Answer: The term ‘neutering’ means, in the female, spaying(i.e. the removal of the uterus and the ovaries) and, in the male, castration (i.e. removal of the tactical). These operations have two main effects.
Firstly neutering prevents cats producing litter of unwanted kittens that will either have to be destroyed or become strays. There are already large numbers of unwanted stray animals around. Any more will have to complete with existing stray animals for food and will often die prematurely from disease or injury. It is also worth noting that female cats who regularly produce kittens are subjected to greater stress and do not live as long, e.g. a maximum of twelve years old compared with fourteen or fifteen years for a spayed female.
Secondly, neutering prevents the formation of sex hormones gonad (testosterone by the testicle and estrogen by the ovaries) and thereby alters the behaviors of the cat.
Entire female cats show sign of heat two or three times in the years, and at those times they will want to wander off to find a mate. Attempting to keep the cat indoor to prevent her mating in an almost impossible task; sooner or later the cat will manage to slip out. She will show typical mating behavior, crouching and rolling about making a raucous howling noise (‘calling’), which owner often interpret as evidence of sever pain. In Siamese in particular, the heat cycle can be prolonged or constant (often referred to as nymphomania). And of course, the presence of the female on heat will attract the local tom cats, who will congregate round the house in the hopes will of mating, will yowl, spry urine and fight each other.
Entire male cats will roam the neighborhood seeking mates, often for days on end, and they will spry their characteristically strong smelling urine in the home. They can also developed the condition of stud tail. Tome cats are certainly more aggressive; the frequently fight other male cats and as result often get bitten and developed absence. Not surprisingly, these additional stresses shorten their lifespan compared with a neutered male. And, because of their frequent wanderings, they are also more likely to be injured in a road traffic accident.
