Should You Neuter Your Male Dog or Cat?

When it comes to spaying and neutering, many people focus on getting females spayed, mistakenly thinking the males are less important to worry about. I would suggest that thinking is short-sighted. Deciding which is more important is almost a “chicken and egg” question, but the answer is to “fix” as many as possible, and if you can catch the male, get him done. A male cat or dog can impregnate viable females several times a day, but a viable female has to run through the birth cycle before she can reproduce again. Granted, people see the results of fertilization in the female — the litter of puppies or kittens, but the males of both species can be prolific.

In January, 2024, I humanely trapped 10 cats in downtown Cameron. Eight of them were males. All the cats were TNRed. One was a young male kitten who found a home, the remaining cats were returned to downtown Cameron after their surgeries and released. There are still a couple of unspayed females downtown, but since we got most of the males neutered, we’ve noticed very few kittens downtown (one in the last year). There are still a few cats who need to be TNRed (Trap, Neuter, Return) just off the square, but neutering those males was extremely effective.

For people concerned with cost, neutering is a less expensive procedure than spaying (it’s not invasive, takes less time, and, therefore, costs less). The females still need to be spayed, but I’m suggesting the important thing is to get the cats you can get. Beyond the obvious benefit of fewer unwanted cats or dogs, the health benefits to the dogs and cats are significant. For females, they no longer have to worry about pyometra, several types of cancer, or being subject to attack by male dogs or cats (mating isn’t a pleasurable process for them). For the male dogs and cats, they do not have to worry about testicular cancer, fighting for dominance, or the need to roam to satisfy their urge to reproduce. If these animals are your pets, you can remove several expensive treatments from your list of things to worry about.

For the good of your pets or community cats, please get them spayed or neutered — the earlier, the better. It’s safe to spay or neuter as young as eight weeks, but twelve weeks is ideal. Current guidance recommends spaying or neutering before five months of age — female kittens and puppies can enter their first heat cycle as early as four months, so it isn’t safe to wait until they are six months or older.

Milam Touch of Love’s primary purpose is to make low-cost spay and neuter services available to the residents of Milam County. For pet dogs and female cats, our pricing is $130. Male cats are $80. Porch cats are $70, and community/barn cats are $55. If you cannot afford these prices, contact us privately, and we will find a solution for you. We will ask you what you can afford to pay, and if you can, please pay as much as you can, so we can help more people get these procedures for their pets or community cats.