Benefits

Here’s a breakdown of how spaying and neutering directly help the cats already in our homes and communities.

1. It Directly Improves Their Health and Lifespan

This is the most significant benefit for the individual cat.

· Prevents Serious Diseases in Females (Spaying):

  · Pyometra: This is a life-threatening uterine infection that is common in unspayed older females. Emergency surgery to treat it is risky and expensive—much more so than a routine spay.

  · Mammary Cancer: Spaying a cat before her first heat cycle reduces the risk of mammary cancer (the most common cancer in female cats) by over 90%. This cancer is often malignant in cats.

  · Ovarian and Uterine Cancer: These risks are eliminated entirely.

· Prevents Serious Diseases in Males (Neutering):

  · Testicular Cancer: The risk is eliminated.

  · Prostate Problems: Neutering greatly reduces the risk of prostate issues and cysts later in life.

  · Reduced Risk of Injury: Neutered males are less likely to roam and fight, which drastically reduces their risk of abscesses from bite wounds and the transmission of deadly viruses like FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus) and FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus).

Bottom Line: A spayed or neutered cat is statistically likely to live a longer, healthier life.

2. It Dramatically Improves Their Behavior and Quality of Life

Many "problem behaviors" are directly driven by reproductive hormones. Removing these hormones leads to a calmer, more content pet.

· Reduces Roaming and the Urge to Escape:

  · Males: Intact males are driven by testosterone to roam over large territories in search of mates. This puts them at extreme risk of being hit by cars, getting into fights, getting lost, or being trapped or harmed by humans.

  · Females: When a female is in heat, she will do everything she can to escape and find a mate. A neutered cat loses this intense drive and is far more likely to stay safely at home.

· Eliminates or Reduces Stressful Hormonal Behaviors:

  · Spraying (Marking): Intact males are famous for spraying strong-smelling urine to mark their territory. Neutering solves this problem in about 90% of cases. Females in heat may also spray.

  · Yowling and Crying: A female in heat will yowl loudly and persistently to attract mates, which is stressful for both the cat and the owner. This behavior stops completely after spaying.

  · Fighting: Intact males are highly territorial and aggressive toward other males. Neutering drastically reduces fighting, which means fewer painful abscesses and a lower risk of disease transmission.

  · Anxiety and Restlessness: The constant hormonal drive to reproduce is a source of significant stress for cats. After surgery, they are generally more relaxed and affectionate.

3. It Makes Them Better Companions, Leading to Stable Homes

A cat that doesn't spray, yowl, or constantly try to escape is a cat that is much less likely to be surrendered to a shelter. Many cats are given up for precisely these hormonally-driven behaviors. By spaying or neutering, you are:

· Securing their place in your home. You are removing the primary reasons people feel they can no longer care for their pet.

· Making them more adoptable. Shelters and rescues always spay/neuter before adoption because they know a fixed cat is more likely to succeed in its new home and never contribute to the overpopulation problem.

4. It Helps Community Cats (Feral Cats) Through TNR

For the millions of cats who are already living outdoors and are not socialized to humans (feral cats), spaying and neutering is the cornerstone of the only humane and effective population management method: Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR).

· Stops the Cycle of Suffering: TNR directly prevents the birth of countless kittens into a short, harsh life on the streets, where they face starvation, disease, predators, and human cruelty.

· Improves the Lives of the Existing Colony:

  · Less Fighting and Noise: Neutered males stop fighting over mates and territory, leading to quieter, more peaceful colonies.

  · Better Health: With less fighting, there are fewer wounds and less disease transmission. Their bodies are no longer strained by constant pregnancy and lactation.

  · Stabilized Population: The colony size naturally decreases over time without new litters being born.

  · Territorial Stability: Fixed cats continue to hold their territory, preventing new, unsterilized cats from moving in and starting the cycle all over again.

Summary

Spaying and neutering a cat that is "already here" is not just about preventing future kittens. It is a direct intervention that:

· Saves that individual cat from future suffering from specific, painful, and often fatal diseases.

· Relieves them of the constant, stressful drive to reproduce, leading to a happier, calmer disposition.

· Protects them from the dangers of roaming (cars, fights, getting lost).

If you have a problem with getting the community cats on your property trapped we can help. Our trapping services are effective and humane.  

While specific identification would require professional inspection, the most likely culprits for digging and tearing things up under a house in Southern Indiana are raccoons, opossums, skunks, and rodents like groundhogs, moles, and rats. Common culpritsRaccoons

• Signs: Raccoons are known for being destructive. They can tear into insulation and ductwork in your crawl space. They are also nocturnal, so you may hear them moving around at night.
• Activity: Highly intelligent and resourceful, raccoons often seek shelter in crawl spaces to have their young. 

Opossums

• Signs: Opossums are also nocturnal and may make shuffling or scratching noises. Their presence is often detected by the strong, musty odor left behind from their droppings and urine.
• Activity: They seek warmth and shelter in crawl spaces, and their presence can lead to significant contamination. 

Skunks

• Signs: A pungent odor is the most obvious sign of a skunk. They also dig near foundations and leave small, dug-up patches in lawns as they hunt for grubs and insects.
• Activity: Skunks burrow under porches, decks, and foundations, sometimes causing structural damage. 

Groundhogs (Woodchucks)

• Signs: Groundhogs create large burrows with obvious entrance holes. These elaborate tunnel systems can cause the soil under your foundation to shift.
• Activity: They are active during the day and are often found in fields or near wooded areas. 

Moles

• Signs: You'll typically notice mole activity by the presence of circular dirt mounds, as they push soil to the surface from their underground tunnels. Moles are attracted to the warmth of a house, which draws in the insects they eat.
• Activity: Their tunnels can be a threat to a home's foundation because they displace the soil underneath. 

Rats and mice

• Signs: These rodents can enter through very small cracks and holes. Signs include gnawing marks on wiring or insulation, droppings, and scratching or scurrying noises in the walls.
• Activity: They build nests in crawl spaces and can chew through insulation, wiring, and even pipes.