.
fights and fewer injuries from
with any serious medical conditions,
cars.
Their
owners
also
save
and may actually be beneficial for
In our local area, the
male cats. Thus desexing should be
money
on
vet
bills.
failure to desex cats in
performed prior to four months of
particular is a very big
age in order to reduce the number
problem. It is possible • Desexed cats tend to live
for cats to breed from as
of unwanted kittens in the district.
longer.
young as four months of
age!
• Desexed cats enjoy significant
Some figures on cat breeding:
health benefits with various
Female cats may come on heat
Every year our local Vet
as early as 4 months of age
reproductive
cancers
ruled
out.
Clinics are inundated
Gestation
period (pregnancy) is
with cats and kittens
approximately 63 days
without
homes,
and • Desexed male cats are less
Female cats can come on heat
likely to spray and mark their
they are simply unable
again
7-9 days following
to find a home for them
territory.
all. Desexing goes a long
birth of litter....
way to helping stop this • The desexing process is
‘oversupply’.
....This means that in an ideal
likely to have a calming and
•
stabilising effect on behaviour
in both males and females.
Last but not least, when
animals are de-sexed, the
suffering which so often ends
in the euthanasia of thousands
of unwanted cats is alleviated.
environment, 12 cats can breed to
produce over 2,000,000 cats within
10 years!
Common Myths and
Misconceptions
Female cats need to have one
litter before they are de-sexed
in order to stabilise their
personalities – This is simply not
true. There are absolutely no health
benefits in allowing a female cat to
have a litter before she is desexed.
In fact desexing your female cat
before she enters her first heat
cycle dramatically reduces her
chances of developing mammary
tumours. Mammary tumours are
the third-most common form of
cancer affecting cats and are of
serious concern. Desexing an adult
female who has had a litter of
kittens is more complicated and
more expensive than performing
the surgery on a juvenile or kitten.
Only female cats need to be
desexed – Another myth that is
as ridiculous as it is incorrect. The
reality is that not every female cat
will be desexed and will naturally
attract male cats. It is essential
to remember that while a female
cat can have around a maximum
of approximately 24 kitten a year,
a male cat can father that in one
night. And then there are the health
and behaviour issues associated
with intact males. Desexing assists
in alleviating many of these.
Desexing will change my cat’s
personality – It probably will, but
in almost all cases, it will change
it for the better. Sexual maturity
means cats’ bodies are flooded with
hormones which produce a wide
range of drives and behaviours
– most of them unpleasant. Male
cats become aggressive, extremely
territorial and develop habits like
spraying, biting and excessive
vocalisation. They will wander the
neighbourhood searching for mates
and competition. This then places
them at a high risk of injury or
contracting diseases like FIV. Female
cats left undesexed will enter heat
cycles where they menstruate,
become obsessed with finding a
mate, and yowl almost continuously.
Without these hormones, cats often
become far more settled and even
more affectionate.
Responsible P
e
t Owner’s
checklist
When asked why people are
so reluctant to get their pet
desexed, the most common
answers are cost and wanting a
litter of kittens.
Let’s address these issues too:
Cost
Desexing is an expense due
to the fact that speying is a very
complex procedure. However this
is a one off cost which has many
benefits for you and your cat. It
is a good idea to investigate the
costs associated with owning a pet
prior to purchasing/obtaining one.
Saving for the desexing procedure
(and prepaying at the clinic) is also
a good option.
• Choose your
type and breed
of
pet carefully.
• Take your pet
to the vet regu
larly.
• Desex your d
og or cat
• Give your do
g or cat proper
food,
shelter, trainin
g and exercise
.
• Don’t allow yo
ur dog or cat to
be
a nuisance to
other people.
• Do not allow
your pet to wan
der
from your pro
perty.
• Make sure yo
ur pet is looke
d after
when you go o
n holidays.
• If you can no
longer care fo
r
your dog or ca
t, make sure it
has
another home
to go to or pla
ce
it
with an animal
shelter.
Kittens
A lot of people want to breed a
litter of kittens because they think
it settles the female down, or to
let the kids raise a litter of kittens
but the reality is that there are far
too many cats already in need of a
home.
Please think twice about breeding
from your pets, and instead adopt
a cat or kitten from a shelter or
pound.
The information in this fact sheet has been compiled by
Wakool Shire Council in partnership with Border Vet Clinic