Does Neutering/Spaying Affect Cat Behaviour?

This is one of the easiest questions to answer - emphatically, yes, in a positive way. Many people are still uncomfortable or undecided when it comes to neutering and spaying of their cat, but it’s a no brainer.

In the case of a female cat, once she has access to the outdoors, chances are that every time she comes into heat, she will be found by a tom cat and become pregnant. She does not need that drain on her body, nor do you, her human, need the headache of trying to find homes for numerous kittens in a society where shelters are already overflowing with unwanted cats and kittens.

Believe it or not, when a female cat (queen or moggy) comes into season, she will be advertising the fact to all who care to listen. Not only will her scent spread far and wide, but she will become very noisy with constant yowling in her attempt to attract a mate, wandering and even marking with her urine as it will be rich in pheromones. Even if the cat lives indoors, her behaviour will change during her heat.

It is healthier for the female cat to be spayed as the chances of her getting ovarian or uterine cancers are reduced significantly, she will be safer as she will be less inclined to go wandering and come to grief with a car, another cat, wild animal or any one of the numerous hazards that are out there.

The procedure of spaying is a small operation performed under aneasthesia by a vet who will remove the uterus and the ovaries. The operation is quick, relatively cheap and recovery time is short. Ideally, it should be done before she has her first heat which could be any time around four months of age, but it is safe to perform the operation on adult cats too, so don’t delay, book yours today.

For male cats, it is an even easier, quicker and cheaper operation, also performed by a vet. The testicles are removed in an operations that takes about five minutes, and recovery time is therefore very short.

The behaviour changes in the male cat are also significant. It takes a few weeks for testosterone levels to lower to their new levels, so changes are steady and can be noticed almost immediately. The cat’s need to wander and mark their territory (whether indoors or outdoors) will decrease significantly. There will be no chance of the cat getting testicular cancer, and he will be more inclined to stay close to home, which means a safer environment for him. Most neutered males also become more loving and wanting of their human’s company. There will be no unwanted kittens produced by the neutered male, whether yours or those of your neighbour. 

So neutering/spaying your cat is the responsible thing to do and your cat will thank you for it.