Spaying helps prevent
cat overpopulation
Spaying felines at an early age can reduce the
large numbers of cats entering shelters and even
prevent an assortment of health issues
Between 100
and 150. That
is the estimated
number of kittens
an unspayed cat can
have in her lifetime.
ABC Clinic Pet
Refuge Animal Birth
Control Clinic says
in just one year, an
unspayed cat who
is allowed to roam
outdoors can have three litters resulting in 12 kittens.
One year later, those 12 kittens if kept unspayed, can
have 144 offspring of their own. Such fi gures illustrate
that the potential for feral cat overpopulation is high.
According to Shelter Animals Counts, nearly 2.9 million
felines entered rescues and shelters across the country
in the United States in 2024. About 275,000 of them
were euthanized. Cat overpopulation can be controlled
if people learn more about how to keep cats safe and
happy, which starts with spaying.
What is spaying?
Spaying is a surgical procedure that removes the ovaries
and sometimes uterus of a female cat with the intention
of preventing reproduction. VCA Animal Hospitals
characterize spaying as a major surgical procedure that
requires placing the cat under general anesthesia. Most
cats are able to return home within 12 to 24 hours of
surgery. Even though spaying is considered a major
operation, the risk of complications is very low. Spaying
is a routine procedure.
What are the advantages to spaying?
Small Door Veterinary says there are many advantages
to spaying a cat, which can help with population
control, reduce risk of reproductive disease, eliminate
heat cycles, and help head off unwanted behaviors like
roaming to fi nd a mate. Spaying eliminates the risk of
ovarian and uterine cancers and the risk of breast cancer.
VCA says cats spayed before their fi rst heat cycle have a
less than 1 percent chance of developing breast cancer.
At what age should a cat be spayed?
Today’s Veterinary Practice says for owned cats,
the optimal age to spay is four to fi ve months of age
to catch the cat before its fi rst estrus cycle. For cats in
shelters, the optimal age could be as early as eight weeks
of age. An older cat also can be spayed if it is adopted
and hasn’t been altered. It’s always best to speak with a
veterinarian about spay choices to protect the health of
the animal.
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