Cat Care Tips

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Spay or Neuter Your Cat

Now is the time to step up and be a truly responsible pet owner and have your cat spayed or neutered. Longmont Humane Society offers low cost spays and neuters at the Prevent a Litter (PAL) Clinic.  The benefits are threefold.

Population Control

Each year, hundreds of unwanted kittens are born in Boulder County alone. Although a precious few find warm, loving homes, countless others are subjected to a horrifying life of disease, hunger and the threat of predators. Spaying and neutering is the first defense against unplanned pregnancies and preventing the birth of unwanted kittens, thereby reducing the devastating cat overpopulation problem.

Health Benefits

For the cost of a nice evening out, you can give your cat a tremendous health advantage for the rest of its life. Sterilization surgery is inexpensive compared to other costs of keeping your cat healthy. By spaying females, you eliminate the risk of serious uterine infections, such as pyrometra and endometritis. Intact females have seven times the risk of mammary cancer. By neutering males, they will have a decreased occurrence of fight wounds and abscesses. They will also stay closer to home, reducing the risk of being killed by a car, dog or predator. Neutering eliminates the risk of testicular cancer.

Behavior Modification

Spaying and neutering your cat not only eliminates accidental breeding but also reduces, and in some cases eliminates, sexually related problem behaviors. Females cycle in and out of heat until they are bred. They yowl, howl and often exhibit bizarre behaviors, including spraying urine to attract males. Males are able to breed throughout the year and will aggressively mark their territory by spraying a h4 smelling urine on walls, doors, furniture or clothes. Intact males will roam far from home seeking females, often getting hit or killed by cars, attacked by dogs and engaging in ferocious fighting with other males.

This year as you watch spring paint the world with bright flowers, don’t forget about your cat. An unaltered cat’s biological clock is a ticking time bomb eager to add to the pet population explosion. Spaying and neutering is a safe, inexpensive and permanent means of preventing health and behavior problems, as well as eliminating the possibility of unwanted kittens.

Cat Care Tips