Here are two very different stories about indoor cats.  What links them is not only were they indoor cats, but neither had been neutered.  Why do indoor cats need to be neutered, you might ask.  Read on to find out…

 

Nevada’s nightmare fall

In March, a handsome young male cat called Nevada got into trouble after taking a tumble from a third floor flat in Crawley.  As a healthy, young, unneutered male, it is very likely that he was looking for a mate.  When he found a window had been mistakenly left open, he took the opportunity to escape.

Amazingly he survived the fall, but his front left leg was badly broken.  He was signed over to Felines 1st, and after x-rays the vet decided the best treatment would be cage rest and a firm bandage to immobilise his limb to allow his broken bones to knit together.  The healing process did not proceed as smoothly as hoped: early on his wound became infected, and he required additional antibiotics and regular bandage changes, as well as pain relief, while his body mended.

Finally the infection cleared, and as Nevada started feeling better, he decided he had had enough of the pesky restrictive bandage, and managed to wriggle free.  His fosterer had to return to the vet on several occasions to get it redone.  The veterinary nurses had their work cut out for them: too tight and there was danger that the blood supply to Nevada’s foot would be cut off, too loose and Nevada would have the bandage off before the fosterer got home!

After what must have felt like an eternity to this playful and affectionate boy, the vet gave the thumbs up for his bandage to come off.  What a relief that must have been for him!  He is now receiving physio for his foot and leg to improve flexibility and strengthen his muscles.  He is due for his final check-up at the vet later this month before he will be ready for rehoming.

     

Nevada without his bandage           Cookie, Luna’s kitten

 

Luna

Luna came to Felines 1st as a young, pregnant, 7 month old cat.  She had not yet been spayed, but was an indoor cat… so how did she manage to get pregnant?  Unfortunately cats do not share the same views on familial relations that humans do.  Luna was living with her brother, Foster, who was an entire male.  It was just a matter of time before she would come into heat, and kittens would naturally follow…

Luna’s situation is sadly not unique.  Luna was lucky that she had only one kitten, who we named Cookie.  Cats can have large litters of 6-8 kittens, which puts considerable strain on a young Mum’s body.  Not only is this potentially dangerous to the young Mum, but kittens from closely-related cats, such as siblings, are more likely to be born with genetic defects, immune deficiencies and inherited diseases.  Luckily Cookie was a healthy young lad, and he was successfully rehomed last month.  Luna went to her forever home two weeks ago.

 

Indoor cats should be neutered…

Nevada and Luna provide two good examples of reasons why neutering indoor cats is the right thing to do for your pet’s wellbeing.  Not only will your beloved feline friend be less likely to try to escape to find a mate (with the associated risk of being hit by a car when crossing roads), but they are less likely to develop undesirable behaviours such as calling (in females) and aggression and spraying (in males). They are also less likely to develop mammary and prostate cancer when neutered.

If you have an entire cat, please, please don’t delay – book them in for neutering today!