1999-2024: 25 years
We're C4: the Capital's Cat Care Campaign
Neutering myths.
It's been common to neuter pet cats for over 50 years or more in the UK now, and we hear the same myths again and again, and you probably do too. Some of these you'll already think are ridiculous, but others which might seem sensible may well turn out less so when you start to think about them in depth....
Neutering pets is cruel and it isn't natural We keep pet cats, have made them dependent on us and keep them nearby to lots of other cats. We generally protect them from harm too unlike their wild cousins. So the situation isn't natural anyway. Neutering is a less frustrating option for them than a life of wanting to get out and mate, but not being able to! The other thing is that we have too many cats around at the moment and not enough homes. That means cats abandoned, in shelters, and sometimes being put to sleep. Which is definitely cruel and not particularly natural!
I'll sell or find homes for the kittens. Actually that's a lot harder than you think and we're no longer in the days of Covid in 2020 when everyone was trying to adopt a pet. You could easily be stuck with a litter of kittens that reach 3 months old and want to breed with their sister / brother / mum / dad etc. And we tell you below why that's an issue. Selling kittens can also land you with a tax investigation and bill, or a challenge to benefits. Kitten sales adverts are monitored by the advertisers, charities and local authorities who may share this with HMRC and the DWP.
She's too young to get pregnant.....or neuter She's probably not. A female cat can get pregnant from as young as 3 months old. It's down to a mix of genetics and time of year. In the same way as we as humans may reach puberty at an early age, it doesn't mean that we immediately start having children at that point. Vets are very used to neutering from the youngest age it is safe to do so. You can find more information about neutering as early as possible at the bottom of the page.
They won't mate - they're brother and sister Oh yes they will! Cats don't have an incest taboo so littermates will breed (as will mums and sons and dads and daughters). You'll have kittens to deal with, but these will also be inbred and therefore more likely to have health problems as a consequence of this too.
I want to know more about neutering and cat care...
They don't go out / only go out with me supervising. When a girl cat is in heat, or a boy cat knows there are girls in heat around, they'll be unstoppable. They'll escape through open windows, run away, get hit by cars and get into fights. And your girl cat will quickly get pregnant.
