Most people realize that preventing cats from breeding reduces the number of homeless felines.

Spaying or neutering at an early age also provides huge health benefits:

• Spaying cats before six months of age adds, on average, 12 to 18 months to their life expectancy.
• Spaying results in a 99.9% reduction in breast cancer; 33% of un-spayed female cats will get breast tumors. Half of these will be malignant. Spaying a cat before its first heat cycle (as early as 6 months) can reduce the odds to 1 in 20,000.
• 10% of our feline pets get ovarian cancer. Spaying eliminates this risk.
• After age 7, one out of every three unspayed female cats will get a severe uterine infection called pyometra. This typically requires emergency surgery and can be fatal. Spaying eliminates the risk of pyometra. 
• Unspayed females have an 85% chance of needing a costly emergency procedure.
• Unneutered male cats roam and spray urine to mark their territory.
• Unneutered cat urine is horrendously smelly. It soaks into clothes, hair and furniture and is very difficult to remove with any cleaner.
• Roaming cats face life-shortening risks in our urban environment.

--- Information provided by Dr. Michael Rumore, Lake Seminole Animal Hospital in Seminole

Where to go for spaying/neutering services

SPOT Spay and Neuter Clinic and SPCA Tampa Bay are offering a special discount for people on limited income. Qualified cat owners can stop by or call SPOT to schedule feline spay-neuter surgeries for just $25.

SPOT is located at 4403 62^nd Avenue North in Pinellas Park. 727-329-8657. More information available: www.spotusa.org