Why you should desex your cat

The RSPCA received more than a quarter of a million unwanted or abandoned cats and kittens over the past five years and the problem is multiplying. Desexing your cat will help to stop this unacceptable problem and avoid adding to this shocking statistic.

The benefits

Your cat benefits from being desexed because:

• They live longer, healthier lives.
• They are more affectionate better companions.
• They are less likely to suffer from anti-social behaviour.
• It eliminates "heat" cycles in female cats and their endless efforts to get outside and find a mate.
• It means male cats are less likely to spray and mark their territory.
• They are less inclined to wander, run away or get into fights, thereby reducing injuries such as:

- Abcesses.
- Accidental injury or death from cars, dogs etc.
- Feline AIDS.

• It reduces or eliminates the incidence of some health problems that can be difficult to treat, such as:

- Uterine, ovarian and breast cancer in females.
- Prostate cancer/disorders and testicular cancer in males (less common).

Further information

Click here for the RSPCA guidelines for the control of cats and for statistics relating to the number of cats in RSPCA shelters.

See the Media Releases section for more information