It’s the month of love! Despite having celebrated Valentine’s Day on February 14th, a day dedicated to love and romance, the entire month is all about love! It’s a month of prioritizing self-care (specifically heart health), self-love, and fostering relationships with friends and family. When it comes to our pets, we might call February – Beat the Heat Month. Otherwise known as Spay/Neuter Awareness Month which seeks to raise awareness of the importance of spaying and neutering our pets.
Important Information About Cat Fertility
Did you know that February is the start of the breeding season for most cats in the Northern Hemisphere and it lasts until October? During this time, a cat can have up to five litters in just one year. That’s a lot! Here’s how it’s possible:
- Cats go through puberty, just like humans, and this can start as early as five months old.
- Once a cat hits puberty, it can reproduce and its heat cycles last every 14 to 21 days.
- Once pregnant, the gestation period is about 2 months which makes it possible for a cat to have up to 5 litters a year. You can learn more about a cat’s pregnancy stages here.
Because of the possibility of pregnancy and the number of cats in each litter, it’s really important to get your cat spayed or neutered to prevent adding to the overpopulation of cats.
Benefits of Spaying/Neutering
There are many benefits to both the community and to our pets when we choose to spay or neuter.
Reduces wandering and territorial behavior
If you have ever lived with a female cat in heat, you know what an unpleasant experience it can be with their yowling for love at any time of day or night. Any stray male in the neighborhood will be making nocturnal visits and be equally vocal. An unneutered male can get quite aggressive and will usually mark his territory by spraying his strong-smelling urine. If your cat lives outdoors even part-time, it is important that you eliminate the risk of their producing unwanted litters or being injured by other aggressive cats.
Animals tend to live longer
Family pets that have been spayed or neutered are often more relaxed, they bond more closely with family and will be less likely to wander from home. Their life expectancy is also longer due to reduced risk of diseases such as testicular cancer in males and breast cancer in females which can be fatal 90% of the time in cats.
Helps fight overpopulation
Every year, millions of cats and dogs of all ages and breeds are euthanized or suffer as strays. These high numbers are the result of unplanned litters that could have been prevented by spaying or neutering.
Help Reduce the Strain on Shelters and Rescues
The best way to help support shelters and rescues that are dealing with the overpopulation of cats is to make sure that yours is spayed or neutered as soon as they are of age. The decision to spay or neuter your family pet can be protective for them in a number of ways. Your veterinarian can help you explore the benefits for your individual pet.
Another way is to support a feral cat rescue organization. Organizations like Alley Cat Allies, have a Feral Friends Network which brings together people and organizations for support and guidance with feral cats. Organizations like these benefit the community by trapping feral cats, providing spaying and neutering services and vaccines, and even transitioning these animals into adoptive homes when appropriate.
You could even help out by fostering a cat while they wait for its forever home. You can learn more about showing some love by fostering a cat in my recent blog.