Why Spay and Neuter? Doesn't everyone get their cats spayed and neutered? No. There are millions of healthy cats and kittens put to death each year in U.S. animal shelters because of unaltered cats and not enough homes for their offspring. Some people don't know this, or they don't recognize this has anything to do with themselves or their cats. People put off spay/neuter due to issues of money, transportation, or time. Some people believe it's more fair to allow the cat to mate "just this once" -- or they think a female cat's pregnancy and kittens will be sweet or educational for their human children. Also, some people don't know that: Cats can start mating as early as six months. Even indoor-only house cats often find ways to get outdoors when the breeding urge hits them. Whether they disappear for good (due to panic, accidents, or enemies) or they return home, kittens are the result. An unaltered male cat can father hundreds of kittens a year. Statistically speaking, even if a person finds good homes for a litter of kittens, some of the kittens will grow up and produce litters of kittens. Spaying a female before her first heat protects her from risks of uterine, ovarian, and mammary cancers. Spaying also protects her from the stresses of pregnancy. Spaying reduces her frantic interest in the outdoors and reduces the chances that she'll wander far. Spaying reduces the chances she'll mark your home with urine when she's in heat. Unaltered cats have urges that make them irritable and anxious. They yowl or whine frequently, fight with other cats, and/or destroy objects in the house. Neutering a male reduces his risk from numerous health problems. Neutering lowers his urge to roam and to fight, and thus lowers chances of disease transmission and woundings. Neutering also reduces his tendency to spray in the home. And neutering eliminates the powerful odor of adult male cat urine.