🐾 Neutering Male Cats — Is It Always Necessary?

🐾 Neutering Male Cats — Is It Always Necessary?

Clients often ask me: When is the best time to neuter a male cat?

Today I received this exact question from a family that adopted two boys from my cattery — one is 8 months old, the other 13.

Both are calm, don’t spray, and don’t yowl.

She asked me:

“If everything’s fine, maybe we don’t need to neuter them?”

And I thought — that’s a very valid question.

💭 Let’s go back to how it used to be

In my childhood and youth, cats lived differently.

– They weren’t neutered

– They didn’t get vaccines

– They rarely saw a vet

Veterinarians were focused on livestock back then — and our cats just lived long, healthy lives.

We had one male who never went outdoors — only breathed fresh air on the balcony.

He didn’t know females until he turned four, when visitors brought their queens to him for mating.

He sired kittens, lived a full life, and passed away peacefully in old age — intact, with everything nature gave him.

So when I look back on that, I keep asking:

If the cat is healthy, well-behaved, and not causing problems... why fix what isn’t broken?

⚖️ Let's be honest. The two real benefits of neutering:

✅ No spraying

✅ No yowling for females

If your cat doesn’t do either, then why rush into surgery?

🔬 Potential downsides of neutering:

❌ Hormonal imbalance

❌ Higher risk of obesity

❌ Increased chance of urinary issues — especially with dry food

❌ Lower energy and vitality

❌ It alters the cat’s entire system — and sometimes, their personality changes

Let’s not forget: Neutering is the surgical removal of a fully functional organ.

It’s not a minor procedure — it impacts metabolism, immunity, behavior, and long-term health.

🐱 What about female cats?

With females, the stakes are higher.

Repeated heat cycles without mating can lead to pyometra — a dangerous infection of the uterus.

So if you’re not planning to breed — it’s usually safest to spay your queen.

💡 My perspective as a breeder:

If your male cat is: – calm

– clean

– not spraying

– not yowling

Then neutering is not a must.

It’s an option — not a rule.

Each animal is unique, and the best decisions come from observation and understanding, not routine.

🧭 I don’t offer popular opinions — I offer honest experience.

You don’t have to agree with me. But if you’re asking — this is what I’ve seen, and what I believe.