Females become sexually mature around 6-7 months old. In one year, a female can have 3-4 litters producing 12-16 kittens per year. By the time the mother female is having her third litter, the females from her first litter will be having their first litter. This is how we end up with too many kittens and not enough homes!
PROS
- Increases life span.
- Reduces roaming behaviour.
- Eliminates ‘tom cat’ urine smell.
- Prevents pyometra (pus-filled uterus, very expensive to treat)
- Eliminates ‘grease’ at base of males’ tails.
- Reduces territorial behaviour.
- Reduces fighting (cat bite wounds annoying and potentially expensive to treat).
- Eliminates unplanned pregnancy.
- Reduces chances of contracting FIV/cat flu (spread through bodily fluids).
- Reduces spraying/innapropriate urination.
- If you have female(s), de-sexing keeps tom cats away from your house.
- Can make males more docile/affectionate
CONS
- Unable to reproduce
- Prone to obesity, preventable by strict feeding
The best age to de-sex both males and females is around 6 months of age. This allows the kittens to finish maturing sexually. De-sexing males too young can affect the size of the urinary tract, leading to an increased risk in blocked bladders in their adult years.