Neutering is a big part of what we do at the Cats
Protection, ensuring every cat/kitten that leaves our care is neutered. Kittens
can reach sexual maturity from 4 months old and they can have up to 9/10
kittens per litter.. This gives an insight into just how many kittens one
female could have in her lifetime, and how it can escalate and get out of
control. Neutering has many health benefits, as well as helping to reduce the
amount of unwanted cats. Un neutered cats are more likely to roam away from
home in search of a mate, they are more likely to fight and cause injury to
themselves and others, and at a higher risk of contracting infectious diseases.
Some examples of these are :- FIV – This affects cats in a similar way as would
the human HIV virus, making their immune system weaker and more susceptible to
illness, FHV (Feline Herpes Virus), FPV (Feline ParvoVirus) which attacks the
digestive sickness making them very unwell and can often be fatal.
Diarrhoea and sickness tend to be rife in a multi cat
household due to the sheer number of cats all living within close proximity to
each other. In some cases these conditions can be quite unsanitary with the
cats defecating and urinating around the house due to there not being enough
litter trays, or the trays not being cleaned regularly. Cats are very clean
animals and if they do not find their toileting site appropriate they will
develop toileting issues and could also develop cystitis due to stress.
Many cats that come from multi cat households tend to be malnourished due to the fact that they have to constantly compete for food with so many other cats around. They also tend to have a poor diet due to owners often struggling with the cost of food. They are at high risk of contracting infectious diseases and illnesses from each other. Cat Flu is very contagious and can be fatal for kittens and adult cats and if left untreated it can also cause blindness. One way to protect against this is by regularly vaccinating your cats. Symptoms of this are : - Sneezing, weepy and crusty eyes, lethargy, lack of appetite and a temperature. Fleas and ear mites are also very common within these living conditions.
In 2017 we visited a multi cat household and collected 13
cats from a home as the owner was struggling to cope. All of the cats who came
into our care suffered with some of the issues as stated above. Here are some of their
stories :-
USHI
and URSA – These two sisters came to us full with flu
and both had clouding of their eyes due to cat flu that had been left untreated.
They could barely see and were in a lot of pain. They were very scared arriving
to the centre as they had not had a lot of socialisation due to having to
compete for attention with so many others around. They both underwent surgery
and each had one of their eyes removed. After their surgery and lots of TLC from our
cat carers, their health rapidly improved and they became
very affectionate and confident. They were both rehomed together and have now
found their happily ever after :)
XAVIER
– Xavier
was terrified and very wary of people, more than likely due to lack of
socialisation. He also suffered with fluey symptoms which were then treated
with medication. Every time we would approach him he would lash out at us out
of fear. We tried our best efforts to socialise him but he was still very
afraid and aggressive towards us. The decision was made to rehome Xavier to a
small holding where he could have the outdoors to explore but still have that
option to go near humans if he wanted. We have had an update on him and he is loving
his new found freedom and will even let his new owners stroke him occasionally
and has become very friendly.
TINY– Tiny was one of the
smallest and most malnourished cats who came from this specific household. This
could be due to the fact that he was pushed away for food by more dominant
cats, or due to interbreeding which can lead to stunted growth. He also
suffered with fluey symptoms, gunky eyes and an upset stomach. He had all the
medicine he needed and soon regained full health. One of our cat carers, Ceri,
fell in love with him whilst caring for him and adopted him. He has now found
his happy ever with his new mum and two step brother cats (Toots and Smudge)
who all love him dearly.
Cats Protection runs a scheme where we can help you pay for your
cat to be neutered and microchipped for just £5.00 if you are on low income or
entitled to benefits. This would dramatically change their quality of life
making them a lot happier. Just by neutering one cat, you are stopping them
have litter after litter of kittens, and situations such as these would become
more infrequent and save a lot of suffering for the cats involved. For more information please contact our neutering hotline on 03000 12 12 12
