Spaying or Neutering Has Many Health Benefits for Cats

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 62nd Avenue North in Pinellas Park. 727-329-8657. More information available: www.spotusa.org