At Westway we recommend that all cats are neutered unless intended for breeding. Neutering involves a general anaesthetic and the subsequent removal of the sex organs. In the male cat this means the removal of the testicles and is called castration, in the female it means the removal of the ovaries and the womb, and is called speying.
Neutering can be performed from the age of four and a half months in both males and females. Castration in the male can prevent certain traits such as aggressive behaviour, unwanted litters (possibly for other people), spraying, contracting diseases such as FiV and FiP which can be fatal, and also a reduction in wandering. Speying of the female prevents calling, and wandering behaviour, as well as unwanted litters. One unneutered female cat is able to have five litters a year, with 4-/+ kittens a litter!!
We work closely with the Cats Protection League (CPL) who run a subsidised neutering voucher scheme for people with low incomes and/or receive means tested benefits. This substantially lowers the cost of a neutering operation. If you feel you may be eligible please contact one of our surgeries to see if we can help!
Please remember that it is a myth that cats should be allowed to have a litter of kittens before they are neutered! This is an old wives tale, and only adds to the cats and kittens already desperately needing new homes.
We recommend that all cats coming in for neutering are vaccinated.
