About TVAW > Neutering

Neutering

Thames Valley Animal Welfare supports neutering for the health and well-being of all cats and kittens.

TVAW has been running a low-cost neutering scheme since April 2000 and during that time has neutered many cats.

The scheme is open to people on means tested benefits, who live within the following postcodes - RG1, RG2, RG4, RG5, RG6, RG7, RG8, RG9, RG10, RG12, RG30, RG31, RG40, RG41, RG42, RG45, SL6, SL7, OX10. OX49. Please apply online.

The benefits of neutering a female cat

An unspayed female will come into season and start calling from about 4/5 months old and will attract all the unneutered males in the district! There is a chance that when this happens the female will be chased by male cats and eventually become completely lost. The female is likely to be mated by several male cats and this increases the risk of infection by an FIV/FeLV positive male. A stray female cat can be responsible for a colony of 20 - 30 feral cats in just one year!

Neutering will help prevent the risk of womb infections and cancer, such as mammary cancer.

It prevents the anti-social behaviour associated with coming into season - calling, desperate to get outside, spraying in the house.

The benefits of neutering a male cat

Unneutered male cats will spend less time at home because they will want to be out establishing and then defending their territory from other males and, of course, looking for females in season. When they go off in search of a female they often cannot find their way home again. They will spray strong smelling urine in their territory to put down a scent and sometimes this will extend to indoors.

An unneutered male is prone to fighting with cats to establish dominance, they become injured and more likely to become infected with FIV and Felv, as well as pass on these infections to other cats.

They become a nuisance and on occasions are shooed away, kicked and have things thrown at them. They end up leading a difficult life that could easily be avoided.